John Paul II pilgrims gather in Rome for beatification
Tens of thousands of pilgrims are in Rome to attend ceremony to mark the beatification of the late Pope, John Paul II.
Among those addressing crowds in Circus Maximus park on Saturday was a French nun, Marie Simon-Pierre, who says she was cured of Parkinson's Disease.
Her apparently miraculous cure is part of the case for the beatification, the last stage before sainthood.
Among those in Rome for the event is Zimbabwean leader Robert Mugabe.
A Roman Catholic, he was given special permission by the EU to fly to Italy despite being the subject of a travel ban.
The presidents of Poland and Mexico are also among some 90 heads of state and other dignitaries due to attend the beatification.
The event is expected to draw at least half a million people, including large numbers of pilgrims from the late pope's native Poland.
Giant screenSt Peter's Square has been transformed for the occasion with a giant video screen showing Pope John Paul II's life story and a massive photograph hung from the white colonnades, the BBC's Duncan Kennedy reports.
The late pontiff's coffin has already been exhumed from the crypt below St Peter's Basilica to be placed in front of the altar.
After the Mass, it will be moved to a different part of the basilica.
Some have questioned the Church's speed in beatifying the late pope, just six years after his death, our correspondent says.
But such concerns are not likely to surface during what the Vatican hopes will be a special service for a pope who led Catholics through 26 momentous years, he adds.
'I was cured'Beatification, or declaring a person to be "blessed", is the necessary prelude to full sainthood.
For this to happen, the Vatican must declare the person to have performed a miracle.
In John Paul II's case, Sister Marie, 49, said she and her fellow nuns had prayed for the intercession of the pope after his death to cure her from Parkinson's Disease.
Her sudden cure had no logical medical explanation and she later resumed her work as a maternity nurse, the Vatican says.
Appearing at Saturday's vigil, she told the crowd: "I was cured on the night between June 2 and June 3, 2005.
"I woke up at four in the morning and felt that something had changed in me."
If the late pope is declared to have performed another miracle he will be eligible for canonisation as a saint.
The vigil had the feel of a youth festival, correspondents say, with groups of young people dancing and singing. Many carried backpacks and sleeping bags in preparation for a night to be spent outdoors.
"It's true that nowadays most of the young don't care about religion, but John Paul showed us love, and love is all we need," said Matea Sarlija, a 21-year-old Croat, who had spent 10 hours on a bus to arrive in Rome for the vigil.