Late pope John Paul II 'could be made saint soon'

A second miracle attributed to late pope John Paul II has been reported and he could be made a saint soon, said Italy's Panorama weekly on Thursday, citing documents sent to the Vatican. The miraculous healing occurred just weeks after John Paul II's grandiose beatification on May 1 last year, which put him on the path to sainthood just six years after his death and was attended by over a million people. The first miracle attributed to the late pope was the healing of a French nun, Sister Marie Simon-Pierre, who recovered from Parkinson's disease. To be officially certified as a miracle by the Catholic Church, healings have to be instantaneous, irreversible and without scientific explanation. The second miracle, about which no details were reported, was chosen from among four reported miracles and documented by the promoter of Karol Wojtyla's canonisation, Bishop Slowomir Oder, Panorama said. The magazine said the case was being studied by experts from the Congregation for the Cause of Saints and, if it occurred, could lead to the canonisation of the late pope within the next 12 months. Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi declined to comment on the report, stressing that only a decree from the Congregation could confirm it. Many Catholic faithful want John Paul II made a saint as soon as possible.