Pope Francis turns married couple into saints

The first married couple to be made saints in recent times have been canonised by Pope Francis.

Louis and Zelie Martin, who lived in France during the 19th century, were the parents of an already existing saint, St Therese of Lisieux.

Francis told followers in St Peter's Square that the couple "practised Christian service in the family, creating day by day an environment of faith and love which nurtured the vocations of their daughters."

St Therese of Lisieux, known fondly as The Little Flower, is widely revered for the simplicity of her approach to spiritual life.

The Pope is particularly keen on Therese and has a copy of her book Story of a Soul on his bookshelf.

As an archbishop in Buenos Aires, he also had a picture of her on his desk.

In canonising her parents, Francis wants to provide Catholic families with role models who brought up their children with a strong sense of faith.

The Martins had nine children. All of the five who survived into adulthood became nuns, with Therese entering the sisterhood at age 15.

Reverend Romano Gambalunga, who was responsible for seeing the Martins through to sainthood, said: "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."

As part of their canonisation, the couple had to be found to have performed two miracles.

In both cases, newborns were unexpectedly cured after being born with what doctors originally believed to be life-ending ailments.

The parents of the two babies, who have now turned into healthy children, were told to direct their prayers to the Martins.

One of the youngsters was released from hospital on 2 January 2009 - the 135th anniversary of the birth of the Martin's youngest daughter.

Other married saints include Joachim and Anne, the parents of the Virgin Mary, and Mary herself and her husband Joseph - the parents of Jesus Christ.