Pope John Paul II Cross Pendant

The late Pope John Paul II was one of the most extraordinary religious leaders in history. Courageously articulating his vision for a better world, he was considered by historians as not simply the man of the century, but the prophet of a new millennium. Calls for John Paul's sainthood began immediately following his passing on April 2, 2005. After Pope Benedict XVI attributed a miracle to John Paul, the late pontiff was beatified on May 1, 2011. Recently, the Vatican announced that it would forgo the traditional 5-year waiting period after beatification and officially made Pope John Paul IIa Saint in a canonization ceremony that took place on April 27, 2014.