Special Vatican website for canonisation

The Vatican has launched a website for the upcoming double canonisation of Popes John XXVIII and John Paul II on Sunday 27 April. It contains details about the two popes as well as news, events and useful information relating to the unprecedented event taking place at the Vatican this weekend.

The 2popesaints website also provides live coverage and video streaming of the event, and its information is published in five languages: English, Italian, Spanish, French and Polish.

Estimates of the number of pilgrims expected in Rome ranges from 800,000 into the millions.

The canonisation on Sunday morning is preceded by a prayer vigil on Saturday 26 April at the Basilica of St Paul's Outside the Walls at 17.00. The central event begins at 10.00 on Sunday when Pope Francis presides over a Mass in St Peter’s Square. 17 giant video screens will broadcast the canonisation ceremony live around the city, including at the Terminal 3 departure lounge at Rome’s Fiumicino airport.

More than 2,500 volunteers will be on duty throughout the weekend, handing out four million free bottles of water and 150,000 free liturgical booklets.

The entire Vatican area will be closed to traffic, as will the Lungotevere and Via dei Fori Imperiali, but both metro lines will be running non-stop from early on Saturday morning until after midnight on Sunday. Buses in the centre will be running at weekday frequency and extra trains will arrive in Stazione S. Pietro throughout the weekend.

For full traffic details see Muoversi a Roma website.

English-speaking pilgrims can have their confession heard in English throughout the night at the church of St Mark near Piazza Venezia.

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Via dei Fori Imperiali closed