More than one million people are expected in Rome this weekend for the beatification of Pope John Paul II, the biggest event in Vatican City since his death six years ago.

Hundreds of thousands of Catholic faithful will gather in St. Peter's Square to witness the ceremony, the penultimate step towards John Paul II's sainthood.

Beatification means the candidate can be referred to as "blessed," and that one miracle has been confirmed in his or her name, according to CNN's John L. Allen, Jr. Another miracle is required for canonization, the formal act of declaring someone a saint.

While normally a person cannot become a saint until 50 years after their death, John Paul II was put on a fast track to sainthood by the current Pope Benedict XVI, who waived the normal five-year waiting period to begin the beatification process.

While Rome is used to hosting big crowds, there is something special about this weekend's celebration to commemorate the late pope's road to sainthood, according to the city's mayor....