Scottish Catholic Observer

The Congregation for the Causes of Saints published the decree for the Beatification this morning, which moves the predecessor of Pope Benedict XVI a step closer to sainthood.

The announcement of the Beatification came after Pope Benedict approved a decree attributing a miracle to Pope John Paul—who died in 2005 after a Papacy of almost 27 years.

Church officials have said the miracle attributed to the intercession of Pope John Paul with God concerned Sr Marie Simon-Pierre, a 48-year-old French nun diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, from which Pope John Paul himself suffered.

She said her illness inexplicably disappeared two months after his death after she and her fellow nuns prayed to him.

Church appointed doctors agreed that there was no medical explanation for the curing of the nun although last year there were some debate about the validity of the miracle.

Under normal Church rules a minimum five-year waiting period is observed following a candidate’s death before the procedure leading to sainthood can begin. A month after his death, however, John Paul II’s cause was begun by his successor Pope Benedict XVI.

Another miracle—occurring after May 1 this year—will have to be recognised before John Paul II can be canonised.

Full text of the decree: http://www.radiovaticana.org/en1/Articolo.asp?c=454138