Decrees for Sainthood: Miracles, Martyrs, Virtue

[cmotherofpirl]

DECREES OF THE CONGREGATION FOR THE CAUSES OF SAINTS

VATICAN CITY, APR 28, 2006 (VIS)- Today, during a private audience with Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins, C.M.F., prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, the Pope authorized the congregation to promulgate the following decrees:

MIRACLES

- Blessed Filippo Smaldone, Italian, diocesan priest, founder of the Congregation of the Salesian Sisters of the Sacred Heart (1848 - 1923).

- Blessed Rafaele Guizar Valencia, Mexican, bishop of Veracruz, Mexico (1878 - 1938).

- Blessed Rosa Venerini, Italian, foundress of the Congregation delle Maestre Pie Venerini (1656 - 1728).

- Blessed Teodora Guerin, ne Anna Teresa, French, foundress of the Congregation of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary of the Woods in the United States. (1798 - 1856).

- Venerable Servant of God Basile Antonio Maria Moreau, French, priest and founder of the Congregation of the Holy Cross (1799 - 1873).

- Venerable Servant of God Mariano de la Mata Aparicio, Spanish, priest of the Order of Saint Augustine. (1905 - 1983).

- Venerable Servant of God Margarita Maria Lopez de Maturana, Spanish, foundress of the Institute of the Missionary Sisters of Mercy (1884 - 1934).



MARTYRS

- Servants of God Cruz Laplana y Laguna, Spanish, bishop of Cuenca, Spain (1875 - 1936) and Fernando Espanol Berdie, Spanish, diocesan priest (1875 - 1936).

- Servant of God Narciso Estenaga Echevarria, Spanish, bishop of Ciudad Real, Spain (1882 - 1936).

- Servant of God Libero Gonzalez Nombela, Spanish, diocesan priest (1896 - 1936).

- Servant of God Eusebio del Bambino Gesu, Spanish, professed priest of the Order of the Discalced Carmelites (1888 - 1936).

- Servant of God Felice Echevarria Gorostiaga, Spanish, professed priest of the Order of the Minor Friars (1893 - 1936).

- Servant of God Teodosio Rafael ne Diodoro Lopez Hernandez, Spanish, professed religious in the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian School (1898 - 1936) and three brothers from the same institute.

- Servant of God Sara Salkahazi, Hungarian, of the Institute of the Sisters of the Assistance (1899 - 1944).



HEROIC VIRTUES

- Servant of God Ciriaco Maria Sancha y Hervas, Cardinal of S.R.C., Spanish, archbishop of Toledo, Spain, founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of Cardinal Sancha (1833 - 1909).

- Servant of God Vincenza Maria Poloni ne Luigia, Italian, foundress of the Institute of the Sisters of Mercy of Verona (1802 - 1855).

- Servant of God Maria Bucchi ne Maria Matilde, Italian, foundress of the Congregation of the Most Precious Blood of Monza (1812 - 1882).

- Servant of God Esperanza Gonzalez Puig, Spanish, foundress of the Congregation of the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (1823 - 1885).

- Servant of God Cataline Coromina Agusti, Spanish, foundress of the Institute Josephine Sisters of Charity (1824 - 1893).

- Servant of God Maria Dolores Marquez Romero de Onoro, Spanish, foundress of the Congregation of the Philippian Daughters of Sorrowful Mary (1817 - 1904).

- Servant of God Maria Rosa Flesch, German, ne Margherita, foundress of the Congregation of the Franciscan Sisters of Saint Mary of the Angels (1826 - 1906).

- Giuseppina Nicoli, Italian, of the Society of the daughters of Charity (1863 - 1924).

CSS/DECREES/SARAIVA VIS 060428 (530)

[phatcatholic]

hey, that's great :

[blovedwolfofgod]

i dont know what those mean... im a bad catholic...

[Resurrexi]

I wish they would add St. Simon of Trent back on the calendar... he's an awesome saint.

[jezic]

so when these things happen, are they "counted" among those that Pope Benedict has beatified?

If he has a long pontificate he might even best John Paul the Great as he has beatified quite a few already.

[cappie]

Canonization and the emerging Benedict XVI


Of those matters we know anything about (an important qualification when discussing papal activities), Benedict XVI's letter to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints seems to me to be one of the most important things he's done to date. It certainly shows the clearest difference between him and John Paul II to emerge so far. Benedict XVI could have communicated his concerns about the beatification and canonization process in a simple telephone call; instead he wrote a short treatise on the topic. The world was meant to take notice.

John Paul II, both legally and by force of his personality, improved the Church's ability to recognize contemporary examples of holiness. But, by canonizing over 450 saints (more than all the popes since Trent combined) and by beatifying more than 1,300 men and women besides, John Paul's vital message that the "universal call to holiness" (Lumen gentium V) could be lived in modern times was (in the opinion of many) being steadily diluted by an avalanche of names that, with few exceptions, would never be recognized beyond small circles of compatriots.

moreover, most of the examples of those living the universal call to holiness seemed less than universal: while they came from many places around the world, the vast majority of canonizations and beatifications under John Paul II were of clergy and religious; of those laity lifted to the altars, almost all of them were martyrs. But how many examples of how to be a good nun, even in the twentieth century, does one need? Is there really, for all practical purposes, no way for laity to become saints except by martyrdom?

Beyond these pastoral questions, Benedict XVI's letter also communicates some important theological points. I'll mention just one: martyrdom must be carefully distinguished from other instances of religious persecution and murder, even those committed against Christians, by this crucial fact: a martyr accepts death delivered out of hatred for the Faith. A drive-by shooting victim, shot outside of a church because the killer hates Catholics, is not a martyr (for lack of acceptance of the death by the unaware victim). A Catholic priest thrown into a concentration camp because he is a priest, is a victim of religious hatred, but not a martyr (for lack of the witness ending in death). A pious Catholic girl who flees soldiers intent on raping the women of a village, during which flight she is shot, is not a martyr (for lack of the soldier's hatred of the Faith).

Yes, we all know there are a few close cases such as Maximilian Kolbe and Gianna Beretta Molla; a blog is not the place to analyze them. Moreover, note that each of the above examples might well describe a saint (if not a martyr). Finally, bear in mind that once the Church canonizes someone, we have the assurance that they are now with God in Paradise--no matter what procedural rules were being applied at the time.

Nevertheless, Benedict XVI's letter to the Congregation enables us to ask some probing questions about the canonization and beatification process without appearing disrespectful of the worthy goals that John Paul II was, by his lights, trying to serve.

Dr. Edward Peters

[phatcatholic]

is B16's letter online?

[cappie]

[quote name='phatcatholic' post='968848' date='May 3 2006, 09:44 AM']
is B16's letter online?
[/quote]

Only in Italian. [url="http://212.77.1.245/news_services/bulletin/news/18294.php?index=18294&lang=en"]SOURCE[/url]

[Guest echevalier]

Benedict's letter to the participants of the plenary session of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints (dated 24 April 2006) has since become available on the Holy See's website in all the major languages: [url="http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/index.php?s=&showtopic=51501&view=findpost&p=968"]www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/letters/2006/documents/hf_ben-xvi_let_20060424_cause-santi_en.html[/url].