Pope John Paul II to become a saint, Vatican announces

The Vatican says the late popes John Paul the Second and John the 23rd will be made saints next April.

Pope Francis made the announcement today at a meeting of cardinals known as a consistory.

The canonisations of two popular popes is set to bring hundreds of thousands of pilgrims to Rome.

The ceremony is seen by Vatican watchers as an attempt to breach a traditional divide between reformers and conservatives in the Church.