Pope John Paul II is set to preside over a ceremony today to create Central America's first saint.
In a 25-hour trip to the capital the Pope will make a saint of Pedro de San Jose Betancur, a 17th century Spanish missionary who spent his life helping the poor. He is scheduled to leave Guatemala later today to spend two days in Mexico before returning to Rome.
The 82-year-old Pope arrived in Guatemala yesterday to a rapturous welcome and urged the country to bury its bloody past.
The nation of 12 million is still struggling with reconciliation and consolidation of democracy after a 36-year Cold-War era civil war that ended in 1996.
The Pope, who is suffering from Parkinson's disease and sometimes crippling arthritis, started the second leg of his 11-day trip on a more subdued note than in Canada, where he presided at World Youth Day and delighted followers with a burst of stamina.