On Sunday April 27th in Vatican City, Pope Francis announced the veneration of Pope John Paul II and Pope John XXIII.

After going through years of the canonization process and a large public mass held in St. Peter’s Square current Pope Francis and retired Pope Benedict XVI and a group of 19 bishops announced the new saints to the entire Catholic congregation and world.

In order to become a saint you have to go through the steps of canonization, which include having a bishop petition your life and work to their superiors. If the canonized person is accepted, the next step is to be analyzed and accepted by both theologians and cardinals. through this tedious and time consuming process they will determine if the person is worthy of sainthood.

Pope Francis’s predecessors were chosen because of their work with the people. Pope John XXVIII was selected because of his work and alliance with the liberal Catholics, through this he helped unite the conservative and liberal wings of the church. Pope John Paul II was also selected because of his mission to end world hunger and help the poor everywhere in the world.

Not only was the veneration of two important popes significant, but the appearance of two popes together in a single public mass was a milestone in the churches history.