VATICAN CITY (RNS) The late Pope John Paul II is expected to take another step toward sainthood on Saturday (Dec. 19).

According to Italian media reports, Pope Benedict XVI will sign a decree that recognizes the “heroic virtue” of his predecessor and declares him “venerable,” leaving him eligible for beatification, the rank just below sainthood.

Some Italian news outlets have said that John Paul will be beatified at a ceremony in Rome next Oct. 16, the 32nd anniversary of his election as pope.

Benedict is expected to sign a similar decree on Saturday regarding the Rev. Jerzy Popieluszko, a Polish priest killed by his country’s Communist regime in 1984 because of his involvement in the Solidarity opposition movement.

To qualify for beatification, a candidate must have been a martyr or have had a miracle attributed to his or her intercession. Among the miracles that have been proposed for attribution to John Paul is the case of a French nun cured of Parkinson’s disease. A second miracle occurring after beatification would be required for his canonization as a saint.

Ordinarily, a cause for sainthood may not even be initiated until five years after a candidate’s death. Benedict waived that requirement for John Paul less than two month’s after the late pope’s death in 2005.

John Paul himself set a precedent for Benedict’s action when he expedited the cause of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, 18 months after her death in 1997. She was beatified in 2003.