A pilgrim covers his head with a newspaper bearing an image of Pope John Paul II as he stands among other pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square in the Vatican on May 1, 2011 ahead of the beatification of Pope John Paul II. Pope Benedict XVI hailed John Paul II's "strength of a titan" in defending Christianity against "a tide which appeared irreversible" in a homily in Saint Peter's Square. AFP PHOTO/VINCENZO PINTO