In 1947, Eva Peron embarked on the "Rainbow Tour." This tour was a goodwill tour of Europe, and was designed to show Argentina's modern and democratic growth. It was popularized in the film "Evita," where it was portrayed as a last ditch effort to save Argentina's public image.
It's hard not to draw parallels between this and the canonizations of Popes John XXIII and John Paul II. True, canonizations are typically political. They help Catholics in various countries have national pride as well as promote their culture. But, it is rare that canonizations happen so quickly. For Pope John, it has been some 40 years since his death. For Pope John Paul II, only 9 years.
The last pope to be sainted was Pope Pius X, but in the last 50 years the number has skyrocketed. Pope Pius XII and Pope Paul VI are venerables, while Pope John Paul I is a servant of God. So, why this increase? I remember in September, 2013 being in Rome and even 9 years later Pope John Paul II was on every thing. From umbrellas to t-shirts to buses. I think there is a lot of hope that this will give the Church a "bump" in holiness and support.
Will this canonization have the effect it desires? There was an excitement about the so-called "Francis effect." However, while the average Catholic may like Pope Francis' openness, it is not necessarily drawing them to church. The canonizations will likely have the same effect. One could hope that they draw more people to Mass, but I'm skeptical.
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