Pope Francis Canonises Popes John Paul II And John XXİ 27 April 2014

John Paul II Canonization Pope Francis Canonization John XXİ Canonization John Paul II Sainthood Pope Francis Sainthood John Paul II Saint Benedict XVI, John Xİ, Pope Francis, John Paul II vatican rome italyPope Francis has declared two of his predecessors - Popes John Paul II and John XXİ - saints in a double-canonisation mass before an enormous crowd in the Vatican's St Peter's Square.The canonisation was doubly unprecedented because the Pope was accompanied by a living predecessor - Pope Benedict XVI, who retired last year due to ill health - the first pope to abdicate in nearly 600 years.The Vatican said there were 500,000 people in the piazza and surrounding streets while around 800,000 were believed to have gathered in Rome as a whole to celebrate.Pope Francis canonised two of his predecessors - Popes John Paul II and John XXİWe declare and define Blessed John XXİ and John Paul II to be saints and we enrol them among the saints, decreeing that they are to be venerated as such by the whole church, said Francis in the official proclamation.In his homily, Francis paid tribute to two men of courage who co-operated with the Holy Spirit in renewing and updating the church.They were priests, bishops and popes of the 20th century. They lived through the tragic events of that century, but they were not overwhelmed by them, he said, according to The Guardian.