Pope Francis, leader of the Roman Catholic Church, has proclaimed two of his predecessors -- John the 23rd and John Paul the Second -- as saints at a ceremony Sunday in St. Peter's Square.
Pope Francis Canonizes Two Predecessors
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Pope Francis waves to the faithful as he is driven through the crowd after presiding over a solemn canonization ceremony in St. Peter's Square, the Vatican, April 27, 2014.
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Pope Francis greets the faithful as he is driven through the crowd along Via della Conciliazione after celebrating the ceremony for the canonizations of Pope John XXIII and Pope John Paul II in St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, April 27, 2014.
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Pope Francis kisses a relic of John Paul II, during a ceremony in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, April 27, 2014.
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Nuns wave as Pope Francis is driven through the crowd after presiding over a solemn ceremony in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, April 27, 2014.
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A statuette of Pope Francis is placed among desserts on sale at a cafe, in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, April 27, 2014.
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Two people walk in front of images of Pope John XXIII, left, and Pope John Paul II, Guatemala City, April 27, 2014.
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A group of people wait for the Vatican's telecast ceremony to begin, Crakow, Ukraine, April 27, 2014. (Jerome Socolovsky/VOA)
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Jacinta Hamilton, 11, came with her family from Belfast, Northern Ireland to Crakow, Poland to celebrate the canonization of Pope John Paul II. He was a resident of Crakow for twenty years and was the first Slavic Pope in history, April 27, 2014. (Jerome Socolovsky/VOA)