Religious ceremonies have taken place across Poland to mark the anniversary of John Paul II’s death. A special mass has been celebrated in Krakov, where the late Pontiff was a priest and archbishop before leaving to become Pope in 1978. Church dignitaries were joined by members of the Polish government and the country’s president.

Officials say they are praying that the late Pope will soon be made a saint. Pope Benedict XVI has put his predecessor on the fast track to sainthood by dispensing with Church rules that normally impose a five-year waiting period after a candidate’s death.

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