Shortly after Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin has returned from accompanying the Pope on his Apostolic Visit to the United States and Cuba, he will preside over the liturgical memorial of the now Blessed Paul VI.
According to Italian blog IlSismografo, this memorial will take place in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Altar of the Cathedra on Monday, Sept. 28 at 5 p.m.
After the celebration, Cardinal Parolin is expected to visit the Vatican Grottoes to pray before the remains of Blessed Paul VI.
Paul VI, who reigned from 1963 to 1978, was praised for his efforts to seek closer ties with other Christian denominations and for his 1968 encyclical Humanae Vitae, which reaffirmed the Church’s stance on conjugal love, parenthood, and artificial contraception.
On Dec. 20, 2012, Pope Benedict XVI recognized the late Pope’s heroic virtues. On Oct.19, 2014, Pope Paul VI was beatified by Pope Francis.
September 26th is the date of Blessed Paul VI’s liturgical memorial, the date of his birthday in Concesio, Brescia. Given this, on the 26th, the northern Italian Diocese of Brescia will remember him in a Mass celebrated by Bishop Luciano Munari. (D.C.L.)
