The Vatican Prepares for the Beatification of Pope John Paul II

Thousands of devotees are planning to make the pilgrimage to Rome on May 1st for the beatification of Pope John Paul II. His fast-track beatification, the important second to last step towards becoming a saint is a cause for joy and will attract over 1 million visitors to the the capital of Italy.

Canonization, or being recognized as a saint, is a long and complex process. The first step towards canonization is beatification. A person has to have performed a miracle to be beatified. Recently, a miracle was officially attributed to Pope John Paul II. A French nun, Sister Marie Pierre Simon, had prayed to him to be cured of Parkinsons' Disease, the disease that John Paul II suffered from for so many years. There was no logical explanation as to why she no longer had the disease, but her physicians confirmed that no traces of it remained. After an exhaustive scientific investigation, the Vatican committee accepted the miracle, attributing it to the late Pope. One more miracle must be attributed to John Paul II and confirmed by the Vatican before he can be declared a saint.

For a more comprehensive look at the blessed Pope, the Janson Media DVD John Paul The Great: A Pope Who Makes History (1 x 60') takes you through the extraordinary life of one of the 21st century"s greatest men. The program (1 x 60') is also available to worldwide Television, VOD, New Media, and Non-Theatric markets.

When he was elected Pope John Paul II in 1978, Karol Wotyla became the first Slav ever to take the seat of St. Peter. His pontificate, one of the longest in the history of the Church, lasted nearly 27 years. During that time he would change the image of the papacy forever, with a mass appeal never before seen in the history of the Church.