World looks to Rome with double canonizations this weekend
From Diocese of Buffalo
Mark Ciemcioch
Catholics around the world are preparing for an extra special Divine Sunday this year, as Pope Francis will canonize two of his predecessors, Pope John XXIII and Pope John Paul II, at the Vatican.
The canonization of these two influential Church leaders of the modern era is an historic event, as both popes made a significant impact on the Church and the world. Pope John XXIII led the Church through the Second Vatican Council from 1962-1965, “throwing open the windows of the Church.” More recently, Pope John Paul II, who had the second longest pontificate in Church history (1978-2005), was a charismatic and popular pope who traveled extensively, inspired Catholics worldwide, met with religious leaders from other faiths, and helped to end Communism in Easter Europe.