Francis looks to heal Church with two pope saints
VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis aims to unite conservative and reformist strands of Catholicism with the first canonisation of two popes this month – an impressive masterstroke that has already stirred dissent in some quarters.
Conferring sainthood on John XXIII and John Paul II means bringing together two distinct schools of thought on what a pope should be – a humble parish priest figure or a globetrotting, charismatic superstar.
John Allen, a Vatican affairs expert at the Boston Globe in the United States, has written that the joint canonisation shows Francis’s “inclusive spirit”.
“Francis is speaking not just to the outside world but to rival camps within the Catholic fold who see John XXIII and John Paul II as their heroes – meaning liberals and conservatives, respectively,” he said.
Just a few months into his reign, Francis broke with tradition last year by dramatically propelling the canonisation case for John XXIII – known as “Good Pope John” and a pontiff with whom he shares similarities.
Less widely known than Poland’s Karol Wojtyla, Italy’s Angelo Roncalli played a key role in modernising Catholicism in the 1960s and to this day inspires progressives who want a more down-to-earth Church.
The two popes will be canonised together in St Peter’s Basilica on April 27, with many pilgrims – anything from hundreds of thousands to a few million – expected.
Rome city authorities are deploying thousands of police officers and setting up four giant screens in the city centre so pilgrims can follow the canonisation mass.
Pope emeritus Benedict XVI, who last year became the first pontiff to resign since the Middle Ages, could also attend, meaning two living and two deceased popes would be present at the historic ceremony.
Enthusiasts can follow the action on the dedicated website www. 2papisanti.org which has even been coming out with daily vignettes depicting the two popes preparing for sainthood as comicbook characters.
While sainthood appeared a foregone conclusion for John Paul II from the moment a vast crowd of mourners chanted “Santo Subito!” ( Sainthood Now!) at his funeral in 2005, the result for John XXIII was less obvious. —AFP