John Paul II beatified in Vatican ceremony
 

The late Pope, John Paul II, has been officially beatified at a ceremony at the Vatican in front of hundreds of thousands of Catholic faithful.

Among those at St Peter's Square is French nun Marie Simon-Pierre, who says she was cured of Parkinson's Disease.

Her apparently miraculous cure is part of the case for the beatification, the last stage before sainthood.

It comes amid criticism of the Church for the speed of the beatification and the clerical child sex abuse scandal.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13251415


Note: 1 May 2011 Last updated at 09:20 GMT

Creepy.

Wait, they still require a miracle for that? Yeah, apparently the article says so too. Interesting, to say the least. I have studied a little about how the process went in the medieval era, but this is news to me. I wonder what else hasn't changed. Saints are still not becoming saints, because their lobbyists run out of money?

The question is whether small boys become beatified which was utilized, :nope:

The biggest negative factor is that he was in charge during the period of some of the most devastating child sex revelations.

Right, but as large an issue as this is in the outside world it's pretty much dust under the carpet in Catholic circles.

Personally, I don't attach a large degree of personal blame on John Paul himself as I think the institution was already corrupt when he took over. That being said, (while I don't think he should be blamed for the misdeeds of individual priests), he does become culpable in my mind for the lack of a more appropriate response. This is where I think his leadership (or lack thereof) should be measured.

IMO, his primary shortcoming was in failing to help reform the institution in the wake of such shocking scandal. This is where I think he erred on the side of the status quo.

More than a million turned up to see this. Just shows the Catholic religion isn't quite dead.

The will to survive himself...

I agree with every single word written here. Well said.

Geesh, another saint to pray to, another mass sell of saint prayer ornaments in the works..

I was supposed to be going to Rome this weekend until we realised this was going on. Going in a fortnight instead when it's hopefully a bit quieter. even if we could have gotten a hotel room it would have been something like 4 times the normal price.

I wish you-all, good luck with your trip, and hope you have a good time .... maybe there's a chance to be beatified, despite everything :yep:

Rome isn't cheap any time in my experience but it would probably be similar to trying to get a hotel room in London during the day of the royal wedding.

But who goes to London, where it rained .... almost all year round, :timeout:

I've been to Rome quite a bit and I've never found it that bad. Been worse the last couple of times because of the value of the pound against the Euro but still about bearable. Having said that. I was in Venice last autumn and it nearly bankrupted me - that's what i get for going there when it's still high season and the film festival is on.

Now, London and Paris are pricey whatever is going on.

Beautified perhaps...:DL I don't think I'd make a very good saint. Mind you, from what I've been told there are quite a few saints who wouldn't have made very good saints so I'm discounting nothing.