Summary

TAPE: EF02/0851 IN_TIME: 23:08:56 DURATION: 3:58 SOURCES: VATICAN TV RESTRICTIONS: DATELINE: Vatican - 6 Oct 2002 SHOTLIST: 1. Vatican with huge crowd assembled outside 2. Pope John Paul II arriving on Pope-mobile 3. Aerial of massive crowd in area surrounding Vatican 4. Saint Peter's Square with portrait of Opus Dei founder Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer 5. Wide side view of Pope John Paul II seated 6. Wide rear view of crowd 7. SOUNDBITE (English) Pope John Paul II: "I advise the members of the various delegations and all of you who have come from English-speaking countries to take to heart the lesson of the new Saint: that Jesus Christ should be the inspiration and goal of every aspect of your daily life." 8. Mid shot of crowd 9. Members of choir walking toward camera singing 10. Close of Pope leading a prayer and holding a wafer aloft 11. Aerial view of crowd 12. Tighter aerial shot of crowd 13. Midshot pilgrims kneeling before Pope 14. Mid shot portrait of Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer zooms in to close up 15. Various of Pope leaving in Pope-mobile 16. Wide aerial shot of crowd-lined street 17. Various of Pope in Pope-mobile 18. Close of woman wiping tear from her eye 19. Aerial of Pope-mobile 20. Mid shot of Pope blessing baby held in front of him in Pope-mobile 21. Aerial view of Tiber river pans down to Pope-mobile passing below STORYLINE: Drawing one of the Vatican's largest-ever crowds, Pope John Paul II on Sunday bestowed the honour of sainthood on the controversial founder of Opus Dei. Police said more than 300-thousand people turned out for Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer's canonisation, overflowing from St. Peter's Square and filling several city blocks down toward the Tiber. The church's highest honour for the Spanish priest who founded the group in 1928 came just 27 years after his death - one of the shortest waiting times in the Vatican's history. Swiftly arriving sainthood could serve to mute criticism among some Catholics, including some former Opus Dei members, that Escriva was unworthy of the honour because he was allegedly ill-tempered and arrogant. Escriva's conservative Catholic organisation has more than 80-thousand members worldwide and many of them hold top jobs in professions such as law, medicine, media and banking. Opus Dei has rejected accusations that it is elitist and that its practices - including self-flagellation and wearing hair-shirts by some members to achieve physical mortification - are secretive. Opus Dei's reputation for elitism started during the 1939-75 Spanish dictatorship of General Francisco Franco. Many of the technocrats in his later governments belonged to the organisation. In Spain, home to about a third of Opus Dei's membership, some detractors accuse the group of brainwashing followers into thoughtless devotion. Some Spaniards suspect Opus Dei is illegally acquiring wealth and plotting to influence both Church and state. Criticism swirled around Escriva's figure in the years leading up to his 1992 beatification, the last formal step before sainthood. Saying they were unsure, two of the nine Vatian officials who ruled on Escriva's merits did not vote in favour of beatification. The pontiff, dismayed by the flagging faith of many rank-and-file Catholics, has been intrigued by Opus Dei for decades. And in apparent reference to the criticism, he rallied to Escriva's defence in his homily, read from the steps of St. Peter's Basilica, calling Escriva's teaching "current and urgent". Escriva held that sainthood need not require extraordinary deeds but could also be achieved by carrying out everyday tasks extraordinary well - from homemaker to lawyer to student. John Paul said that the new saint "liked to reiterate with vigour that Christian faith opposes conformism and inner inertia". Many of those at the canonisation came from Latin America, where Opus Dei has a strong foothold and where the Vatican is concerned about Catholics defecting to evangelical sects. Many Vatican observers on Sunday remarked upon the extreme composure and orderliness of the huge crowd. Their behaviour was a sharp contrast to the deafening shouts of joy and jockeying for good views at the last previous big sainthood ceremony in St. Peter's Square, that of Italian monk Padre Pio in June. Among the VIPs on Sunday was the coach of Italy's national football team, Giovanni Trapattoni, who called Escriva "an excellent spiritual coach". Other guests were a leading leftist politician, Massimo D'Alema, a former Italian Communist, and Gianfranco Fini, a former neo-fascist who is now Italian deputy premier. In addition to honouring Escriva and Padre Pio, the ailing, 82-year-old John Paul is seen by many as determined to raise to sainthood another one of his favourite figures, Mother Teresa. Beatification for the nun who worked with India's poorest is widely expected to come soon, possibly next spring.