Pope Benedict XVI Canonizes Five New Saints

Among the new saints was Father Damien (shown), who cared for leprosy victims in Hawaii at the end of the 19th century. He himself died of leprosy in 1889 at the age of 49.

Leprosy is also known as Hansen's disease. It is a chronic disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium lepromatosis and Mycobacterium leprae. Left untreated, leprosy can be progressive, causing permanent damage to the skin, nerves, limbs and eyes.

Others canonized on Sunday included 19th century Polish archbishop Zygmunt Felinski. He was Archbishop of Warsaw and founder of the Franciscan Sisters of the Family of Mary. He died in 1895.

Two Spanish monks, a Dominican, Francisco Coll y Guitart, and a Trappist, Rafael Arnaiz Baron, also reached sainthood. Finally, a woman was also elevated to sainthood: Jeanne Jugan of France. She founded the order of the Little Sisters of the Poor in the 18th century. She died in 1879, and by then the institute had 2,500 workers looking after elderly women in 177 homes around the world.