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	Recognizing John Paul's Extraordinary Life St. Louis Post-Dispatch April 30, 2011 http://bishopaccountability.org/AbuseTracker/ This Sunday, known in the church as Divine Mercy Sunday, Pope Benedict XVI will lead a Beatification Mass for his predecessor, John Paul II. Pope Benedict XVI had waved the mandatory waiting period for investigation into the cause for sainthood, placing John Paul II on the "fast track" to sainthood. There are some who say that this is a mistake, pointing to the fact that the priest abuse scandal and "cover-up" took place on his watch. The real problem, however, has to do with severe misconceptions about the church's process for canonization, what it does and does not do, as well as ideological differences with the late Holy Father. To begin, it is important to note that the church does not "make" saints. This is God's job and his alone. After all, anyone in heaven is a saint. What the church does do is first examine whether the individual led a virtuous and moral life that can serve as an inspiration for the faithful. And then she seeks signs from heaven that the man is already there. The church doesn't promote people to sainthood, she merely recognizes that they already are.
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