Pope John Paul II Will Be Made A Saint
Pope John Paul II will be made a saint, the Vatican announced Friday, according to Reuters and other news outlets, including Italy's La Repubblica.
In addition, the wire service writes, "the Vatican said Pope John XXIII, who reigned from 1958 to 1963 and called the Second Vatican Council — which enacted sweeping reforms to modernize the Church — would also be made a saint."
As we reported last month, "a committee of theologians [recently] approved a second miracle attributed to Pope John Paul II's posthumous intercession — a sine qua non for sainthood." That miracle involved a Costa Rican woman. It's believed she was cured of a severe brain injury after her family prayed to the memory of the late pope.
John Paul II was pope from 1978 to 2005.
We'll have more on the decisions by Pope Francis as the news develops.
Update at 10 a.m. ET. Vatican Radio's Coverage:
"Journalists in the Holy See Press Office busy getting to grips with Pope Francis' first encyclical the Light of Faith, were somewhat surprised Friday lunchtime when Director Fr. Federico Lombardi S.J. called them back for a second announcement: Pope Francis had approved the cause for canonization of two of his venerable and much loved predecessors Blessed John XXIII and Blessed Pope John Paul II."