Sister Marie Simon-Pierre Normand holds a glass reliquary containing the blood of the late Pope John Paul II during his beatification Mass in Saint Peter's Square. The late Pope John Paul moved a major step closer to sainthood on Sunday at a joyous ceremony that drew more than 1 million people. Normand suffered from Parkinson's disease but her inexplicable cure has been attributed to John Paul's intercession with God to perform a miracle, thus providing the grounds for his beatification.
A general view of St. Peter's Square during the John Paul II Beatification Ceremony held by Pope Benedict XVI in Vatican City, Vatican. The ceremony marking the beatification and the last stages of the process to elevate Pope John Paul II to sainthood was led by his successor Pope Benedict XI and attended by pilgrims alongside heads of state and dignitaries.
Pope Benedict XVI celebrated a Mass for the beatification of Pope John Paul II in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican on Sunday. Pope John Paul moved a major step closer to sainthood on Sunday at a joyous ceremony that drew more than 1 million people, the largest crowd in Rome since his funeral six years ago.