Praying

[topum]

In Moldova.

Comments

[real-marsel.livejournal.com]

Did they know about my arrive?

[topum.livejournal.com]

No, but she did: )

[wanderipity.livejournal.com]

This photo though lol

[topum.livejournal.com]

We actually have an old lady in the village here with this attitude. She really cracks me up.

[beautesauvage13.livejournal.com]

People need armed guards to pray there?

[topum.livejournal.com]

There were four presidents, about twenty ministers (from a couple of countries) at this service.

[beautesauvage13.livejournal.com]

Ah then that explains the armed guards.  Why were there 4 presidents and ministers there?  What was the service? A funeral?  Who died?  I haven't had the news on today.  Been knitting most of the day and cleaning the house around the cat. 
Athena

[topum.livejournal.com]

They canonised the first Moldovan saint ever today here, it was a big deal (I think I will make a separate post on it). I don't think it will show up in the news internationally though.

[beautesauvage13.livejournal.com]

Ah I see.  Actually that's interesting because I think Mother Teresa was being canonized in Rome today.  I think I read it on Facebook yesterday. 

Athena

[topum.livejournal.com]

Indeed. They canonised their saint one day before Mother Theresa. The wait for him was quite a bit longer though, a couple of centuries.

[beautesauvage13.livejournal.com]

Who was he? 

Athena

[sagittariusbun.livejournal.com]

WTF are they doing?????

[topum.livejournal.com]

This guy:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gavril_Bănulescu-Bodoni

[topum.livejournal.com]

They are praying.

[beautesauvage13.livejournal.com]

He's no Rasputian but still saintly looking. 
Athena

[topum.livejournal.com]

I was missing the dramatic details one usually associates with sainthood from his life too. But they did very thorough research here, which lasted years and even exhumed his body (which I think is always required for canonisation). The whole process can look very strange to the outsiders (it certainly does to me).

[beautesauvage13.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure if Catholic canonization requires exhumation of the body but I have heard of stories of saints whose body is perfectly persevered years after death.  I had the opportunity to be in the presence of St Teresa the little flower body.  She was touring the country here back in 1997.  It was a few months after my mother died that I had gone to see it.  So I'm used to strange.  I imagine they did do much research.  I know the Catholic Church does extensive research before considering someone for sainthood. 

Athena

[topum.livejournal.com]

Yes, I understand that they must exhume the body to demonstrate that it did not decompose as the bodies of non-saints would and it is a necessary condition for canonisation by the Orthodox apparently.

[beautesauvage13.livejournal.com]

I'm sure there is no doubt some scientific explanation as to how a body can remain preserved after centuries.  Something no doubt to do with how they buried people back then or something. 

Athena

[gneu.livejournal.com]

Where are the priests? Did that security detail scare them off?

[gneu.livejournal.com]

Seriously, the body has to NOT decompose on its own?

[topum.livejournal.com]

The priests are their at the front singing and performing the service, there were probably a couple of hundreds of them.

[topum.livejournal.com]

Yes, but the definition of "not decompose" is not what comes to an outsider's mind when you hear it. It is about the skin being somewhat preserved on the body, etc. It still looks all dry and brown, etc.

[sagittariusbun.livejournal.com]

Aha. :-)