Vatican announces 2013 canonization of 20th Century popes: John XXIII and John Paul II (5 July 2013)

Further details announced in Christian Science Monitor breaking news story -- www.csmonitor.com/ Pope John Paul II has cleared the final obstacle before being made a saint, awaiting just the final approval from Pope Francis and a date for the ceremony that could come as soon as Dec. 8, a Vatican official and news reports. The ANSA news agency reported that a commission of cardinals and bishops met Tuesday July 2, 2013 to consider John Paul's case and signed off on it. A Vatican official confirmed that the decision had been taken some time back and that Tuesday's meeting was essentially a formality. One possible canonization date is Dec. 8, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, a major feast day for the Catholic Church. This year 2013 the feast coincidentally falls on a Sunday, which is when canonizations usually occur. By canonizing John Paul II along with John XXIII, the Vatican could be seeking to assuage concerns about John Paul's fast-track sainthood case by tying it together with the 50-year wait John XXIII has had to endure. Many Poles have been awaiting the final steps of John Paul's progress, which has been pushed for by Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, the Polish pope's longtime private secretary. "We should be very happy if it is confirmed," Dziwisz's spokesman, the Rev. Robert Necek told Polish TVN24 television. "This is the next and the last step towards canonization. It will be presented to Pope Francis and the pope will take the appropriate decision." During John Paul's 2005 funeral Mass, chants of "Santo Subito!" or "Sainthood Now!" erupted in St. Peter's Square. Heeding the calls, then-Pope Benedict XVI waived the typical five-year waiting period and allowed an investigation into John Paul's life to begin immediately. The investigation determined that the beloved Polish-born pope lived a virtuous life, the first step in the sainthood process. Subsequently, the Vatican determined that a French nun who prayed for his intercession was miraculously cured of Parkinson's disease. A second miracle is needed for canonization. The Vatican hasn't yet divulged any details about that. http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Latest-News-Wires/2013/0702/Vatican-approves-second-miracle-clears-Pope-John-Paul-II-for-sainthood/(page)/3