Francis looks to heal Church with two pope saints

VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis aims to unite conservative and reformist strands of Catholicism with the first canonization of two popes this month—an impressive masterstroke that has already stirred dissent in some quarters.

Conferring sainthood on John XXIII and John Paul II means bringing together two distinct schools of thought on what a pope should be—a humble parish priest figure or a globetrotting, charismatic superstar.