Pope Francis has signed a decree to declare the late Pope John Paul II a saint according to an announcement made by the Vatican on Friday.
John Paul was pope from 1978 until his death in 2005 at age 84. He was the third longest serving pope in the Church's history. He was one of the most popular man to hold the title of Pope. His funeral saw thousands of Catholics gather in St. Peter's Square. According to CNN, the crowd changed "Santo subito," which translates to "Sainthood now." As a result, he was put on the fast track to beatification and became "the blessed" John Paul II only six years after his death, one of the fastest beatifications in centuries.
During his time as pope, John Paul II became the most widely traveled pope in history and canonized more saints than any other to hold the title. He was the first modern pope to travel to Cuba and visit a synagogue. He had a part in bringing down Communism as well as improving relations with Judaism and Islam. Although he caught criticism for his handling of the sexual abuse scandal in the early 2000s, he has been widely regarded as one of the most respected figures in the modern Catholic Church to date. There is still no word on when the canonization ceremony will take place.
In 2010, five years after John Paul II's death, Pope Benedict XVI approved his first miracle after a French nun, and her order, prayed to the deceased pope to help cure her of her Parkinson's disease, an affliction that the late pope suffered in life. This allowed for John Paul II's beatification and the title "the blessed." In order to qualify for sainthood, he needed a second confirmed miracle, which came in the form of a woman in Costa Rica claiming she recovered from a severe brain injury thanks to the intervention of John Paul, sources told CNN.
