PITTSBURGH (PA)
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
By Kaitlynn Riely / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
One was pope for only a handful of years, 1958 to 1963, but he opened a council whose effects have lasted much longer. The other led the Roman Catholic Church for nearly three decades, 1978 to 2005, defining the role of pope for a generation.
Popes John XXIII and John Paul II lived in different times and faced different challenges, said Pittsburgh Bishop David A. Zubik, but they shared something.
“They had a charisma that made them the right person at the right time,” he said.
Now, they’ll share something else: At the same time Friday, both men were cleared for sainthood.
The current Pope Francis announced that John Paul II and John XXIII would be canonized. No date has been set for the official ceremonies, but they are expected to occur by the end of the year. …
However, not everyone greeted the news positively.
Barbara Blaine, founder of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, called the canonization “rubbing salt into the wounds” of those affected by the clerical sex-abuse scandal.
“We believe that’s one more sign that church officials are doing one thing and saying the other,” Ms. Blaine said.
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