The stage is set for a historic day in the life of the Catholic Church, when Pope Francis I canonizes Pope John Paul II and Pope John XXIII at St. Peter’s Square on Sunday.
In the 2,000 years of the Church’s existence something like this has never happened and that is quite remarkable.
Not only will two Popes be canonized at the same time and after a relatively short Beatification process, but the presence of Pope Benedict XVI will make this important event even more special.
Dr. Matthew Bunson, senior correspondent for Our Sunday Visitor Publishing company told Fox News’ Lauren Green:
“Technically we’re going to have four popes all together in one canonization. It’s an opportunity for all of us to think… to reflect more fully on the papacy, on what saints mean to the church, and the universal quality all four of these popes represent.”
Low Sunday and last day of Octave of Easter, Divine Mercy Sunday, Canonization of two Popes…Point: Jesus is Risen pic.twitter.com/2tcqEcvUC6
— Fr. Mark Noonan (@fr_noonan) April 26, 2014
Bunson says this is really a day of “four popes” as the relics of John Paul II and John XXIII will be present for the ceremony and of course the current Pope Francis will preside over the proceedings with Benedict XVI also attending.
The Catholic Church has never seen two popes canonized at the same time and the significance of Popes John Paul II and John XXIII within the institution will be brought to the forefront by Pope Francis.
Pope John Paul II’s canonization is historic in it of itself, as it is one of the fastest paths to sainthood that anybody has ever taken before.
It usually takes years, sometimes centuries to become a saint, but in the case of Pope John Paul II it is happening only 11 years after his death. The cries for him to begin the Beatification process started almost immediately after his death in 2005.
A French nun helped expedite the process for the Polish-born pope, after her Parkinson’s Disease symptoms disappeared when she prayed to John Paul II, three-months after his death. He suffered from the same disease at the time of his death.
Sister Marie Simon Pierre, 47, said she woke up one day and was able to move her legs again, something which she had not been able to do due to her condition.
The Vatican declared her cure a “miracle” and attributed it to Pope John Paul II. That was the first of two miracles needed for sainthood.
Floribeth Mora Diaz of Costa Rica suffered from a brain aneurysm and doctors had only given her a month to live, but she had children and was concerned of what would happen to them if she died.
She began praying to the image of Pope John Paul II on the cover of a magazine and one day she woke up completely healed. Doctors couldn’t explain how the woman was cured from her disease.
Pope John XXIII had to wait 51-years to become a saint and will join the first non-Italian pope, John Paul II in making history for the Catholic Church, when they both get canonized by Pope Francis on Sunday, April 27.
[Image via Twitter ]
