Tomorrow Is Going To Be One Of The Biggest Days In Catholic History

VaticanPopes John Paul II and Popes John XXIII

On Sunday, a mashup of past and present papacies, the globe's roughly 1 billion Catholics, and heads of state from around the world will honor John Paul II and John XXIII as they are jointly proclaimed saints for the first time in the Church's 2,000-year history.

For such a momentous and historic occasion, the ceremony is actually quite short and surprisingly straightforward.

How One Becomes A Saint

First, a person may be considered for sainthood, he/she must have been dead for at least 5 years. According to the United States Conference Of Catholic Bishops, there are three steps to sainthood.

• "Venerable" - candidate is declared by a pope as having ''heroic' virtues. This is achieved through the collection of documents and testimonies.
• "Blessed" - there must be proof that the candidate performed at least one miracle during his/her life
• "Saint" - another miracle must be performed after death

Miracles

In the case of Pope John Paul II, a woman named Floribeth Mora was on her deathbed, suffering from an incurable brain aneurysm in 2011. Juan Carlos Ulate/ReutersFloribeth Mora cries at a press conference regarding her inexplicable healing from an incurable brain aneurysm.

She held a photograph of John Paul II and while laying in bed one day, Mora claims she heard, "Stand up. Don't be afraid."

Then, the aneurysm inexplicably disappeared.

Another miracle involved French nun Marie Simon Pierre, who said her symptoms of Parkinson's disease disappeared after she prayed to the pontiff following his death, according to ABC News.

As for Pope John XXIII, he is recognized as holy enough to be canonized with only one miracle. The pontiff reportedly cured a nun suffering a severe gastric illness in 1966.

What To Expect At Tomorrow's Ceremony

The ceremony, celebrated mostly in Latin, will begin at approximately 2 a.m. Eastern Time with prayers, hymns, followed by the roll call of the Church's nearly 10,000 saints, each one followed by the Latin phrase "Ora pro nobis" meaning "Pray for us."

Vadim Ghirda/APA man wears a flag depicting Pope John Paul II outside St. Peter's Square at the Vatican.

Once all of this is completed, Pope Francis will process to the altar with con-celebrant emeritus Pope Benedict XVI and 150 cardinals and 700 bishops.

This is the first time Benedict will join Francis in celebrating Mass in public since his shocking resignation last year.

The head of the Vatican's saint-making office will ask the pope three separate times to include John XXIII and John Paul II among the saints.

Three repeated requests for canonization signify the importance of the event.

Pope Francis will then say this lengthy sentence:

"For the honor of the Blessed Trinity, the exaltation of the Catholic faith and the increase of the Christian life, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, and of the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, and our own, after due deliberation and frequent prayer for divine assistance, and having sought the counsel of many of our brother bishops, we declare and define Blessed John XXIII and John Paul II be saints and we enroll them among the saints, decreeing that they are to be venerated as such by the whole church. In the name of the Holy Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."

Relics, physical remains of a saint or an item they have touched in their life, are then brought to the altar. John Paul's blood and a small piece of skin taken from John XXIII will be the relics present tomorrow.

Then an official document recognizing the canonization is presented which marks the conclusion of the rite. Mass proceeds as usual with 6,00o priests on hand to distribute Communion in St. Peter's Square.

Attendance

Alessandra Tarantino/APA large crowd is seen in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican.

In addition to the massive general public that will be in attendance, 93 official delegations plan to attend, including an estimated 24 heads of state and royals from around the world.

There will be 19 screens broadcasting the ceremony near the Vatican, a live stream, a Google + hangout as well as a Facebook page, Instagram account, YouTube page, and Twitter dedicated to this event.