VATICAN:
Pope John Paul II and Pope John XXIII will be declared saints on 27 April 2014,
Pope Francis has announced. The Pope
said in July that he would canonise his two predecessors, after approving a
second miracle attributed to John Paul. Polish
John Paul, the first non-Italian pope for more than 400 years, led the Catholic
Church from 1978-2005. Pope John
was pontiff from 1958-1963, calling the Second Vatican Council that transformed
the Church.
The
decision to canonise the two at the same time appears designed to unify
Catholics, correspondents say.
John Paul
II is a favourite of conservative Catholics, while John XXIII is widely admired
by the Church's progressive wing. John Paul
stood out for his media-friendly, globetrotting style. He was a fierce critic
of communism, and is credited with helping inspire opposition to communist rule
in eastern Europe. John Paul
has been on a fast track to sainthood since his death, when crowds in St
Peter's Square chanted "santo subito" ("sainthood now").
During his
own papacy he simplified the process by which people are made saints, and
created more of them than all previous popes combined.
John XXIII
is remembered for introducing the vernacular to replace Latin in church masses
and for creating warmer ties between the Catholic Church and the Jewish faith. He has a
big following in Italy, where he is known as Il Papa Buono, the good pope. The BBC's
David Willey reports from Rome that Pope John was in many ways similar to Pope
Francis, a humble, down-to-earth man with a fine sense of humour. Two living
popes are expected to be present at the canonisation ceremony: Francis, who
will officiate, and Pope Benedict, who retired earlier this year. The double
canonisation will be the first in the Church's history. Pope
Francis approved John XXIII's canonisation despite the fact that no second
miracle had been attributed to him - usually a requirement for sainthood.
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