Pope Francis has canonised the Catholic Church's first married couple in modern times, declaring the parents of the beloved St Therese of Lisieux saints in their own right.
Francis told followers gathered in St Peter's Square that the couple, Louis and Zelie Martin, "practised Christian service in the family, creating day by day an environment of faith and love which nurtured the vocations of their daughters".
Francis is particularly devoted to the 19th century French Carmelite nun, fondly known as "The Little Flower," who died at the age of 24 in 1897 and was later honoured with the title doctor of the church.
The Martins bore nine children, and the five children who survived all became nuns, including the youngest, Therese, at age 15.
Rev Romano Gambalunga, the postulator who followed the saint-making case through, said: "It's the first time a couple have been canonised as a couple, and this is a beautiful sign for Christian families, who often are left without any support and have to go against the grain, especially in the West, to live and educate their children in the truth of creation and with that love that God has given us in Christ."
Both miracles required for the canonisation concerned the inexplicable cures of newborns who had what doctors determined to be life-ending ailments.
When the Martins were beatified in 2008, the "miracle" concerned Pietro Shiliro, who was born in Italy in 2002 with a congenital lung deformation that doctors said he would not survive.
The priest who was called to baptise the boy encouraged his parents to pray to the Martins' intercession.
After a month in the ICU, during which Pietro came close to death, he was released and is now a healthy teenager.
The second miracle needed for the Martins' canonisation concerned Carmen, who was born at 28 weeks in 2008 in Spain.
Two days after her birth, Carmen suffered a cerebral haemorrhage that caused near-fatal blood poisoning.
Her parents sought guidance from the Carmelite nuns, who suggested they pray to the intercession of the Martins.
After three months in hospital, Carmen recovered and was released on January 2, 2009 - the 135th anniversary of the birth of Therese.
