Pope Francis makes saints of Popes John XXIII and John Paul II

Описание: Crowds of around a million gather in Rome to witness historic canonisation in St Peter's Square.

Pope Francis has proclaimed two of his predecessors, Popes John XXIII and John Paul II, as saints of the Roman Catholic Church at a ceremony in St Peter's Square.

The open-air event was watched by up to a million people at the Vatican and on giant screens positioned around Rome, while millions more watched on television around the world.
At the beginning of the canonisation ceremony, Pope Francis greeted and embraced Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI, his predecessor, who has looked increasingly tired and frail since his resignation last year.

It is the first time in the history of the Catholic Church that two living Popes have presided over the canonisation of two of their predecessors.

"We declare and define as saints the blessed John XXIII and John Paul II," Francis said in a Latin prayer from an altar in front of St Peter's Basilica.


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