Relics of Pope John Paul II Arrive in Mexico

Aug. 25: A glass case containing a wax figure of Pope John Paul II with relics and a vial of the ex-pontiff's blood at the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico City. (AP)

A four-month tour of relics of Pope John Paul II kicked off in a Mexico City basilica this week.

Worshippers applauded, cried and prayed Thursday morning as a vial of the ex-pontiff's blood and a wax figure of the pope donning a papal robe arrived at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The tour will hit more than 100 locations.

Mexico was the third-most-visited country by the pope, behind his homeland of Poland and France. He died in 2005 at the age of 84. He was beatified in May.

The relics will be on display at the basilica until Sunday. They arrived last week but remained behind closed doors until now.

The tour will end in December.

Based on reporting by The Associated Press.