A Vatican official says Pope John Paul II has cleared the final obstacle before being made a saint.

The ANSA news agency said a commission of cardinals and bishops met Tuesday to consider the case and signed off on it, leaving only Pope Francis to approve it. A Vatican official confirmed that the decision had been taken some time back and that Tuesday's meeting was essentially a formality.

One possible canonization date is Dec. 8, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, a major feast day for the Catholic Church. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because canonization cases are covered by pontifical secret, confirmed reports in La Stampa newspaper that John Paul could be canonized together with Pope John XXIII, who called the Second Vatican Council.