Late Pope John Paul II To Be Declared A Saint By The Roman Catholic Church

The Roman Catholic Church will declare the late Pope John Paul II a saint, the Vatican announced Friday.

Pope Francis signed the decree Friday morning, the Vatican said. John Paul was pope from 1978 until his death in 2005, and was in a way the first rock star pontiff, drawing vast crowds as he criss-crossed the globe.

At his funeral, thousands of pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square and chanted “Santo Subito” — Sainthood Now! The Polish-born pope was fast-tracked to beatification and became “the blessed” John Paul II barely six years after his death, the fastest beatification in centuries.