The Vatican announced on Monday, that Pope John Paul II, the famous, ever smiling, globe-trotting pontiff who led the Catholic Church for nearly 27 years, and Pope John XXIII, who called the reforming Second Vatican Council, will be declared saints in April 27. This announcement came after Pope Francis met with cardinals to discuss the planned canonizations of two of his predecessors. this would go into history as the first time two popes will be canonized at the same time.
According to Veteran Vatican analyst John Allen, to be named a saint involves certain steps though straightforward. A person needs to lead a holy life and perform two confirmed miracles according to Vatican rules. Allen further points out that; canonization by the Catholic Church simply formalizes on earth what is already in place in heaven, Allen points out.
Pope John Paul had already been credited with asking God to cure a French nun of Parkinson's disease, the same malady he had, before he was beatified in 2011. The second miracle attributed to his Intercession is the inexplicable curing of a Costa Rican woman who prayed to him for help with her medical condition on the day of his beatification.
In the case of Pope John XXIII, who was known as the "good pope", Francis waived the customary rules requiring a second miracle after beatification in 2000. Pope John XXIII is only recorded as having performed one miracle. But Pope Francis has decided that there are sufficient grounds to canonize him as there already was a decree of heroic virtues and he lived a holy life . See pictures of Pope John XXIII and Pope John Paul II after the cut.....
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