Pope Paul VI was "one of the most traveled popes in history and the first to visit five continents," according to the Vatican.
(CNN) -- Pope Francis approved a decree Saturday to beatify Pope Paul VI, the Vatican said in a statement.
Beatification is considered a step toward sainthood.
Floribeth Mora of Costa Rica, who claims she was cured of a serious brain condition by a miracle attributed to the late Pope John Paul II, hands the relic of John Paul II to Pope Francis during the canonization Mass for Popes John XXIII and John Paul II at the Vatican on Sunday, April 27. 
Priests attend the canonization Mass for Popes John XXIII and John Paul II at the Vatican on April 27. 
Pilgrims crowd St. Peter's Square to attend the ceremony for the canonizations of Pope John XXIII and Pope John Paul II on April 27. 
Pope Francis leads the canonization Mass, in which John Paul II and John XXIII were declared saints, in Vatican City on April 27. 
A priest gives Holy Communion to a woman in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican on April 27. 
A large crowd gathers in St. Peter's Square for the canonization Mass for Popes John XXIII and John Paul II on April 27. 
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI greets Sister Tobiana, the Italian nun who took care of Pope John Paul II until his last moments. 
A woman prays during the canonization Mass for Popes John XXIII and John Paul II on April 27. 
Pilgrims hold up a banner showing Pope John Paul II during the canonization Mass at the Vatican on April 27. 
Pope Francis leads the solemn ceremony at the Vatican on April 27. 
A card shows portraits of John XXIII, left, and John Paul II as pilgrims wait for the canonization ceremony to begin. 
Men dressed as centurions stand by a portrait of Pope John Paul II in Rome during the canonization Mass on April 27. 
A group of nuns attends the canonization of Popes John Paul II and John XXIII. 
Priests and pilgrims attend the canonization. 
A man is wrapped in a flag bearing a picture of Pope John Paul II in St. Peter's Square. 
A woman reads a newspaper before the start of the canonization Mass on April 27. 
Sister Sancja readies the altar in God's Mercy sanctuary in Krakow, Poland, on April 27, for ceremonies celebrating the canonization of Polish-born Pope John Paul II. 
A boy dressed as a pope yawns as he joins a parade in Quezon, Philippines, on April 27 in celebration of the canonization of Pope John Paul II and Pope John XXIII. 
Photos: From popes to saints 
Pope John Paul II and Pope John XXIII enter the celestial community of Catholic saints on Sunday. Someday, they may even become patron saints of particular professions. In the meantime, here are some of the saints who already have special roles â€" one of them might even be your patron saint. 
St. Genesius is the patron saint of actors -- and of torture victims. Legend has it that Genesius converted to Christianity while performing a satirical play about Catholic sacraments. The Emperor Diocletian had him tortured and put to death. 
St. Catherine of Bologna is the patron saint of artists -- and against temptations. (Is that a good or bad mix, we wonder?) Anyway, Catherine was the daughter of a rich and powerful man and so was trained in all the arts growing up. She gave them up to live a life of simple piety. 
St. Thomas More is the patron saint of attorneys, but he was put to death for defying his powerful client: English King Henry VIII. Moore, an ardent Catholic, refused to go along with Henry's divorce of Queen Catherine and the subsequent separation of church and crown. 
St. Augustine of Hippo is known for many things, including his foundational writings, which have influenced the church for centuries. Less well known, he's also the patron saint of brewers. So raise a glass to the fourth century saint on his feast day, August 28, or any day for that matter. 
St. Gabriel the archangel is the patron saint of broadcasters. If you needed to announce big news in the Bible, from Daniel's prophecies to the conception of Jesus, Gabriel was your man. 
St. Francis de Sales is the patron saint of scribes and of the deaf. He was a Catholic bishop in the heart of the Protestant Reformation -- 16th century Geneva -- which meant that he had to keep up a steady schedule of preaching and writing. His "Introduction to the Devout Life," was a runaway best-seller. 
St. Martha, depicted here serving Jesus, is the patron saint of waiters. The Bible says Jesus often visited Martha's home in Bethany, and once gently criticized her for busily making preparations when she should have been listening to his teachings. 
Why are so many hospitals named after St. Luke? Perhaps because he's the patron saint of doctors. In addition to being one of the New Testament's four evangelists, according to Christian tradition, the apostle Paul said he was also a doctor. 
St. Martin of Porres, from Peru, is the patron saint of hairdressers. As a boy, he was apprenticed to a barber before joining the Dominican Order. The illegitimate son of a Spanish knight and a black woman, Martin is also the patron saint of people with mixed racial heritage. 
St. Lawrence is the patron saint of cooks, for a macabre reason. Legend has it that when Lawrence was burnt at the stake he taunted his torturers by saying, "Turn me over, I'm well done!" Who is your patron saint?
Who is your patron saint?
Who is your patron saint?
Who is your patron saint?
Who is your patron saint?
Who is your patron saint?
Who is your patron saint?
Who is your patron saint?
Who is your patron saint?
Who is your patron saint?
Who is your patron saint?
Photos: Who is your patron saint? The ceremony is expected to be held October 19, at the conclusion of a general assembly of bishops, the Vatican said.
The announcement came two weeks after Pope Francis canonized two others of his predecessors, John XXIII and John Paul II, in an unprecedented ceremony witnessed by huge crowds gathered in St. Peter's Square in Vatican City.
Paul VI became pope in June 1963 and died in August 1978. A Vatican bio calls him "one of the most traveled popes in history and the first to visit five continents."
The Catholic Church came out against the use of any type of contraceptives in 1968. In an encyclical letter to Catholics entitled Humanae Vitae, Pope Paul VI outlined the church's teaching on the matter.
"Therefore We base Our words on the first principles of a human and Christian doctrine of marriage when We are obliged once more to declare that the direct interruption of the generative process already begun and, above all, all direct abortion, even for therapeutic reasons, are to be absolutely excluded as lawful means of regulating the number of children," the letter reads.
No comments:
Post a Comment