Pope John Paul II laughs during a gathering in St. Peter’s Square with tens of thousands of young people from Rome and the Lazio region, ahead of the 18th World Youth Day celebrations on Palm ...

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Apr 27, 2025 / 05:00 am. On April 30, 2000, Pope John Paul II canonized Maria Faustina Kowalska and declared the second Sunday of Easter as Divine Mercy Sunday.