One million see Pope proclaim new saints

An estimated one million people have gathered in Spain to see Pope John Paul II proclaim five new Spanish saints.

The congregation spread out along four avenues in Madrid, intersecting at Plaza de Colon where a huge altar was erected for the canonisation Mass.

The ceremony honoured two priests and three nuns, all 20th century figures commemorated for their work with the poor.

"We inscribe them in the book of the saints, and establish that in all the Church they be devoutly honoured among the saints," the Pope said.

Giant pictures of the five hung from an office building overlooking the plaza.

The canonisation was the centrepiece of ailing John Paul's visit, his fifth to Spain and first outside Italy in nine months.

One of the priests, Pedro Poveda, was assassinated in 1936 during the opening days of the Spanish Civil War.

The Catholic Church claims 4,184 clergy were killed during the war by the Government, or Republican, side, which accused the Church of backing fascist General Francisco Franco.

The other four new saints are Angela de la Cruz, who founded the Sisters of the Company of the Cross, Genoveva Torres, who founded the Sisters of the Sacred Heart and of the Holy Angels, Maravillas de Jesus, who founded convents for the Order of Barefoot Carmelites and Jose Maria Rubio, a Jesuit priest.

The service raised to 469 the number of saints John Paul has proclaimed in his nearly 25-year papacy. He is the Church's No 1 saint-maker, stressing the need for role models for today's Catholics.