Date set for Popes John Paul II and John XXIII sainthood

Pope John Paul II and Pope John XXIII
will be declared saints on 27 April 2014,
Pope Francis has announced.
The Pope said in July that he would
canonise his two predecessors, after
approving a second miracle attributed to
John Paul.
Polish John Paul, the first non-Italian pope
for more than 400 years, led the Catholic
Church from 1978-2005.
Pope John was pontiff from 1958-1963,
calling the Second Vatican Council that
transformed the Church.
The decision to canonise the two at the
same time appears designed to unify
Catholics, correspondents say.
John Paul II is a favourite of conservative
Catholics, while John XXIII is widely
admired by the Church's progressive wing.
John Paul stood out for his media-friendly,
globetrotting style. He was a fierce critic of
both communism and what he saw as the
excesses of capitalism.
John is remembered for introducing the
vernacular to replace Latin in church
masses and for creating warmer ties
between the Catholic Church and the
Jewish faith.
He has a big following in Italy, where he is
known as Il Papa Buono, the good pope.