A Double Canonization for Popes John XXIII and John Paul II
Pope Francis on Sunday will preside over a pomp-filled ceremony to declare Pope John Paul II and Pope John XXIII saints—an event that commemorates the legacies of two of the Catholic Church's most popular popes, both instrumental in shaping the current pontiff's groundbreaking reign.
The rite in St. Peter's Square on Sunday, canonizing two of the Catholic Church's most popular popes, is likely to be a history-making event, given the strong possibility that Pope Benedict XVI, who resigned last year, will also be in attendance. That would mark the first time in the church's 2,000-year history that two popes would honor the memory of two previous ones....