Popes John XXIII and John Paul II to be declared saints on April 27

September 30, 2013 - Pope Francis has decided that his two predecessors, Popes John XXIII and John Paul II will be declared saints at a beatification ceremony in the Vatican on April 27, 2014. The Pope held a Public Ordinary Consistory of cardinals on Monday to decide on the date, which falls on the day the Church celebrates the feast of Divine Mercy on the Second Sunday of Easter.
Two confirmed miracles are usually required under Vatican rules for the declaration of a saint, with the first clearing the way for beatification and the second for canonization. Earlier on July 5, Pope Francis cleared the way for the sainthood of the two Popes, by approving a miracle attributed to the intercession of John Paul II, who led the Roman Catholic Church from 1978 to 2005, and who was declared Blessed in 2011. In the case of John XXIII, Pope Francis waived the requirement of a second miracle. Affectionately remembered as the ‘Good Pope’ by Italians, Pope John XXIII, who reigned from 1958 to 1963 and called the Second Vatican Council, which enacted sweeping reforms to modernize the Church. (Source: Vatican)