Pope Francis made an unannounced visit to the tomb of John Paul II in St Peter's Basilica at the Vatican where Polish priests and nuns gathered every week to celebrate Mass.

This week, Pope Francis surprised the worshippers and celebrated Mass.

"Without the love of Christ, without living this love and recognizing it, nourishing oneself with it, one cannot be a Christian," he said.

"A Christian is one who feels watched by the Lord, feels under his beautiful watch, loved by the Lord and loved all the way through the end. A Christian feels that his life has been saved by the blood of the Christ," he added.

Pope Francis announced last month John Paul II, who led the Catholic Church for 27 years and witnessed the fall of communism and Pope John XXIII, who called the reforming Second Vatican council, will be declared saints on April 27.

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