The historic canonization of two popes will take place at the in St. Peter's Square this Sunday, April 27, 2014.

The three-hour ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. CEST (4.00 a.m. EDT /01:00 a.m. PT) - 3:00 p.m. in Manila.

Pope Francis chose to hold a single ceremony to canonize the pair, bringing together two popes who are closely associated with the Second Vatican Council of 1962-65, which led to significant reforms in the church.

Pope John XXIII was declared Blessed by Pope John Paul II Sept. 3, 2000 in Saint Peter's Square, during the celebration of the Great Jubilee. He reigned as pope from 1958 to 1963. Pope Francis changed the rules for the canonization of John XXIII, deciding that only one miracle, instead of two, were needed to make him a saint.

John Paul II was beatified in Saint Peter's Square on May 1, 2011 by Pope Benedict XVI. He reigned as pope from 1978 to 2005. At the time of his death in April 2005, millions attended his funeral and cried "Santo Subito", meaning "Make him a saint immediately".

Watch the Live Coverage here (Courtesy of Centro Televisivo Vaticano YouTube Channel)

For more trending news and updates, like us on Facebook follow us on Twitter add us to your circle in Google+ and we will keep you posted directly on your news feeds.

VATICAN CITY — The banners of Blesseds Pope John Paul II and John XXIII were hung on the facade of St. Peter’s Basilica today and the official prayer cards of the two new saints have been printed.

Cardinal Angelo Comastri, the papal vicar for Vatican City, produced the cards, which will be distribution after the two popes’ canonizations on Sunday.






Prayer to St. John Paul II

Oh, St. John Paul, from the window of heaven, grant us your blessing! Bless the church that you loved and served and guided, courageously leading it along the paths of the world in order to bring Jesus to everyone and everyone to Jesus. Bless the young, who were your great passion. Help them dream again, help them look up high again to find the light that illuminates the paths of life here on earth.

May you bless families, bless each family! You warned of Satan’s assault against this precious and indispensable divine spark that God lit on earth. St. John Paul, with your prayer, may you protect the family and every life that blossoms from the family.

Pray for the whole world, which is still marked by tensions, wars and injustice. You tackled war by invoking dialogue and planting the seeds of love: pray for us so that we may be tireless sowers of peace.

Oh St. John Paul, from heaven’s window, where we see you next to Mary, send God’s blessing down upon us all. Amen.

Prayer to St. John XXIII

Dear Pope John,

Your simplicity and meekness carried the scent of God and sparked in people’s hearts the desire for goodness. You spoke often of the beauty of the family gathered around the table to share bread and faith: pray for us that once again true families would live in our homes.

Without outstretched hands you sowed hope, and you taught us to listen for God’s footsteps as he prepares a new humanity: help us have a healthy optimism of defeating evil with good.

You loved the world with its light and darkness, and you believed that peace is possible: help us be instruments of peace at home and in our communities.

With paternal gentleness you gave all children a caress: you moved the world and reminded us that hands have been given to us not for striking, but for embracing and drying tears.

Pray for us so that we do not limit ourselves to cursing the darkness but that we bring the light, bringing Jesus everywhere and always praying to Mary. Amen.

(Source: CNSBlog)

For more trending news and updates, like us on Facebook follow us on Twitter add us to your circle in Google+ and we will keep you posted directly on your news feeds.

A woman whose “miraculous” recovery from an inoperable brain aneurysm paved the way for the late Pope John Paul II to be declared a saint at a ceremony at the Vatican this Sunday has described how the Polish pontiff appeared to her in a vision.

Three years ago, Floribeth Mora Diaz was told by doctors in her home country that her condition was hopeless and that her death was only a matter of time.

"They sent me home and told me I had a month to live and that there was little hope," she said, speaking with tears in her eyes.

The Costa Rican woman prayed for Blessed John Paul II’s intercession for a cure while watching a broadcast of the former Pope’s beatification on May 1, 2011

"I prayed to John Paul and I asked him to tell God that I did not want to die because I love my children and did not want to abandon them," she said.

"I fell asleep and when I woke up I heard the voice of John Paul telling me "Get Up! Don't be afraid!"

She says she got out of bed, shocking her husband, and told him "I feel good".

After successive tests, including new brain scans, she said doctors were "stupefied and they had no way to explain it."

Mora sent her story to the Vatican for review in the cause for Pope John Paul’s sainthood.

"They called me, and they told me: Are you willing to go to Rome, to undergo the same tests and to do the same surgical procedure that was done to you in Costa Rica? [I said], Of course.
I was admitted to a hospital [in Rome] and underwent all the tests again. … They did the whole procedure again. And I amazed the Italians. My test [showed] there was no aneurysm."

On July 5, Pope Francis approved Mora’s miracle and thus paved the way for Blessed John Paul II’s canonization.

Pope Francis will elevate John Paul to sainthood in the Roman Catholic Church on Sunday at a ceremony expected to draw more than one million people to the Vatican.

Source: NCRegister

For more trending news and updates, like us on Facebook follow us on Twitter add us to your circle in Google+ and we will keep you posted directly on your news feeds.