Sylvia Le Mat
Staff Writer
Sunday 27th, 2014 is now a historic day for Catholic Church. In front of hundreds of thousands Catholic faithfuls from all around the world gathered in the Vatican piazza, Pope Francis –in the presence of his predecessor Pope Benedict XVI- canonized not only the Polish pontiff Pope John Paul II but also the Italian one Pope John XXII. Canonization is the process of an individual becoming a Saint.
As stated by the Telegraph, “It is the first time in the history of the Catholic Church that two living Popes have presided over the canonization of two of their predecessors.”
In his homily, Pope Francis referred to the deceased Popes as “two men of courage who had 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”
The historical ceremony which lasted for more than two hours took place in front of more than 800.000 Catholic faithfuls, 150 cardinals, 1000 bishops, 6000 priests and 200 deacons as well as 24 heads of states and 35 heads of governments who had especially made the trip to Rome.
This double canonization is perceived as a crucial event in the history of the Catholic Church at a time when -according to the Guardian- “thorny issues to do with the family are expected to be tackled”.
Keep Up With PopWrapped On The Web!
Author
