(By Christopher Livesay) (ANSA) - Vatican City, July 2 - A second miracle by Pope John Paul II was approved Tuesday by a plenary meeting of cardinals and bishops of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, ANSA sources said.

The decision means that John Paul may be canonized by the end of this year, the sources said.

The next step is for Pope Francis to give the final signature.

The cardinals and bishops belonging to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints were in favour of a canonisation ceremony taking place in December, after the end of the current year of the faith. But the final decision is up to Francis.

Last month a board of theologians of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints gave its green light to a miracle that, up to now, has remained a closely guarded secret but which Vatican sources say will "amaze the world". Previously a panel of doctors had ruled that an inexplicable recovery had come about through the intervention of the Polish pontiff.

The miracle took place on the night John Paul was beatified on May 1, 2011.

John Paul was proclaimed blessed after a first miracle was attributed to him.

This was the inexplicable recovery of a French nun, Sister Marie Simon-Pierre, from Parkinson's Disease, which the Vatican ruled came through the intervention of John Paul.

Catholics worldwide have been keenly awaiting the canonisation of the charismatic John Paul, one of the most popular popes in history.

There were calls for him to be made a "saint at once" when he died in 2005 aged 84.

John Paul may not be the only pope soon raised to sainthood. According to Vatican sources, the Congregation for the Causes of Saints also discussed reopening the case for sainthood surrounding John XXIII this summer. Beatified in 2000 following a miraculous healing of a nun attributed to him, John has been waiting for the obligatory second miracle separating him from becoming a saint.

But sources say that Pope Francis may apply a waiver known as 'ex certa scientia' to the second-miracle requirement, allowing John, known as "the good pope", to make up for it based on other merit such as charisma. Furthermore, Francis is said to be championing the case for beatifying John's successor, Paul VI.