( CNN ) -- The Vatican is warning people who plan to travel to the beatification of Pope John Paul II to look out for scammers claiming to sell tickets for the ceremony . `` It is very important to make as clear as possible that no tickets are needed to attend the beatification of John Paul II , '' said monsignor Guido Marini , master of Papal Liturgical Celebrations , according to Vatican Radio . As in life , John Paul is drawing huge crowds after his death . Two million pilgrims are expected to flock to the Vatican for the special Mass , which will be presided over by Pope Benedict XVI and take place in St. Peter 's Square on May 1 -- the first Sunday after Easter . But officials became concerned after hearing about `` unauthorized offers by some tour operators , especially on the Internet , '' asking people to pay fees for access to the event , the Catholic News Service reported . No tickets are required for the beatification Mass of Pope John Paul II , and any papal events that do require tickets are always free , the Vatican emphasized . There has been huge interest in John Paul 's road to sainthood , with his beatification -- the first step in the process -- coming six years after his death . ( That timetable is very fast in Vatican terms . Pope Benedict XVI dispensed with rules that normally impose a five-year waiting period before beatification can even start . ) Born Karol Wojtyla in Poland , the charismatic John Paul spent more than a quarter-century as the head of the Catholic Church . He spoke more than a dozen languages and visited more than 100 countries , setting an unheard-of pattern of pastoral travel .
Some tour operators are claiming to sell tickets for the beatification of John Paul II . No tickets are needed to attend the ceremony May 1 , Vatican emphasizes . 2 million pilgrims are expected to flock to St. Peter 's Square for the ceremony .