A Piece of the Pope Revisits Bogotá

Police stand guard in front of the cathedral as people wait in line to see drops of Pope Juan Paul's blood. 

A relic of the widely-loved Pope John Paul II was displayed in Bogotá's Cathedral today, attracting hundreds of the faithful and simply curious, who lined up on Plaza Bolivar and Seventh Ave. for a glimpse.

Whether or not the drops of blood from John Paul - who visited Colombia in 1986 and died in 2005 - really contain something transcendental makes little difference as long as people believe it, which many evidently do.

Colombia is an overwhelmingly Catholic country, but only a small proportion seem to practice their faith. Yet, some of the believers practice with an intense devotion.

For his part, Pope John Paul is on the fast-track to sainthood.

El Tiempo opines that displaying the blood seems a bit archaic. One might also add morbid.

A portrait of Pope John Paul II stands out in the window of a shop selling esoterica.

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours