Vatican panel clears John Paul II for sainthood

[Locutus]

VATICAN CITY (AP) -- Pope John Paul II has cleared the final obstacle before being made a saint, awaiting just the final approval from Pope Francis and a date for the ceremony that could come as soon as Dec. 8, a Vatican official and news reports said Tuesday.

The ANSA news agency reported that a commission of cardinals and bishops met Tuesday to consider John Paul's case and signed off on it. A Vatican official confirmed that the decision had been taken some time back and that Tuesday's meeting was essentially a formality.


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[PoliticalNick]

Who fricken cares. He was just a man like you & me. His political skills took him to the top of the richest & most corrupt organization in the world where he got to where a million dollar dress paid for by the poor people. I don't think that makes him a saint. It makes him politically adept and a leech but not a saint.

 

[L Gilbert]

oh yay
Is this something like DUHbama getting a Nobel?

 

[darkbeaver]

You can't be a saint unless you do extraordinary good things for bankers kings and wealthy thieves and liars. Walking on water counts for nothing these days.

 

[Machjo]

Now I'm not big on people just getting up one day and deciding someone is a saint. However, if any recent pope did deserve such a title, it would certainly be him.

 

[Locutus]

Building harmonious relations with more and more nations during his papacy is also one of his major accomplishments. In the beginning of his pontificate, the Vatican had diplomatic relations with 85 countries. At present, this figure stands at 174. He has also succeeded in developing a kind of ‘special relationship with the Russian Federation and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).
One of the most important accomplishments that he is credited with is the role that he played to bring an end to communism in his home-land, Poland, and eventually the whole of Europe. He was the spiritual inspiration behind the withdrawal of communist forces and peaceful revolution of the Polish. The founder of ‘Solidarity’ accredited the Pope for giving Poles the courage to rise up and stand for their rights.


He was also the first Pope to meet a Kremlin leader. In December 1989 he met President Mikhail Gorbachev and expressed his admiration for him. The latter credited the Pope with the collapse of the Iron Wall, and said that it could not have been possible without his involvement. He was also the first Pope to enter a mosque.


In June 2004, President George W. Bush of the USA awarded the Pope the ‘Medal of Freedom’, which is the highest civil honor of America. The citation that accompanied the medal was, “This son of Poland, whose principled stand for peace and freedom has inspired millions and helped to topple communism and tyranny”. Could anything be a greater accomplishment than that?!

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Major accomplishments of Pope John Paul II | Pope John Paul II

 

[L Gilbert]

wow A pope who actually does his job. Go figger.
Ah, so humanitarians are considered to be saints by the RCC. I want my halo now, I'll take it in electric green, thanks.