"They lived through the tragic events of that century, but they were not overwhelmed by them," Pope Francis said in his homily. "For them, God was more powerful; faith was more powerful -- faith in Jesus Christ the Redeemer of man and the Lord of history."

Earlier in the Mass, also attended by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, Pope Francis read the formal proclamation of sainthood during the canonization rite. The crowd roared with applause upon hearing their names read in Latin in the official proclamation.

Hundreds of thousands of people from around the world have gathered in and around St Peter's Square for the canonization Mass for Saints John XXIII and John Paul II. Thousands more pilgrims gathered in squares around the city to watch the Mass on big screens. Some 100 heads of state and governments were also in attendance.

Pope Francis described Saint John XXIII as "the pope of openness to the Spirit" and Saint John Paul II as "the pope of the family", each description followed by applause.

Pope Francis also underlined the deep faith of his two predecessors: "These were two men of courage, filled with the parrhesia of the Holy Spirit, and they bore witness before the Church and the world to God’s goodness and mercy."

The two new saints "teach us to enter ever more deeply into the mystery of divine mercy," he concluded.

Source: Vatica Radio