An increasing lobby of churchmen and religious experts are questioning the Vatican’s fast tracking of Pope John Paul II’s beatification, the first step towards canonization as a saint, just six years after the Pontiff’s death.

Set to be beatified in St. Peter’s Square this Sunday, John Paul II was one of the most well loved Pontiffs the world has ever known. He was considered as the Pope responsible for the Fall of Communism and who prayed alongside Jews and Muslims. Over 300,000 people are expected to flock to Rome to celebrate the charismatic pontiff who gave a meaning to Catholicism.

But amidst the expected crowd, mounting opposition looms over Vatican’s decision to speed up John Paul’s beatification immediately after he died in 2005 rather than observe the five-year waiting period. Those who are opposed to the move doubt the late pontiff’s qualification to be a saint in the first place, attributing his poor record in handling the sex abuse allegations against priests who entered the force during his 26-year reign as Pope.

Next month, the Irish government will be releasing a report on abuses committed by Irish priests. The said report will provide a description of whether Bishop John Magee, the late Pontiff’s former secretary, did ignore information about the scandal. Pope Benedict XVI is expected to receive the report on his desk before publishing the governmental report.

Facing the criticisms being thrown at him, Pope Benedict sorted through hundreds of records of miracles attributed to the Pope. Vatican officials selected the overnight recovery of a French nun from Parkinson’s disease. According to religious experts, the Pope will be canonized in two to three years.

Another issue being raised by opponents is John Paul II’s unwavering support for the Mexican priest and leader of the Legion of Christ movement Marcial Maciel Degollado, who allegedly abused seminarians and fathering six children. Degollado also allegedly kept the Vatican silent through large donations, amidst complaints about his behavior since the 1970s.

During his 26-years as Pontiff, John Paul II beatified 1,340 people and canonized 482 others, the highest for any previous pope. This coming season, he will go down in history as the fastest person to become a saint beating Mother Teresa by a few days. However, it would require a second miracle for the Pope to achieve such feat and the Church is currently searching for that miracle.

May 1 is a significant date in the life of John Paul II. It is the Feast of Divine Mercy, which the late pope himself instituted. After he is beatified, John Paul’s remains will be transferred to a large ornate chapel near the entrance to St. Peter’s Basilica. The tomb of Pope Innocent XI will be transferred to make room for John Paul II.

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