Priests, nuns and proclaimed miracle workers, of course, dominate the lofty roster. A seamstress, a military general, and a pediatrician also joined the select sainthood league during the past 10 years.

Within that club, however, no person was perfect.

The 70 people sainted by the Catholic Church since...

I like John Paul II.

"Like" him in the social network sense, that is. And I'm hardly alone.

In a digital stampede of JPII fans that's surely astounding the Vatican's IT team, a Facebook page for the late pontiff has attracted more than 32,000 followers since its launch May...

The costs build swiftly and accrue steadily, no matter the currency or the celebrity of the candidate.

The final tab includes a litany of line-item expenses common to all political campaigns: promotions, payoffs and parties.

To launch a virtuous person from the simple, earthly memories of their life's...

The remains of Pope John Paul II surely seem secure. They rest in a cypress case that's nestled inside a soldered, zinc casket that's, in turn, cocooned in a walnut box. Almost six years ago, that walnut box was pounded shut with nails of pure gold.

When Church officials...

The collision course is set: unbridled joy is barreling head long toward simmering cynicism -- at record speed.

It's hard not to watch.

Picture three train tracks, each converging on St. Peter's Square, all arriving the same day, the same hour.

On Track A, the sanctification cause of Pope...

The word is sprinkled breathlessly into our conversations, our sports celebrations -- and, lately, into our headlines.

We think we know what it is, what is means. But typically, we misuse it, over-simplify it, and wedge into places and situations where it doesn't belong.

...