Pope Francis Canonizes Two Palestinians As Saints
About 2,000 Palestinians gathered in the Vatican's St. Peter's Square to sing and pray and celebrate their saints as Pope Francis declared Marie Alphonsine Ghattas and Mariam Baouardy the first two Palestinian saints of modern times. There, they heard the Pope pay tribute to the way in which the two new saints experienced the love of God. He said: Sister Mariam Baouardy experienced this in an outstanding way. Poor and uneducated, she was able to counsel others and provide theological explanations with extreme clarity, the fruit of her constant converse with the Holy Spirit. Her docility to the Spirit also made her a means of encounter and fellowship with the Muslim world," "So, too, Sister Marie Alphonsine Danil Ghattas came to understand clearly what it means to radiate the love of God ... and to be a witness to meekness and unity. She shows us the importance of becoming responsible for one another, of living lives of service ...