Sir Jimmy Savile aiming to fix sainthood of Scotswoman

Fringe features film of 'Saint Margaret's' exhumation

SIR Jimmy Savile could help fix it for a former Edinburgh factory worker to become Scotland's first woman saint in over 800 years. The Vatican is to finally examine an apparently 'miraculous' cure of the veteran TV star, who believes his life was saved by Margaret Sinclair when he was just one year old. A report on the DJ has lain in a vault in Rome since his case was first reported back in the Thirties. But now the Pope has ordered it to be looked at with a view to speeding up Margaret Sinclair's canonisation cause. A Vatican spokesman said: "The Pope is personally aware of Margaret Sinclair and believes she is a very holy woman. He is deeply moved by her simple faith and is keen to see her cause moved forward."

Canonisation is a lengthy process, sometimes taking hundreds of years, but Pope John Paul II, who has created more saints than any previous pontiff, has been keen to accelerate the process. It is known that he wants Mother Teresa canonised by the Millennium. Sir Jimmy said he would be 'delighted' if his case led to Margaret Sinclair's sainthood. "If this Pope has canonised more people than any other, then let's get a move on." "Margaret has always been a special friend to me. I was in Edinburgh a few weeks ago and I stopped by to pray at her grave," he said. Sir Jimmy , a devout Catholic, was just one year old in 1926 - the year after Margaret Sinclair died - when he became seriously ill with a fever. But he believes he was cured after his mother prayed to the Edinburgh woman who died in a London convent when she was just 25.

The last Scottish female saint was St Margaret of Scotland, in the 13th century.

This other news story reveals Savile was good friends with Pope John Paul II

He tells me about his friendship with Pope John Paul II, who, he reveals fascinatingly, used to call him 'the blonde'. (I suppose if John Paul had to have a blonde, the only respectable one would be Jimmy.) 'There's a picture of him over there with his arm round me.' Jimmy is a Papal Knight - he says it's 'a rare diplomatic order and it gives me a different international flavour'.

This Documentary also sheds light into the amicable relationship between Savile and Pope John Paul II

Tony Blair slept over at hospital where Savile kept private chambers