Saint John Paul II

A general view of Saint Peter's Square during a canonisation ceremony for popes John Paul II and John XXIII, in the Vatican, 27 April 2014. Photo: PAP/EPA/ALESSANDRO DI MEO

As Agnieszka Bielawska reports, Pope Francis declared two of his predecessors, John Paul II and John XXIII, saints of the Roman Catholic church in an unprecedented double-canonisation mass in St Peter's Square.

Pope Francis paid tribute to the efforts of John XXIII and John Paul II to renew and strengthen the church and in a short homily underlined that both men were not afraid of suffering and remained faithful to the teachings of the Church despite the turbulent times of the 20th century.

Speaking of Pope John Paul II, Pope Francis underlined he wanted to be remembered as the family Pope - the family to which he referred so many times in his teachings but also to which he devoted enormous attention in his writings.