Pope John Paul, who has already created more saints than all his predecessors combined, put five more people on the road to sainthood at a ceremony in St. Peter's Square on Sunday.
The 83-year-old pontiff, whose ailing health prevented him reading his homily at the beatification of Mother Teresa last month, presided over the beatifications on Sunday with a clear voice.
The five new "blesseds" of the Roman Catholic Church included two Spaniards, an Italian, a Belgian and a French nun all born in the 18th and 19th centuries.
"May we all find ourselves in paradise on day," he told the pilgrims gathered in front of St. Peter's Basilica for the somber ceremony.
To date, John Paul has named 477 men and women as saints and beatified more than 1,320 people, putting them in the waiting room for eventual elevation to sainthood. A second miracle has to be verified before canonization occurs.
The pope, who can no longer walk and suffers from Parkinson's disease, kneeled during part of the service and rode his popemobile around the square afterwards.
Sister Rosalie Rendu, a French 19th century nun known for her work with the poor, and Luigi Maria Monti, an Italian member of the laity who founded the Sons of the Immaculate Conception in the 19th century, were among those beatified.