Pope Benedict XVI has announced that he has started the process which could lead to sainthood for his predecessor, John Paul II.
Pope Benedict told a meeting of priests in Rome he was putting John Paul on the fast track to beatification.
The Pope is dispensing with rules that impose a five-year waiting period before the procedure can begin.
The Archbishop of Dublin, Dr Diarmuid Martin, has welcomed the news.
Archbishop Martin said the holiness of Pope John Paul II was evident to all throughout his life and long Pontificate.
John Paul died last month following a 26-year pontificate.
