Pope John XXIII (25 November 1881 – 3 June 1963) and Pope John Paul II (18 May 1920 – 2 April 2005) each served as head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City, from 1958 to 1963 and 1978 to 2005 respectively. Their canonizations were held on 27 April 2014. The decision to canonize was made official by Pope Francis on 5 July 2013 following the recognition of a miracle attributed to the intercession of John Paul II, while John XXIII was canonized for his merits of opening the Second Vatican Council. The date of the canonization was assigned on 30 September 2013.
The Canonization Mass was celebrated by Pope Francis (with Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI concelebrating), on 27 April 2014 (Divine Mercy Sunday), in St. Peter's Square (Pope John Paul had died on the vigil of Divine Mercy Sunday in 2005). About 150 cardinals and 700 bishops concelebrated the Mass, and at least 500,000 people attended the Mass with an estimated 300,000 others watching from video screens placed around Rome. This was the only recorded Mass in Church history where a former and current Pope both participated.
People present at the canonization Delegations from over a hundred States or international organizations were present for the canonization in Rome, including 19 heads of state and 24 heads of government..
Country Title Dary Prince and Princess Hans-Adam II, Prince of Liechtenstein and Marie, Princess of Liechtenstein Co-Prince Joan Enric Vives Sicília Former Monarchs King Albert II and Queen Paola Monarchs King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofía Minister for Education Christopher Pyne President János Áder Prime Minister Viktor Orbán President Ivan Gašparovič Prime Minister Robert Fico President Horacio Cartes President Dalia Grybauskaitė Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevicius President Michel Suleiman Prime Minister Tammam Salam President Atifete Jahjaga President Juan Orlando Hernández President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo President Ali Bongo Ondimba President Mauricio Funes Vice President and President-elect Salvador Sánchez Cerén President Rafael Correa President Paul Biya President Bakir Izetbegovic President of the Chamber of Deputies Julián Domínguez First Lady Angélica Rivera Special Advisor to the President John Podesta Taoiseach Enda Kenny Minister of Foreign Affairs Elías Jaua Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Deshchytsia President Robert Mugabe Grand Duke Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg President Ivo Josipović Prime Minister Zoran Milanović President Rosen Plevneliev Royal family Tsar Simeon II, former Prime Minister Queen Margarita Princess Marie Louise of Bulgaria Vice President Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) Prime Minister Manuel VallsFormer First LadyBernadette ChiracFormer Prime MinisterFrançois FillonSenator and President of Ain France-Holy group the SenateCharles RevetMember of Parliament and President of Ain France-Holy group the National AssemblyXavier Breton President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy President of the European Commission José Manuel Durão Barroso President Giorgio Napolitano First Lady Clio Maria Bittoni Prime Minister Matteo Renzi President Bronislaw Komorowski First Lady Anna Komorowska Prime Minister Donald Tusk Former President Aleksander Kwasniewski Former First Lady Jolanta Kwasniewska Former President Lech Wałęsa Former First Lady Danuta Wałęsa Marshal of the Sejm Ewa Kopacz President of the Senate Bogdan Borusewicz President Borut Pahor Prime Minister Alenka Bratušek
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