As part of this process, Benedict XVI dramatically shortened the number of years that blessed persons had to wait to graduate from beatification to sainthood. For example, John Paul II became a blessed person a mere six years after his death.

Since the early part of the twentieth century and, most clearly, since John Paul II s papacy (1978 2005) the traditional dominance of Italy and other European countries in the locations of blessed persons has waned. This is reflected in the two stages of saint making beatification (the first stage of the process and currently the status of John Paul II) and canonization.

ROME Once again, the reputation of Pope Pius XII is under scrutiny and attack. Indeed, so searching are the questions and so inflamed are discussions about the Roman Catholic Church s pontiff during World War II that the current pope, Benedict XVI, recently announced that he may postpone Pius s beatification until the Vatican s archives for the war years are opened and examined.