Arguably the most powerful laywoman in the Catholic Church in the late 20th century is now a candidate for sainthood, after the launch of a beatification process on Tuesday in Italy followed by 18,000 people around the world via live streaming.

Chiara Lubich, founder of the Focolare movement, died in 2008 at the age of 88. The bid to declare her a saint comes shortly after a mandatory five-year waiting period in Church law to open a beatification process expired. MORE