By . Associated Press . PUBLISHED: . 22:16 EST, 2 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:29 EST, 3 July 2013 . 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 December 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.One possible canonization date is December 8, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, a major feast day for the Catholic Church. This year the feast coincidentally falls on a Sunday, which is when canonizations usually occur. Sainthood imminent: Pope John Paul II, seen here releasing doves from the window of his apartments in Vatican City in 2005, will be made a saint as soon as December . Controversial: Some of the Vatican's problems, including sex abuse cover-ups and financial scandals, date from the time of Pope John Paul II, leading to questions about his fitness for a sainthood . The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized by the church to discuss saint-making cases on the record, confirmed reports in La Stampa newspaper that Pope John Paul II could be canonized together with Pope John XXIII, who called the Second Vatican Council but died in 1963 before it was finished. There is reasoned precedent for beatifying or canonizing two popes together, primarily to balance one another out. John Paul II has been on the fast track for possible sainthood ever since his 2005 death, but there remains some concern that the process has been too quick. Some of the Holy See's deep-seated problems - clerical sex abuse, dysfunctional governance and more recently the financial scandals at the Vatican bank - essentially date from shortcomings of his pontificate. All saints: Pope John Paul II and Mother Teresa, who was beatified in 2003, together in Calcutta in 1987 . Defenders of the fast-track process argue that people are canonized, not pontificates.But the Vatican in the past has sought to balance concerns about papal saints by giving two the honor at the same time. Such was the case in 2000, when John Paul beatified John XXIII, dubbed the 'good pope,' alongside Pope Pius IX, who was criticized by Jews for condoning the seizure of a Jewish boy and allegedly referring to Jews as dogs.By canonizing John Paul II along with John XXIII, the Vatican could be seeking to assuage concerns about John Paul's fast-track sainthood case by tying it together with the 50-year wait John XXIII has had to endure. Spiritual leaders: Pope John Paul II in 1986 in New Delhi with the Dalai Lama . Rites: Pope John Paul II gives communion to a Zairean woman in 1985 . Former leader of the Catholic Church: Karol Józef Wojtyła was born in Poland and became Pope John Paul II at the age of 50, in 1978 . Many Poles have been awaiting the final steps of John Paul's progress, which has been pushed for by Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, the Polish pope's longtime private secretary.'We should be very happy if it is confirmed,' Dziwisz's spokesman, the Reverend Robert Necek told Polish TVN24 television. 'This is the next and the last step towards canonization. It will be presented to Pope Francis and the pope will take the appropriate decision.'During John Paul's 2005 funeral Mass, chants of 'Santo Subito!' or 'Sainthood Now!' erupted in St. Peter's Square. Heeding the calls, then-Pope Benedict XVI waived the typical five-year waiting period and allowed an investigation into John Paul's life to begin immediately. The investigation determined that the beloved Polish-born pope lived a virtuous life, the first step in the sainthood process.Subsequently, the Vatican determined that a French nun who prayed for his intercession was miraculously cured of Parkinson's disease. A second miracle is needed for canonization. The Vatican hasn't divulged any details about that second purported miracle.
A meeting of cardinals and bishops has signed off on the sainthood of Pope John Paul II, whose tenure as Pope ended with his death in 2005 .
The last step is the final approval of Pope Francis and a date for the ceremony which could be as soon as December 8 .
Two miracles must be performed to rate a sainthood: the first of Pope John Paul II was the curing of a nun of Parkinson's disease after she prayed for his intercession; his second has not been revealed as yet .
By . Associated Press . PUBLISHED: . 22:16 EST, 2 July 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 02:29 EST, 3 July 2013 . 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 December 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.One possible canonization date is December 8, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, a major feast day for the Catholic Church. This year the feast coincidentally falls on a Sunday, which is when canonizations usually occur. Sainthood imminent: Pope John Paul II, seen here releasing doves from the window of his apartments in Vatican City in 2005, will be made a saint as soon as December . Controversial: Some of the Vatican's problems, including sex abuse cover-ups and financial scandals, date from the time of Pope John Paul II, leading to questions about his fitness for a sainthood . The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized by the church to discuss saint-making cases on the record, confirmed reports in La Stampa newspaper that Pope John Paul II could be canonized together with Pope John XXIII, who called the Second Vatican Council but died in 1963 before it was finished. There is reasoned precedent for beatifying or canonizing two popes together, primarily to balance one another out. John Paul II has been on the fast track for possible sainthood ever since his 2005 death, but there remains some concern that the process has been too quick. Some of the Holy See's deep-seated problems - clerical sex abuse, dysfunctional governance and more recently the financial scandals at the Vatican bank - essentially date from shortcomings of his pontificate. All saints: Pope John Paul II and Mother Teresa, who was beatified in 2003, together in Calcutta in 1987 . Defenders of the fast-track process argue that people are canonized, not pontificates.But the Vatican in the past has sought to balance concerns about papal saints by giving two the honor at the same time. Such was the case in 2000, when John Paul beatified John XXIII, dubbed the 'good pope,' alongside Pope Pius IX, who was criticized by Jews for condoning the seizure of a Jewish boy and allegedly referring to Jews as dogs.By canonizing John Paul II along with John XXIII, the Vatican could be seeking to assuage concerns about John Paul's fast-track sainthood case by tying it together with the 50-year wait John XXIII has had to endure. Spiritual leaders: Pope John Paul II in 1986 in New Delhi with the Dalai Lama . Rites: Pope John Paul II gives communion to a Zairean woman in 1985 . Former leader of the Catholic Church: Karol Józef Wojtyła was born in Poland and became Pope John Paul II at the age of 50, in 1978 . Many Poles have been awaiting the final steps of John Paul's progress, which has been pushed for by Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, the Polish pope's longtime private secretary.'We should be very happy if it is confirmed,' Dziwisz's spokesman, the Reverend Robert Necek told Polish TVN24 television. 'This is the next and the last step towards canonization. It will be presented to Pope Francis and the pope will take the appropriate decision.'During John Paul's 2005 funeral Mass, chants of 'Santo Subito!' or 'Sainthood Now!' erupted in St. Peter's Square. Heeding the calls, then-Pope Benedict XVI waived the typical five-year waiting period and allowed an investigation into John Paul's life to begin immediately. The investigation determined that the beloved Polish-born pope lived a virtuous life, the first step in the sainthood process.Subsequently, the Vatican determined that a French nun who prayed for his intercession was miraculously cured of Parkinson's disease. A second miracle is needed for canonization. The Vatican hasn't divulged any details about that second purported miracle.
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