Rome to Host 1 Million Pilgrims for John Paul Beatification

April 27 (Bloomberg) -- Rome’s population will swell by about 1 million people this weekend as pilgrims from around the world descend on the city to celebrate the beatification of John Paul II, the Polish-born pope who died in 2005.

The Italian capital’s 1,000-plus hotels are almost fully booked, with some rooms going at double their usual rate, according to the hotel.info booking service. Police closed six hotels and issued more than 300,000 euros ($438,000) in fines for tourist rip-offs and practices including adding up to eight beds to small rooms, Ansa news wire reported April 21.

Church-run hostels and guest houses have been “inundated with requests” since the current pope, Benedict XVI, announced John Paul’s beatification, said Sister Emilia of the Giusti Hotel, run by nuns of the Saint Ann of Providence order. Beatification is the third of four steps in the process of canonization, or becoming a saint.