Tens of thousands witness Pope Benedict XVI proclaiming his Polish predecessor a "blessed" of the Roman Catholic Church.Pope John Paul II has been officially beatified at a ceremony attended by hundreds of thousands of people at St Peter's Square in Rome.Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday read a Latin formula proclaiming his Polish predecessor, who died in 2005, a "blessed" of the Roman Catholic Church, the last step before sainthood.Groups carrying national flags and singing songs crowded St Peter's Square, which was bedecked with posters and photos of the late pope.Up to 200,000 people attended a prayer vigil on Saturday evening in the Circus Maximus, the huge oval once used by the ancient Romans for chariot races.
Some Rome churches threw their doors open all night to give pilgrims a space to pray.
Some Rome churches threw their doors open all night to give pilgrims a space to pray.
What is beatification?
Beatification, the final step before sainthood, arose as a way of authorising veneration to a candidate in the local area where she or he lived. It entitles the candidate to be called "Blessed". After 1 May, Catholics in Poland and in Rome will celebrate a feast in honour of "Blessed John Paul II" every year on 22 October. In a special decree issued in April, the Vatican has also given Catholics all over the world one year to celebrate Masses in thanksgiving for the beatification of John Paul Canonisation is the formal act of declaring someone a saint in the Catholic Church
Beatification, the final step before sainthood, arose as a way of authorising veneration to a candidate in the local area where she or he lived. It entitles the candidate to be called "Blessed". After 1 May, Catholics in Poland and in Rome will celebrate a feast in honour of "Blessed John Paul II" every year on 22 October. In a special decree issued in April, the Vatican has also given Catholics all over the world one year to celebrate Masses in thanksgiving for the beatification of John Paul Canonisation is the formal act of declaring someone a saint in the Catholic Church
Steps to sainthood
The process, which cannot begin until at least five years after the candidate's death unless the pope waives that waiting period, involves scrutinising evidence of their holiness, work and signs that people are drawn to prayer through their example:
The process, which cannot begin until at least five years after the candidate's death unless the pope waives that waiting period, involves scrutinising evidence of their holiness, work and signs that people are drawn to prayer through their example:
- First stage: individual is declared a 'servant of God'
- Second stage: individual is called 'venerable'
- Third stage (requires a miracle attributed to candidate's intercession): beatification, when individual is declared blessed
- Fourth stage (requires a further authenticated miracle): candidate is canonised as a saint for veneration by Church.
Pope John Paul II beatified at Rome ceremony :VIDEO