{"id":12938,"date":"2013-09-30T04:18:47","date_gmt":"2013-09-30T09:18:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/kathyschiffer\/?p=12938"},"modified":"2016-09-30T15:55:10","modified_gmt":"2016-09-30T20:55:10","slug":"breaking-two-popes-to-be-canonized-on-divine-mercy-sunday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/kathyschiffer\/2013\/09\/breaking-two-popes-to-be-canonized-on-divine-mercy-sunday\/","title":{"rendered":"BREAKING: Two Popes to Be Canonized on Divine Mercy Sunday"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

It\u2019s official!\u00a0 Pope Francis has just announced that two former popes, Blessed John Paul II and Blessed John XXIII, will be made saints on April 27, 2014\u2014Divine Mercy Sunday.<\/p>\n

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BLESSED POPE JOHN XXIII<\/strong>, born\u00a0Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, was affectionately known as the \u201cGood Pope\u201d (in Italian, \u201cil Papa Buono\u201d).\u00a0 He led the\u00a0Catholic Church\u00a0from October 1958 to his death in 1963.<\/p>\n

Pope John XXIII was 77 years old when elected to the papacy, and some first thought that he would be a \u201ccaretaker pope\u201d\u2014simply filling the Chair for a few years, but not really reshaping the Church during what was expected to be a short papacy.\u00a0 Instead, he convened the historic\u00a0Second Vatican Council\u00a0(1962\u20131965). His feast day is not the day of his death, as is traditional, but rather the anniversary of the opening of the first session of Vatican II:\u00a0 October 11.<\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/a>BLESSED POPE JOHN PAUL II<\/strong>, born Karol J\u00f3zef Wojty\u0142a, was the second longest-serving pope in history, leading the Catholic Church from October 1978 until his death in 2005.<\/p>\n

He is considered one of the most influential leaders of the 20th<\/sup> century, recognized for his efforts to end Communist rule in his native Poland and all of Europe.\u00a0 During his pontificate, he strengthened the Catholic Church\u2019s relations with other religions including Judaism, Islam, the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the Anglican Communion.<\/p>\n

During his long tenure, Pope John Paul II published many encyclicals pertaining to the role of the Church in the modern world, and promoted the\u00a0Catechism of the Catholic Church and the new Code of Canon Law. \u00a0He defended Church teachings opposing contraception and the ordination of women, and he supported the reforms initiated during Vatican II.<\/p>\n

A surprise, for your listening pleasure:\u00a0<\/strong> Here is a rendition of the Ave Maria<\/em> sung by Karol Wojtyla, the future Pope John Paul II, in 1976.<\/p>\n