Pope to canonise Bl John XXIII, John Paul II on April 27

By Cindy Wooden, Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Recognising that Blessed John XXIII and John Paul II have widespread reputations for holiness and that years of studying their lives and actions have proven their exceptional virtue, Pope Francis announced he would declare his two predecessors saints at a single ceremony on April 27.

The pope made the announcement on September 30 at the end of an “ordinary public consistory”, a gathering of cardinals and promoters of the sainthood causes of the two late popes. The consistory took place in the context of a prayer service in Latin and included the reading of brief biographies of the two sainthood candidates.

Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for Saints’ Causes, read the biographies and highlighted the “service to peace” and the impact both popes had “inside and outside the Christian community” at times of great cultural, political and religious transformation.

The testimonies of their lives, “completely dedicated to proclaiming the Gospel, shine in the Church and reverberate in the history of the world as examples of hope and light,” the cardinal said.

The other option, he said, was Divine Mercy Sunday, a celebration instituted worldwide by Pope John Paul. Since the beginning of his pontificate in March, Pope Francis has emphasised God’s mercy and readiness to forgive those who recognise their need for pardon. He told reporters on the flight from Brazil that Pope John Paul’s promotion of Divine Mercy Sunday showed his intuition that a new “age of mercy” was needed in the Church and the world.

Asked on the plane to describe the two late popes, Pope Francis said Blessed John was “a bit of the ‘country priest,’ a priest who loves each of the faithful and knows how to care for them; he did this as a bishop and as a nuncio.”

He was holy, patient, had a good sense of humour and, especially by calling the Second Vatican Council, was a man of courage, Pope Francis said. “He was a man who let himself be guided by the Lord.”

As for Blessed John Paul, Pope Francis told the reporters on the plane, “I think of him as ‘the great missionary of the church,” because he was “a man who proclaimed the Gospel everywhere.”

Pope Francis signed a decree recognizing the miracle needed for Blessed John Paul’s canonisation on July 5; the same day, the Vatican announced that the pope had agreed with members of the Congregation for Saints’ Causes that the canonization of Blessed John should go forward even without a second miracle attributed to his intercession.

Except in the case of martyrdom, Vatican rules require one miracle for a candidate’s beatification and a second for his or her canonisation as confirmations that the candidate really is in heaven with God. However, the pope may set aside the rule.

• To join The Southern Cross and Radio Veritas on a pilgrimage to the canonisation, including Rome, Castel Gandolfo and Assisi and led by Fr Emil Blaser OP, contact Gail at 076 3523809 or info [at] fowlertours.co.za or download the full illustrated itinerary at www.fowlertours.co.za