Two Popes become saints

Popes John XXIII and John Paul II were
canonized Sunday by Pope Francis in a ceremony witnessed by huge crowds gathered in St. Peter’s Square, Vatican City.
Millions more watched around the world as the two former pontiffs were installed as saints.
The faithful and the curious had packed the streets of Rome around the Vatican before dawn, filling them wall to wall for blocks in hopes of catching a glimpse of church history in the making.
The Vatican expected 1 million people to gather in St. Peter’s Square and along roads leading to St. Peter’s Basilica for the unprecedented dual canonization of the two popes, followed by a Mass.
The Vatican’s official website said civil security forces were prepared and the subway system would run nonstop this weekend to accommodate the influx of pilgrims for the ceremony.
Many of those gathered in the square for the solemn open-air ceremony carried flags and banners. The red and white Polish flag was prominent among them, a reflection of the affection felt for John Paul II in his homeland, Poland.
Giant banners showing the faces of the two late popes have also been hung on the facade of St. Peter’s Basilica. A holy relic for each of the popes was also formally presented to the altar before the crowds.
In another historic first, two living popes will be present for the canonization. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI , who resigned from the papacy a year ago citing health reasons, was invited by Pope Francis
but will not be at the altar.
Benedict, looking frail in his white robes, was greeted with applause as he took his place among the bishops and cardinals. Francis embraced him as he in turn arrived to lead the ceremony.
Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said as many as 150 cardinals and 1,000 bishops would attend the canonization ceremony, as well as some 6,000 priests.
Delegations from more than 100 countries around the world were expected to be present, the Vatican said, including at least 24 heads of state. A large Jewish delegation was also to attend, reflecting the efforts of both popes to reach out to the Jewish faith.
Sunday evening also marks the beginning of Holocaust Remembrance Day.
The two popes to be canonized are:
John XXIII (1881-1963) — known as Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli before he became Pope — was one of 13 children born into a family of Italian peasants, farmers from a tiny village in the country’s north, before being sent away to study for the priesthood at age 11.
John Paul II (1920-2005), born Karol Jozef Wojtyla, was brought up in a grimy industrial town in Poland and raised by his soldier father after his mother died when he was just 8 years old. He spent his
formative years living under first Nazis, then Communists.
His beatification is the quickest in modern times, made possible because Benedict — who succeeded John Paul in 2005 — waived the normal five-year waiting period after death to get someone’s beatification rolling.
Vatican observers see the decision to canonize both popes together as a masterstroke designed to invite unity within the Roman Catholic Church, since it brings together a conservative and a reformer.
The day chosen for the ceremony, the first Sunday after Easter, is significant because in the church calendar it is Divine Mercy Sunday. Mercy was a theme important to both popes — and to
Francis.
After the Mass, the Basilica of St. Peter will be open into the evening to allow pilgrims the opportunity to visit the tombs of the two new saints, Vatican Radio said.
The event is the biggest in Vatican City since the election of Pope Francis last year.

Download Edujandon.com News App QR-Code

Edujandon.com - 24/7 News Upda

Developer: Edujandon Enterprises

Price: Free