Two Popes, John Paul II and John XXIII Canonised at St Peter's Square at the Vatican Sunday April 27,2014

Two living popes -Pope Francis and Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI came together to mark the moment when two former popes - John Paul II and John XXIII were declared saints on Sunday April 27,2014

PROFILE: JOHN PAUL II

• 
  1920: Born Karol Wojtyla in Poland
• 1946: Ordained priest
• 1964: Becomes Archbishop of Krakow
• 1978: Elected Pope aged 58
• 1981: Seriously wounded in shooting
• 2001: Diagnosed with Parkinson's disease
• 2003: Celebrates Silver Jubilee at Vatican
• 2004: Papacy becomes third-longest ever
• 2005: Dies after heart attack

John Paul helped topple communism in Poland through his support of the Solidarity movement. His globe-trotting papacy and launch of the wildly popular World Youth Days invigorated a new generation of Catholics. And his defence of core church teaching heartened conservatives after the turbulent 1960s.

PROFILE: JOHN XXIII

• 
  1881: Born Angelo Roncalli, Italy
• 1904: Ordained priest
• 1953 Appointed the Patriarch of Venice
• 1958: Succeeds Pope Pius XII aged 77
• 1962: Calls the Second Vatican Council
• 1962: Named Man of the Year by Time
• 1963: Dies of stomach cancer
• 2000: John, known as the 'Good Pope', is beatified by Pope John Paul II

John is a hero to liberal Catholics for having convened the Second Vatican Council. The meetings brought the church into the modern era by allowing Mass to be celebrated in local languages rather than Latin and by encouraging greater dialogue with people of other faiths, particularly Jews.

The streets of Vatican City were bursting with almost a million pilgrims from all over the world eager to witness the epoch-making day in the history of the Roman Catholic Church.

Pope Francis I, right, embraces his predecessor Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, during the historic ceremony

Pope Francis leads a celebration to canonise two Popes, John Paul II and John XXIII, at St Peter's Square at the Vatican

Bishops take their seats before the canonisation mass of Popes John XXIII and John Paul II on St Peter's Square at the Vatican

Catholic faithful attend the canonisation ceremony of Popes John XXIII and John Paul II in St Peter's Square at the Vatican

Archbishop George Gaenswein, prefect of the papal household, right, welcomes Italian President Giorgio Napolitano and his wife Clio

Pope Francis greets King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain (left) followed by King Albert II (back centre) and Queen Paola (right) of Belgium

Pilgrims sleep and sit outside a church near St Peter's Square as they wait to attend the ceremony for the canonisation of John XXIII and John Paul II

Crowds gather in God's Mercy sanctuary in Krakow, Poland, to view the ceremony of canonisation

TWO LIVING POPES TO HONOUR TWO DEAD: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT The VATICAN CEREMONY

In a historic match-up of papacies past and present, Pope Francis and emeritus Pope Benedict XVI will honor Popes John XXIII and John Paul II in the first ever canonisation of two popes.

For such a momentous occasion, the ceremony is actually quite short and surprisingly straightforward, with the added benefit that the relics of the two new saints will be presented for universal veneration by the church for the first time.
Here are 5 things to look for - though beware, the rite is celebrated mostly in Latin, the official language of the Catholic Church. 


1.THE CEREMONY

• The preliminary part of the ceremony begins at around 8am UK time with prayers, hymns and culminates with the chanting of the hypnotic Litany of Saints, the roll call of the church's saints, each one followed by the refrain ‘Ora pro nobis,’ or ‘Pray for us.’
• After Pope Francis and concelebrants process to the altar, the canonisation rite begins immediately.
• The head of the Vatican's saint-making office, Cardinal Angelo Amato, asks the pope three separate times to include John XXIII and John Paul II among the saints. In the rite for beatification, there is only one such petition.
• The three repeated requests for canonisation ‘signify the importance of this celebration,’ noted the Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi.

2. THE PRONOUNCEMENT

• Pope Francis then says: ‘For the honor of the Blessed Trinity, the exaltation of the Catholic faith and the increase of the Christian life, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, and of the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, and our own, after due deliberation and frequent prayer for divine assistance, and having sought the counsel of many of our brother bishops, we declare and define Blessed John XXIII and John Paul II be saints and we enroll them among the saints, decreeing that they are to be venerated as such by the whole church. In the name of the Holy Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.’

3. THE RELICS

• Relics of the two new saints are then brought to the altar. In the case of John Paul, the same relic - his blood - used for his 2011 beatification is being used.
• For John XXIII, a small piece of skin taken after his body was exhumed for his 2000 beatification is being used.
• Relics - the physical remains of a new saint or things he or she touched in life - are used to help the faithful venerate.
• Amato then thanks Francis and asks him to draw up an official document attesting to the canonisation.
• Francis responds ‘We so decree’ and the rite ends with the singing of the ‘Gloria.’
• The Mass then proceeds as usual.

4. BY NUMBERS 

• The Vatican said Saturday that Francis would preside over the Mass and Benedict would concelebrate along with 150 cardinals and 700 bishops. It's the first time Benedict has joined Francis in celebrating Mass in public since his resignation in 2013. Benedict attended the February ceremony in St. Peter's Basilica in which Francis installed 19 new cardinals, but as a spectator.
• About 600 priests will distribute Communion in St. Peter's Square and 210 deacons will distribute Communion to the throngs of people expected to line up along Via della Conciliazione, the main boulevard leading away from the square.
• 93 official delegations attending, including an estimated 24 heads of state. The kings and queens of Belgium and Spain are expected, as are royals from Andorra, Britain and Luxemburg. Poland is sending one of the largest delegations with the current president and two former presidents, including Lech Walesa, founder of the Solidarity movement that toppled communism in Poland, which John Paul supported.
• 20 Jewish leaders from the U.S., Israel, Argentina, Poland and Rome.