01:01Poland: Tens of thousands attend mass in Krakow to mark Pope John Paul II's sainthood
Poland: Tens of thousands attend mass in Krakow to mark Pope John Paul II's sainthood
Tens of thousands of locals and pilgrims attended mass at the Sanctuary of the Divine Mercy in Krakow on Sunday in honour of the canonisation of Pope John Paul II, born Karol Wojtyla in 1920 in Wadowice. Pope John Paul II, alongside John XXIII, was officially declared a saint at the Vatican today less than a decade after his death in 2005, making it the the most fast-tracked canonization in the Catholic church's history.
One million pilgrims are estimated to have attended the rare double canonisation ceremony at the Holy See in St. Peter's Basilica, which was another first for the Catholic church with two living popes in attendance: Pope Francis, the 26th Pope, and Pope Benedict XVI, the 25th Pope.
The late pontiff's canonisation falls on April 27, Divine Mercy Sunday, a religious holiday he established. Pope John Paul II received 'beatification' in 2011, which is formal recognition from the Catholic church of a deceased person’s entrance into heaven.
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Poland: Tens of thousands attend mass in Krakow to mark Pope John Paul II's sainthood
Tens of thousands of locals and pilgrims attended mass at the Sanctuary of the Divine Mercy in Krakow on Sunday in honour of the canonisation of Pope John Paul II, born Karol Wojtyla in 1920 in Wadowice. Pope John Paul II, alongside John XXIII, was officially declared a saint at the Vatican today less than a decade after his death in 2005, making it the the most fast-tracked canonization in the Catholic church's history.
One million pilgrims are estimated to have attended the rare double canonisation ceremony at the Holy See in St. Peter's Basilica, which was another first for the Catholic church with two living popes in attendance: Pope Francis, the 26th Pope, and Pope Benedict XVI, the 25th Pope.
The late pontiff's canonisation falls on April 27, Divine Mercy Sunday, a religious holiday he established. Pope John Paul II received 'beatification' in 2011, which is formal recognition from the Catholic church of a deceased person’s entrance into heaven.