Pope John Paul will make Jose Maria Escriva de Balaguer, founder of the controversial Catholic group Opus Dei, a saint of the Roman Catholic Church in October, the Vatican said today.
The Vatican also said the Pope will make a saint of Padre Pio, a renowned mystic Italian monk who died in 1968 aged 81.
Opus Dei (God's Work) has for decadeds fended off criticism from liberal Catholics who accuse it of being secretive, elitist and bent on creating a church within the church.
Unlike religious orders such as the Jesuits, Opus Dei is made up of mostly lay people instead of priests or nuns. It has nearly 83,000 members worldwide who work at normal jobs and receive spiritual guidance from the movement's 1,500 priests.
Escriva, who died in 1975, was a Spanish priest who founded the conservative group promoting his idea that Catholics should try to attain sanctity in their everyday lives. Padre Pio was a mystic who is said to have borne the wounds of Christ. A Franciscan Capuchin monk, he lived most of his life at a monastery in southern Italy.
Padre Pio will be canonised on June 16th and Escriva on October 6th, both in Rome, in ceremonies expected to draw hundreds of thousands of people.
Minutes after the dates of the events were announced, hotels received calls from prospective pilgrims for reservations.
The 81-year-old Pope has made more saints than all of his predecessors combined in the 2,000-year history of the Church.