14
April 8, 2014
in the church
Vatican, Rome gear up for canonizations of
John XXIII & John Paul II
aneurysm as the miracle needed for
By Cindy Wooden
Blessed John Paul’s canonization. The
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Just over
same day, the Vatican announced that
five weeks before the canonizations of
the pope had agreed with members of
Blesseds John XXIII and John Paul II,
the Congregation for Saints’ Causes that
Rome hotels were reporting they were
the canonization of Blessed John should
almost fully booked and the Vatican
go forward without a second miracle.
confirmed the Mass will take place in
A first miracle is needed for beatiSt. Peter’s Square.
fication. In Pope John Paul’s cause, the
Pope Francis announced last Sepmiracle involved a French nun suffertember that he would proclaim the
ing from Parkinson’s disease, the same
two popes saints in a single ceremony
disease the pope had. In
April 27, Divine Mercy
the cause of Pope John,
Sunday. The Prefecture
the Vatican recognized
of the Papal House‘I think of him as the
the healing of an Italhold issued an advisory
ian nun who was dythat access to St. Peter’s
great missionary of
ing from complications
Square would be firstthe Church because
after stomach surgery.
come, first-served and
Asked by reporters
warned pilgrims about
he was a man who
to describe the two late
unscrupulous tour oppopes, Pope Francis said
erators trying to sell
proclaimed the
Blessed John was “a bit
fake tickets to the Mass.
Gospel everywhere.’
of the ‘country priest,’ a
Perhaps more than
priest who loves each of
1 million people are
the faithful and knows
expected to attend the
how to care for them; he did this as a
liturgy which will be held in St. Peter