Blesseds John XXIII and John Paul II will be canonized together next April 27, Divine Mercy Sunday. (CNS photos)
VATICAN, Sept. 30, 2013 — Recognizing 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 April 27.
The pope made the announcement Sept. 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. [Full story]
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