{UAH} Rome readies for today's great beatification....

Beatification day today. Pope Paul VI becomes Blessed Paul VI. Thousands of pilgrims

from all over the world have arrived in Rome for the occasion whose programme started

yesterday evening with vespers sung in one of the great basilicas and presided by Cardinal Scola

Archbishop of Milan where Pope Paul served with distinction as archbishop before being elected Pope.

Many parishes in europe have had vigil prayer services in readiness for the beatification which will coincide

with the official closure of the Extraordinary Synod on Family whose proposals will be approved by next year's

special synod.

At the Vatican St Peter's Square will open to the public 3 hours before the ceremony. Of course it will be filled to 

real full capacity when an estimated 300,000 pilgrims will just simply invade it. Pope Benedict XVI has agreed to attend.

The ceremony will naturally be a world event to be covered with dozens of  world TVs. For the people of Milan and Brescia, 

Pope Paul's native city, giant mega-screens have been erected all over the cities an,d for the first time in history the newly

invented standard 4K transmission will be used to enable the thousands of viewers to see very clear images. 

When pope Francis will read the the beatification rite all bels in Milan Archdiocese and in most parts of Northern Italy will ring.

Several pilgrims from Pope Paul's town of Brescia have flown to the West African nation of Benin where great ceremonies

are prepared to mark Paul VI's beatification. And in many countries of Africa special programmes have been anticipated to honour

the great Pope.

The Synod Fathers will all particiapte in the beatification mass as also a thanksgiving prayer for the recently concluded deliberations

and they have all unanimously thanked the Pope for the organization and have appreciated his zeal for love and care for the family

especially when the environment it lives in is so challenging. pope Francis will definitely have his stand on numerous family issues

supported and approved.

Dr G.H. Kkolokolo  ( Paris / France )