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Miracles & Canonisation

Anome

My whole point is that Anglicans do Canonise. The Church of England may not have done so lately but I dont think they have gotten rid of it. To do so might cause a Schism with the High Churchers heading for Rome. In any case, The Episcopolian Church which is part of the Anglican Communion, has decided to carry on Canonising.

Heres a book I found about Anglican Saints:

Si


Shining lights; six Anglican saints of the 19th century.
by Margaret Cropper

Type: English : Book
Publisher: London, Darton, Longman & Todd [1963]
 
Monday March 13, 2006 7:46 PM


AP Photo NY193

By NICOLE WINFIELD

Associated Press Writer

ROME (AP) - The sudden recovery of a young French nun suffering from Parkinson's disease is at the heart of the sainthood case for Pope John Paul II, the Polish priest who heads the inquiry said Monday.

The Vatican needs to confirm a miracle after John Paul's death for the pontiff to be beatified, the first step toward his possible canonization.

Monsignor Slawomir Oder told The Associated Press in an interview that an official inquiry into the nun's inexplicable recovery was beginning this week.

Sitting in his office in the headquarters of the Diocese of Rome, Oder said the nun had suffered from premature onset of Parkinson's for many years and was unable to do her work caring for newborns because her hands shook so violently.

John Paul himself suffered from the debilitating disease.

After John Paul died on April 2, the woman's superior-general asked all the other sisters in their community in France to pray to the late pope to intervene to help the woman. On June 2, she was cured, Oder said.

``Exactly two months after the death of the pope, from one minute to another, the nun didn't show the symptoms of the illness any more,'' Oder said. ``According to the criteria of human science, the doctor couldn't give an explanation of what happened.''

Late last year, Oder traveled to France to interview the nun, the superior-general and the woman's doctor to determine if the case might be the miracle the Vatican needs to beatify John Paul.

He said when he saw the nun, she was ``perfectly able to do her work without any symptom of what she had before.''

Oder said he would send a formal request this week to the French bishop in whose diocese the alleged miracle occurred asking for an investigation. All testimony and documentation are to sent to the Vatican.

A team of doctors and other experts appointed by the Vatican's Congregation for the Causes of Saints will then determine whether the nun's recovery was indeed miraculous.

Oder declined to identify the nun or give her age, her community, the bishop or the location in France where the alleged miracle occurred to protect her privacy.

Besides the French case, Oder said he planned to request two other investigations into reported miracles, one in South America and the other in Europe.

``It's not a given that this (French) process will succeed,'' he said. ``So it's clear we need to proceed with attention in other cases. There are other signs.''

However, he stressed that the case of the French nun was particularly compelling.

``I saw her. It was a very emotional meeting, but also very calming and reassuring,'' he said, describing the woman and her community as humble and simple and not out to draw attention to themselves.

``I didn't note anything that can sometimes be a risk in these cases, of some desire to be a protagonist, even unknowingly,'' he said.

He said he first learned of the case when the nun's superior sent him a letter describing what happened.

``The description was made with this spirit of simplicity and humility, but the facts described are also very eloquent,'' he said. ``Together you combine these elements, which are necessary and indispensable, to begin to think that we may have a miracle.''

Pope Benedict XVI announced May 13 that he had waived the traditional five-year waiting period and allowed John Paul's beatification cause to begin immediately. He was responding to popular calls, including chants of ``Santo Subito!'' or ``Sainthood Immediately!'' that erupted during John Paul's funeral Mass.

Since then, Oder has been compiling documentation sent by people from around the world testifying about John Paul's virtues - and investigating alleged miracles.

---

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/s ... 55,00.html
 
This story ran on nwitimes.com on Sunday, March 12, 2006 12:07 AM CST



Literally a miracle?

BY ELIZABETH HOLMES
[email protected]
219.462.5151
Phil McCord is a hands-on kind of guy.

"If I can touch it, I can understand it," said the 59-year-old former director of engineering at Porter hospital.

So imagine how perplexed McCord has been for the past several years, as he grappled with something not only intangible but also mystifying: a miracle.

The inexplicable healing of McCord's right eye in 2000 was deemed a miracle by the Archdiocese of Indianapolis in 2003 and a committee of medical experts and theologians in 2005. They attributed the act to Blessed Mother Theodore Guerin, the founder of the Sisters of Providence in Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Ind., where McCord now works.

McCord's eyesight is the second of two miracles needed for Mother Theodore's canonization, effectively clearing her path to sainthood. The only step that remains is Pope Benedict XVI's stamp of approval, which is expected in April.

The developments in the nearly century-long process has elated the Sisters of Providence and left McCord stupefied.

"All I know is the sequences of events that took place and the results," he said, "so I'll let others come to an explanation of it."

McCord, who has described himself as "blind as a bat," wore glasses since the age of 6. His vision grew increasingly worse with age and, in the late 1990s, he developed cataracts in both eyes.

In September of 2000, he had successful surgery on his left eye. A month later, however, he experienced severe complications when the same procedure was done on his right eye.

With extreme swelling and a droopy eyelid, McCord was unable to see from his right eye. His ophthalmologist advised him to consult a specialist in Indianapolis, who said McCord needed a cornea transplant. The diagnosis, with its long recovery time and questionable success rate, frightened McCord.

During a stroll across the grounds in late 2000, McCord wandered into the congregation's chapel. He went not to pray, but to have a conversation with God about his condition.

"As a little tangent, I went on to Mother Theodore," he said. "I just wanted to cover all the bases."

Two weeks later, he returned to his eye specialist feeling optimistic. Much to both the doctor's and McCord's surprise, the astounded doctor told McCord he no longer needed the surgery. An elated McCord returned Terre Haute, where he lives, had a short procedure to remove residual scar tissue and his vision returned.

McCord mentioned his recovery to one of the Sisters of Providence who had a similar eye condition.

"That's a miracle," she said.

"Yes it is," McCord replied -- later adding, "not having the slightest idea of what the implications were."

Although McCord didn't take it seriously, the sisters did. Sister Ann Margaret O'Hara and other nuns -- nearly a century into the canonization process for Mother Theodore -- began the miracle certification process, which required lengthy depositions from McCord's doctors and family members, as well as examinations with doctors unfamiliar to McCord's case.

Mother Theodore's postulator, or the person representing the case to Vatican officials, then took the case to physicians in Rome. After their approval, a panel of theologians conducted their own investigation.

On Feb. 21, the Ordinary Congregation of the Cardinals in Rome declared the act was attributable to Mother Theodore's intercession and therefore qualified as a miracle.

The Sisters of Providence were overjoyed. McCord, however, has wrestled with the "miracle" moniker for years.

"I wasn't cured of cancer or something that major," he said. "There have been so many other things that have happened that are attributable to Mother Theodore. This really didn't seem to rise to that."

After a countless time pondering of "Why me?" and "What does this mean?" McCord followed the advice of a sister who told him to accept it and move on.

"Coming to an acceptance, he said, "has been a long journey."

The Sisters of Providence expect the pope's approval sometime in April, with a canonization ceremony sometime later this fall. If Mother Theodore is confirmed, she will be only the eighth person who has done work primarily in the United States and the first saint from Indiana.

Nuns
 
Relics of Knights of Columbus Saints Make Texas Pilgrimage: Heading to Mission, El Paso After Closing Ceremony in Dallas Today at Noon

3/22/2006 11:17:00 AM


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To: State Desk

Contact: Andrew Walther of the Knights of Columbus, 818-522-2005 or [email protected].

DALLAS, March 22 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The relics of six Knights of Columbus canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2000 began the U.S. portion of their international pilgrimage on Saturday, March 18, at the Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe in Dallas. Thousands have seen the relics while attending the cathedral's Masses -- despite the inclement weather.

The relics have a special Texas connection. One of the saints is Father Pedro de Jesus Maldonado Lucero. He studied and was ordained in El Paso, and then returned to Mexico as a priest where he was killed in 1937.

There are a total of six saint's relics on pilgrimage. Pedro de Jesus Maldonado Lucero, Miguel de la Mora de la Mora, Jose Maria Robles Hurtado, Luis Batiz Sainz, Rodrigo Aguilar Aleman, and Mateo Correa Magallanes were all martyred for their faith by the Mexican government during the religious persecution in Mexico in the 1920s and 1930s.

"This pilgrimage seeks to promote knowledge of and devotion to the Knights of Columbus Priest Martyrs of Mexico and all those who sacrificed their lives for their faith during the Mexican persecution," explained Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson, who attended the opening ceremonies in Dallas.

The relics leave Dallas today after a closing Mass by Bishop Grahmann at Cathedral Guadalupe at noon. The relics will then continue to Mission's Our Lady of Lourdes Church (March 23-24) and El Paso's St. Patrick's Cathedral (March 25-26).

The pilgrimage of the relics began in Mexico City in September 2005, to mark the centennial of the Knights of Columbus in Mexico. From there, the reliquary traveled to cities throughout Mexico. After traveling to several major U.S. cities, the pilgrimage will conclude in Orlando at the Knights of Columbus 124th Supreme Convention in August 2006. Information on the pilgrimage itinerary can be found at http://www.kofc.org/relics.

Relics have long been a part of Catholic devotional practice. Since the days of the Apostles, Christians have preserved and honored the physical remains of men and women recognized as saints. Previous relic pilgrimages have drawn large numbers of the faithful. In 2003, the Knights co-sponsored the journey of a relic of the Tilma of Tepeyac, the cloth that bears the miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which drew more than 150,000 people. That relic drew more than 15,000 people during its brief stop in Dallas.

The Knights of Columbus was founded by Father Michael J. McGivney in New Haven, Conn. in 1882. The Knights of Columbus is now 1.7 million members strong, with more than 12,000 local councils worldwide.

http://www.usnewswire.com/

http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=62753
 
Modern miracles
For many, miracles are distant legends. Others believe they are real events in the here and now. Here radio and TV presenter Roger Bolton recounts his sceptic's attempt to reconcile the two.
I don't think I believe in them, except of course when anyone I love is seriously ill or in danger, in which case I certainly pray for a miracle.

I was brought up in the evangelical protestant Christian tradition which disapproves of the prominence given to the Virgin Mary, dismisses any talk of her appearing to Bernadette in Lourdes, and positively revolts at the suggestion that the sick should go there to be cured.

But when I went to that little town in the French Pyrenees, armed with my scepticism, I was strangely impressed.


BBC NEWS: AUDIO
Listen to Radio 2's Modern Miracles

For a start, few physical miracles are accepted by the Roman Catholic Church as having occurred there - only 67 in the almost 150 years since Bernadette had her visions - and the church has a very rigorous screening process in place to evaluate the thousands of claims that are put forward.

The Church is more concerned with what might be called miracles of the soul, and there is no doubt that for many the pilgrimage to Lourdes is a life-changing experience.


LOURDES
Christianity's most visited place of pilgrimage after Rome
It's the focal point of pilgrimage 6m believers make each year
Many believe that there, miracles happen and that the sick can become well
In 1858, Bernadette said she saw Virgin Mary 18 times

I went there in the off-season, so was spared the mass crowds and perhaps the mass hysteria. What I found was love, compassion and concern.
The Bernadette "snow shakers" could be bought along with other religious tat, but the shops were well away from the true heart of Lourdes.

I have no doubt that many of the sick who go there are uplifted, given the ability to live with their illness and feel part of a community that transcends place, race or time.

Is that a miracle ? Whatever it's called, it is something wonderful.

Mind games

Many people, like Dr Raj Persaud and Uri Geller, think that what we call miracles are simply examples of the power of the mind to command the body.

We still know so little about the way the mind functions that it would be rash indeed to rule out this explanation of what are otherwise inexplicable "cures".


Katie Pring, of Essex, knows what a miracle is - she thinks she's experienced one. Eleven years ago when she was 16, she was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis, a debilitating condition which has no known cure.
"For me it came on very quickly, my mum was sizing up wheelchairs for me because when I got up in the morning I was so stiff I found it very difficult to walk. Everyday things, like turning on the taps, became impossible."

Drugs helped with the pain but soon became ineffective. She turned to her church, and at a healing service, Katie felt her prayers being answered.

"I received prayer on the Sunday morning, and played hockey that afternoon. Prior to receiving prayer, I had barely been able to walk. It had to be a miracle."

Her doctor, unable to explain how she had been instantly transformed back to full health, tried to explain her illness away as a misdiagnosis.

Miracle cure

But what of those who appear to be able to bring about those "miracles" like Damian Stayne, of the Roman Catholic Cor et Lumen Christi organisation?

He is as far from those suspect US televangelists as is possible to get, and he certainly does not make any money from his work.

Yet he is sure that God works through him to cure people and is prepared to open his books to anyone. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, believe they have been cured as a result of his ministry.


I commanded the cancers in the name of Jesus to disappear - two minutes after the prayer, there was no cancer in his mouth
Damian Stayne

At his rallies, he asks God for guidance about what to pray for.
"The Lord may show me that there's a lady here who's being healed of an ear condition, somebody here being cured of a throat condition," he says.

"I was in Australia recently and there was a man who had cancer in his mouth. We asked the people with cancers to stand, and I commanded the cancers in the name of Jesus to disappear. Two minutes after the prayer, there was no cancer in his mouth; it was a perfectly new mouth. His doctor came over and verified the healing. That's slightly challenging if you don't believe in these things, isn't it?"

He does not believe that he has natural healing ability; rather that he is God's vessel.

"I do believe God has given us faculties through which we can enter into divine gifts - gifts like faith, compassion¿ and that can unlock something of the power of God, so God is free to act."

Of course I still have many doubts and questions about the whole thing. For a start there is the obvious question, if God can intervene directly in our lives in such small ways, why doesn't he intervene to stop the Boxing Day tsunami or the concentration camps?

Even believers have no easy answers to that.

And one sceptic told me he would believe in miracles if an amputated leg began to grow back. Why, he wondered, are so many of the cured conditions invisible to the eye?

I have tried to keep an open mind. But just don't ask me what I believe, because I'm still making my mind up.





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Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/m ... 902332.stm

Published: 2006/04/12 10:23:43 GMT

© BBC MMVI
 
Beatifications scheduled for 7 people

May. 01 (CWNews.com) - Pope Benedict XVI (bio - news) has approved plans for the beatification of 7 people in coming weeks, with the first such ceremony coming on April 30. The beatification ceremonies were to be held in several different countries: Italy, India, Holland, Portugal, and Brazil.

On April 28, at an audience with the prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, Cardinal José Saraiva Martins, the Holy Father approved a series of 22 decrees regarding candidates for beatification and canonization. (See the separate CWN news story.) Those decrees opened the way for canonization of 4 candidates and beatification for 57 others, including 54 martyrs; they also recognized the heroic virtue of 8 people. All of those decrees involved priests and religious; none were for laymen.

Archbishop Piero Marini, the head of the Vatican liturgical office, announced on April 29 that the Holy Father has also approved beatification plans for:

Luigi Biraghi Luigi Biraghi (1801-1879) and Luigi Monza (1898-1954), Italian priests, who were beatified on April 30 in Milan. Cardinal Dionigi Tettamanzi (bio - news) presided, with Cardinal José Saraiva Martins, the prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, representing the Pope at the celebration.
Augustin Thevarparampil (1891-1973), an Indian priest, who was beatified the same day in Ramapuram. India. Cardinal Varkey Vithayathil, the Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, presided at the celebration.
Marie-Thérèse de saint Joseph (1855-1938), known in secular life as Anne-Marie Tauscher van den Bosch, who will be beatified in Roermond, Holland, on May 13.
Marie de la Passion de notre Seigneur Jésus-Christ (1866-1912), known in secular life as Maria Grazia Tarallo, who will be beatified in Naples on May 14.
Rita Amada de Jesus (1848-1913), or Rita Lopes De Almeida, who will be beatified on May 28 at Viseu, Portugal. Prior to the death of Pope John Paul II (bio - news), this beatification had been scheduled to take place in Rome, with the Pontiff presiding. The Vatican had set the date for the ceremony on May 28. But on that day, Pope Benedict will be traveling in Poland. In any case the new Pope indicated, soon after his election, that he would no longer lead beatification ceremonies.
Eustaquio Van Lieshout (1890-1943), a Dutch missionary priest, who will be beatified on June 15 in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=43882
 
French nun recounts miracle healing by John Paul II

May. 16 (CWNews.com) - The French nun who was healed of Parkinson's disease, in a reported miracle attributed to the influence of Pope John Paul II (bio - news), has told the story of her recovery.


The nun, whose full identity has not been disclosed, recovered fully from what had appeared to be terminal illness in May 2005, shortly after the death of the Polish Pontiff, when the members of her community prayed for his assistance. She told her story to Totus Tuus, a periodical founded to track the cause for the late Pope's beatification.

http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=44183
 
Canonizations to be scheduled for 4 new saints

Vatican, Jun. 23 (CWNews.com) - The Vatican's office of liturgical celebrations has announced a consistory, to be held on July 1, at which Pope Benedict XVI (bio - news) will approve dates for the canonization of four new saints.

One of the four to be canonized is the Mexican Bishop Rafael Guizar Valencia, the great-uncle of Father Marcial Maciel Degollado, founder of the Legionaries of Christ. Father Maciel was recently removed from public ministry after a Vatican investigation of sex-abuse accusations against him. The July 1 ceremony at the Vatican will be an "ordinary public consistory," with all the cardinals present in Rome invited to attend. At the event, the Pope is expected to approve plans submitted by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints for the canonization of the four candidates. At a previous consistory on April 28, the Holy Father had approved decrees attesting to miracles performed through the intercession of each candidate, thus clearing the way for canonization.

The four new saints to be canonized are:

Blessed Rafael Guizar Valencia (1878-1938), who headed the Diocese of Veracruz, whose cause had been enthusiastically championed by Father Maciel. The founder of the Legionaries has also energetically promoted the cause of his own mother, Maura Degollado Guizar, a niece of Bishop Guizar.
Filippo Smaldone (1848-1923), an Italian priest and founder of the Salesian Sisters of the Sacred Heart.
Rosa Venerini (1656- 1728), an Italian religious and founder of the Congregation of the Maestre Pie Venerini.
Theodora Guerin (1798- 1856), the French-born founder of the American order of Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary of the Woods.
When the dates of the ceremonies are announced, they will be entered on the Pope's calendar of public liturgical ceremonies. Although he has established a policy of not presiding at beatifications, Pope Benedict has made it clear that he will preside at canonization ceremonies.

http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=44935
 
I read in the paper today that Margaret Sinclair may be canonised due to a miracle attrributed to her after one of her relics cured a premature baby when placed in the infant's incubator. However, I can find nothing online about this, not even on the paper's website.
 
El Paso native will be considered for sainthood

Paperwork claiming late archbishop performed miracle is sent to Rome


Monday, July 24, 2006

By MICHAEL MILLER

of the Journal Star

PEORIA - Copies of a report on an alleged miracle that took place in 1999 through the intercession of the late Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen were signed and sealed Sunday by Roman Catholic Church officials.
The 500-page report and supporting documents will now be delivered to Rome by canon lawyer Andrea Ambrosi, postulator of the cause to have Sheen recognized as a saint. There, Ambrosi will argue to a Vatican panel that this case and another being prepared in the Diocese of Pittsburgh are evidence of Sheen's sainthood.

Sheen, who was born in the Woodford County town of El Paso in 1895 and ordained in the Diocese of Peoria in 1909, went on to become a celebrity through his television programs in the 1950s and 1960s explaining the Catholic faith. He died on Dec. 9, 1979.

The effort to have him recognized as a saint was officially started in 2003.

The case that was investigated and sent off to Rome on Sunday occurred in 1999. A Champaign woman then 72 years old was undergoing lung surgery when a tear was discovered in her main pulmonary artery, according to the Archbishop Fulton John Sheen Foundation. The woman's husband told investigators he prayed for his wife's recovery "continually invoking Bishop Sheen."

The woman, who is still alive, survived the surgery and "suffered no later ill effects from the tear."

Details of the case were not given out, though they will later be made public when Ambrosi argues in support of the case before a tribunal in Rome. Fourteen witnesses, including doctors and family members, were interviewed.

Several documents finalizing the investigation were signed at a ceremony Sunday by Ambrosi and diocesan officials, including vicar general Monsignor Paul Showalter and Monsignor Richard Soseman, who is heading up the Sheen effort for the Diocese of Peoria. Two of the case's three copies and supporting documents were boxed up, with a letter identifying the contents glued to the top and red ribbon tied around the container. The box, ribbon and letter were then sealed together in wax by Showalter as several members of the Sheen family looked on.

The other copy will remain in Peoria.

With Soseman translating, Ambrosi said he thought the case was a good one.

The canon lawyer, who has worked on hundreds of sainthood causes including Pope John XXIII's, also said it is "very early" in such an effort to have two claims of miracles already.

There are still several more steps that have to be taken before Sheen can be recognized as a saint, however, including beatification by the Catholic Church and further investigation of how holy his life was.

The Rev. Andrew Apostoli, vice postulator of the Sheen cause who lives in New York, said he knows of at least four other claims of miraculous intercession by Sheen.

Showalter was moved by the significance of the ceremony, held in the Sheen Pastoral Center.

"You think of the long history of the church and of saints and the fact this is being done in the Diocese of Peoria," he said. "It's special and kind of unbelievable that we're able to be part of a rich tradition like this."


Michael Miller can be reached at 686-3106 or [email protected].

http://www.pjstar.com/stories/072406/TR ... .041.shtml
 
‘Miracles’ boost support for MacKillop sainthood
"drowned boy restored to life'
By MARILYN RODRIGUES
20/08/2006

‘GREAT FAVOURS’: Sophie Delezio’s survival and her parents’ prayers have led to many reports of ‘great favours’ after prayers for Bl Mary MacKillop’s intercession, says Sr Maria Casey.
A little boy who drowned but regained consciousness after his mother prayed for the intercession of the Blessed Mary MacKillop may be the second miracle needed for her to become Australia’s first saint.

It is one of several instances of “great favours” people have reported after petitions to Blessed Mary.

Sr Maria Casey, vice postulator for Bl Mary MacKillop’s cause for canonisation, says that recent media reports around crash survivor Sophie Delezio and her parents’ prayers to the unofficial saint had an unexpected effect.

“Since then I’ve had several other people call in to talk about great favours they have received,” she said.

“They are great favours to those people but we won’t know until they are investigated whether they meet the Vatican’s criteria, and the criteria are quite strict.”

High on the list of “great favours” is that of the little boy found at the bottom of a pool and pronounced dead by paramedics, who regained consciousness in his mother’s arms after she prayed for the intercession of Mary MacKillop.

It may not meet the requirement of the second miracle needed for Mary MacKillop to be made a saint if doctors find it was possible he was in a very deep coma, says Sr Casey.

“But that doesn’t take away from the fact that it was a great favour for that family,” she adds.

Another caller reported a child with acute leukaemia who was not expected to live but recovered, it is believed, through Mary MacKillop’s intercession.

Sydney Bishop David Cremin says hopes are high that a second miracle can be found in time for Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to Sydney for World Youth Day in 2008.

For a cure to be found miraculous a panel of doctors must find that the person’s recovery goes beyond scientific and medical explanation and was outside the normal healing time frame.

The case is then scrutinised by a formal tribunal in the diocese in which the cure occurred, before a panel of theologians and a panel of doctors in Rome make the final verdict.

Two cases are under investigation which may meet the requirements for canonisation. One is a woman cured of inoperable cancer who remains well after 10 years, and another of a boy with multiple sclerosis and lymphoma who is now recovering.

The latter is a “very complicated and complex case”, says Sr Casey.

“I’ve been told there’s no case reported in the medical literature of a child having these two diseases and not dying”.

“But there are difficulties with each case that we are trying to resolve. For example, that child had quite a lot of treatment, and we have to determine (for example) whether the treatment treated all the symptoms but not the actual disease.”

www.catholicweekly.com.au/print.php?art ... s=National
 
Preliminary beatification inquiry nears completion of John Paul I

Aug. 18 (CWNews.com) - The first stage of the cause for beatification of Pope John Paul I will be concluded in November, according to the vice-postulator for that cause.

Msgr. Giorgio Lise told Vatican Radio that an investigation in the Venice archdiocese is nearing its conclusion, and the results will be forwarded to the Vatican in the autumn, for further study by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. Witnesses regarding the life of Pope John Paul I have been heard in Rome and in Vittorio Veneto as well as Venice.

Cardinal Albino Luciani was the Bishop of Vittorio Veneto and then Patriarch of Venice before he was elected as Sovereign Pontiff in 1978. He died after less than a month as Pope. Then anniversary of his papal election will be observed in Rome on August 26.

http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=45958
 
If he plays his cards right, one day, do you think he might make it to Postulator ?
 
Catholic Church to beatify Hungarian nun who saved Jews in World War II


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
, THE JERUSALEM POST Sep. 4, 2006

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A Hungarian nun who helped saved the lives of dozens of Jews during World War II will be beatified by the Catholic Church, officials said Monday.

Sara Salkahazi was killed by the Arrow Cross - the Hungarian allies of the Nazis - on December 27, 1944 for hiding Jews in a Budapest building used by her religious order, the Sisters of Social Service.

Salkahazi was taken along with several other occupants of the home and shot, their bodies falling into the Danube River and never recovered.

The beatification rite will take place September 17 at Budapest's St. Stephen Basilica.

"Sara Salkahazi heroically exercised her love of humanity stemming from her Christian faith," said Cardinal Peter Erdo, who will celebrate the beatification mass. "This is for what she gave her life."

Salkahazi was born in the city of Kassa in 1899, at the time in Hungary but now known as Kosice and part of Slovakia.

The beatification will be the first in Hungary since 1083, when Hungary's first king, St. Stephen, was beatified along with his son, St. Imre, and St. Gellert, an Italian bishop who had a key role in converting Hungarians to Christianity.

Changes introduced by Pope Benedict XVI again allow beatification rites to be held around the world, instead of just in the Vatican, as was the norm for centuries.

Church officials highlighted Salkahazi's modest middle-class roots, saying she will be first Hungarian to be beatified who is not royalty or a member of the country's aristocracy.

Before taking her religious vows in 1930, Salkahazi worked as a bookbinder, journalist and newspaper editor.

Salkahazi's deeds were recognized in 1972 by Yad Vashem.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1154526001018&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull
 
4 to be canonized, 3 beatified in October

Sep. 25 (CWNews.com) - The Vatican's office of liturgical celebrations has released a schedule of major ceremonies for the month of October. The calendar lists only two public liturgical celebrations for Pope Benedict XVI (bio - news), as well as three beatifications at which other prelates will preside.

On October 15, the Pope will preside at the canonization of four new saints: Rafael Guizar Valencia (1878- 1938), a Mexican priest and great-uncle of Father Marcial Maciel, founder of the Legionaries of Christ; Filippo Smaldone (1848- 1923), an Italian priest; Rosa Venerini (1656- 1728), an Italian nun; and Theodora Guérin (1798- 1858), the French-born founder of the American order of Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary of the Woods. This will be the second canonization ceremony of this pontificate.

On October 19, the Pope will celebrate Mass in the Bentegodi Stadium in Verona, Italy, for the participants in Italy's 4th National Ecclesial Congress.

The beatifications scheduled for October are for:

Maria Teresa di Gesu (1825- 1889), born Maria Scrilli, the Italian founder of the Sisters of Our Lady of Carmel, with ceremonies to be held in Fiesole, Italy, on October 8;
Margariat Maria Lopez de Maturana (1884- 1934), the Spanish founder of the Missionary Sisters of Mercy, with ceremonies on October 22 in Bilbao, Spain; and
Paul Josef Nardini (1821- 1862), a German diocesan priest, with ceremonies in Speyer, Germany on October 29.

http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=46703
 
Cause advancing for beatification of Pope John Paul I

Rome, Sep. 25 (CWNews.com) - The diocesan investigation into the cause for beatification of Pope John Paul I is nearing its conclusion, 28 years after the death of "the smiling Pope."

Thursday, September 28 will mark the anniversary of the sudden death of Pope John Paul I, who had succeeded Pope Paul VI just 33 days earlier. According to an official responsible for the cause, the diocesan inquiry will come to an end within a few more weeks.

Ordinarily, the local investigation of a cause for beatification begins in the diocese where the candidate died. But in this case, for a variety of reasons-- including the fact that Pope John Paul I had spent so little time as Bishop of Rome-- the inquiry was begun in the Belluno diocese, where Albino Luciani was born in 1912. According to Msgr. Giorgio Lise, a vice-postulator for the cause, the diocesan inquiry is likely to conclude by the feast of St. Martin, the patron of the Belluno diocese, on November 11.

In three years of work, the diocesan investigation has heard from 170 witnesses, and compiled a large body of documentation which can now be referred to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. Msgr. Lise disclosed that the investigation has also taken evidence regarding a reported miracle, attributed to the intercession of the late Pontiff; the results of that investigation too could be forwarded to Rome.

To mark the anniversary of the Pontiff's death, a delegation from the Belluno diocese will visit Rome, and Bishop Giuseppe Andrich will preside at a Mass in St. Peter's basilica on September 28. The pilgrims from Belluno will attend the Pope's audience on Wednesday, Septemberr 27-- very likely drawing some recognition from the Pope.

Cardinal Albino Luciani was elected as Roman Pontiff on August 26, 1978. Although many observers had predicted a long conclave, the Patriarch of Venice was chosen on the 4th ballot. In a typical display of humility he chose a name that combined those of his two immediate predecessors: Paul VI and John XXIII. But Pope John Paul I was not to hold the chair of St. Peter for long; on September 28 he died in bed of a heart attack. The sudden and unexpected death of a Pope who had quickly won the hearts of the Roman public led to a series of conspiracy theories, which flourish to this day despite the absence of supporting evidence.

One 20th-century Pontiff, Pius X (1903- 1914), has already been canonized, and one other, John XXIII (1958- 1963) beatified. The cause for beatification of Pope Pius XII (1939- 1958) appears to be temporarily stalled by political controversy over his role in World War II. That of Pope Paul VI (1963- 1978) is now being studied by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. And that of Pope John Paul II (bio - news), opened in June 2005, is advancing rapidly.

http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=46696
 
SAIPANTRIBUNE.COM
Thursday October 5, 2006 Volume 16 Issue 279


Mercedarian Missionaries' founder to be beatified

Thursday, October 05, 2006

Venerable Mother Margarita Maria Lopez de Maturana, founder of the Order of the Mercedarian Missionaries of Berriz, will be beatified on Oct. 22, 2006 in her hometown of Bilbao, Spain.

A contingent of the faithful from the Diocese of Chalan Kanoa led by its spiritual pastor, Bishop Tomas A. Camacho, D.D., will be leaving for Spain in mid-October to attend the beatification process and to join in the festivities.

Representative groups from Guam, Micronesia, and other parts of the world where this once cloistered nun-turned-missionary had established numerous religious houses on various islands and continents will also be present at this solemn and festive occasion.

Included in this pilgrimage is Sr. Remedios Castro, MMB, the most senior of the Mercedarian Sisters on Saipan. At age 90, she rivals the excitement and glee of any nine-year-old youngster going on a trip. When asked about this pilgrimage, she responded with a wide grin on her face, "I am overjoyed because once again I get to visit Spain and to witness the beatification of our Mother Foundress whom I have had the honor of meeting in person as a young woman!"

She then sang the welcome song that she and her classmates had sung to Mother Margarita in Spanish when she first set foot on Saipan on November 2, 1928, eight months after the arrival of the first batch of Mercedarian missionary sisters to this island.

Steps to Sainthood

Canonization is the process by which the Catholic Church proclaims a deceased person to be a "saint," and therefore worthy of veneration by the faithful. The process involves a three-step procedure, with traditional honorary titles being given to the person at each phase. Such titles begin with "Venerable" to "Blessed" and ending with "Saint."

In the initial process, and before a person is bestowed the first title of "Venerable," a petitioner must first write to the local bishop introducing the cause for why the subject person should be canonized. The bishop then assigns someone who is an expert in theological, canonical, and other matters. The postulator investigates the life, deeds, and writings of the person. After lengthy questioning and consultations with experts (medical and others), verification of witnesses and alleged miracles, etc., all findings are then documented and compiled in "The Acts of the Cause." This document is then forwarded to the Congregation for Causes of Saints in Rome for ultimate review and action.

"Venerable" is a title given by the Catholic Church to a deceased person at the conclusion of an investigation into the person's life, writings, and holiness. It is the first step in the canonization process in which the person is declared to have lived an exemplary life worthy of reverence and respect.

In the case of Mother Margarita, these processes began on July 30, 1943. The Diocesan Informative Process for her cause of canonization was initiated in the Diocese of Vitoria, Spain. Forty-four years later, on March 16, 1987, the title of "Venerable" was conferred on Mother Margarita by the late pope, Pope John Paul II.

Beatification-the second step-is the process which a deceased person, proven to have lived a life of heroic virtues, is declared to be one of the "blessed," and therefore is worthy of public religious honor. Appropriately, the honorary title to be bestowed on the person at this stage would be that of "Blessed."

In December of 2005, the Vatican gave its approval for the Cause of Beatification for Mother Margarita Maturana. This means that Venerable Mother Margarita, at her official beatification on Oct. 22, in Bilbao at the Cathedral del Senor Santiago, will have reached the second phase of her canonization process and will henceforth be addressed as "Blessed" Mother Margarita Maria Lopez de Maturana.

As she had lived.

It is not by coincidence that Mother Margarita's beatification falls on World Mission Sunday. After all, it was the "dream" of being a missionary that had engulfed her entire being. It was this "dream" which had given her the missionary vision and the courage to change her lifestyle from the cloistered contemplative to the active, world traveler missionary that she was.

The presence of the Sisters of the Mercedarian Missionaries of Berriz here in the Marianas particularly, as well as in other parts of the world, stands as a strong testament to the missionary zeal and spirit of Mother Margarita.

In her very own words: "To make Jesus Christ known to all peoples and races, even to the ends of the earth." This was her life's focus. This also is what she had desired in death. (Jess R. A. Sonoda)


http://www.saipantribune.com/newsstory. ... wsID=61687
 
Canonization for 4 new saints on Sunday

Oct. 10 (CWNews.com) - Pope Benedict XVI (bio - news) will preside at canonization ceremonies, for the second time in his pontificate, on Sunday, October 15.

The four new saints who will be canonized are:

Blessed Theodore Guerin (1798- 1858), the French-born founder of the American Sisters of Providence of St. Mary of the Woods;
Blessed Rafael Guizar Valencia (1878 - 1938), the Bishop of Veracruz/Jalapa, Mexico;
Blessed Filippo Smaldone (1848-1923), an Italian diocesan priest and founder of the Salesian Sisters of the Sacred Heart; and
Blessed Rosa Venerini (1656 - 1728), the founder of the Maestre Pie Venerini.
The canonization ceremony will be held in St. Peter's Square, beginning at 10 on Sunday morning.

Blessed Theodore Guerin was born in Brittany, and entered the Sisters of Providence in 1823. In 1840, she and five other nuns traveled to America, setting up a community in the Indiana frontier to work in schools and orphanages. Today the congregation has 500 members, in the US and in China, Taiwan, and the Philippines. She was beatified by Pope John Paul II (bio - news) in 1998.

Blessed Rafael Guizar Valencia was ordained to the priesthood in 1901, at the age of only 21. He was a theology teacher and spiritual director in the Zamora diocesan seminary, and became known for his care for condemned men and their families during the Mexican Revolution. In 1919 he was named Bishop of Veracruz, remaining in that post until his death-- although religious persecution repeatedly forced him into exile, in the US, Guatemala, Colombia, and Cuba. He is the uncle of Father Marcial Maciel, the founder of the Legionaries of Christ, who pushed energetically for his canonization. Blessed Rafael Guizar was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1995.

Blessed Filippo Smaldone was born in Naples, and co-founded the Salesian Sisters of the Sacred Heart, a congregation specializing in education of the deaf, in 1885. Later he also founded a group devoted to Eucharistic adoration. She was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1996.

Blessed Rosa Venerini was born in Viterbo, Italy. Founding a teaching order, in 1685 she opened the first public school for women in Italy. She went on to establish a number of schools in the Montefiascone diocese. She was beatified by Pope Pius XII in 1952.

http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=47000
 
Four new saints canonized

Vatican, Oct. 16 (CWNews.com) - Pope Benedict XVI (bio - news) presided on October 15 at the canonization of four new saints: Sts. Theodore Guerin, Rafael Guizar Valencia, Filippo Smaldone, and Rosa Venerini.

In his homily during the Mass celebrated in St. Peter's Square, the Holy Father referred to the day's Gospel reading, about the rich young man who declined to follow Christ. "If a man looks for security in the riches of the world, he will not find the full sense of life or real joy," the Pontiff remarked. On the other hand, he said, "a saint is the man or woman who, responding with joy and generosity to Christ's call, leaves everything to follow Him."

Commenting on the example set by each new saint in turn, the Pope emphasized their common commitment to help the poor.

St. Rafael Guizar Valencia (1878- 1938) was a Mexican "bishop of the poor," the Pope said. He mentioned the new saint's keen attention to the training of seminarians and the preaching of popular missions.

St. Filippo Smaldone (1848-1923), the founder of the Institute of the Salesian Sisters of the Sacred Hearts, was "a witness to and servant of charity which he displayed magnificently in serving the poor," the Pope continued.

St. Rosa Venerini (1656-1728), the foundress of the Maesre Pie Venerini, "did not content herself with giving girls an adequate education, but made it her concern to ensure them a complete formation, with concrete reference to the doctrinal teaching of the Church."

And St. Theodore Guerin (1798-1856), the French-born founder of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary of the Woods, "was always ready for the missions the Church asked of her," devoting herself utterly to the training of children in Indiana.

The Sunday ritual was the second canonization ceremony at which Pope Benedict has presided, involving 9 new saints. Pope John Paul II (bio - news), in his 26-year pontificate, canonized 483 saints.



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http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=47096
 
85 candidates move toward canonization, beatification

Vatican, Dec. 18, 2006 (CWNews.com) - On December 16, Pope Benedict XVI (bio - news) approved a series of decrees by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, clearing the way for the canonization of 8 people and the beatification of 73 others.

Cardinal José Saraiva Martins, the president of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, announced the eight decrees that attest to the validity of miracles, eight others recognizing martyrs, and four proclaiming the “heroic virtue” of candidates for beatification.

In four cases, the decrees attest to miracles performed through the intercession of candidates who have already been beatified, and are thus eligible for canonization:

Blessed Szymon of Lipnica (1439- 1482), a Polish priest;
Blessed Antonio de Santa Ana (1739- 1822), known in secular life as Antonio Galvao de Franca, a Brazilian priest;
Blessed Charles of St. Andrew (1821- 1893), knokwn in secular life as Johannes Andreas Houben, a Dutch priest; and
Blessed Marie Eugenie de Jesus (1817-1898), known in secular life as Anne-Eugenie Milleret de Brou, a French nun.
In four other cases, the decrees attest to miracles performed through the intercession of candidates who are now eligible for beatification:

Carlo Liviero (1866-1932), an Italian bishop;
Stanislaus of Jesus Mary (1631-1701), known in secular life as Jana Papczynski, a Polish priest;
Celina Chludzinska (1833-1913), a Polish woman who entered religious life after her husband’s death; and
Marie Celine of the Presentation (1878-1897), known in secular life as Jeanne-Germaine Castang, a French nun.
Eight more decrees attested to the martyrdom of a total of 73 people-- most of them victims of the religious persecution at the time of the Spanish Civil War-- who are also now eligible for beatification:

Manuel Gomez Gonzalez, a Spanish priest, and Adilio Daronch, a Brazilian layman, both killed in Brazil in 1924;
Albertina Berkenbrock, a Brazilian, lay woman, killed in 1931;
Eufrasio of the Baby Jesus (né Eufrasio Barredo Fernandez), a Spanish Carmelit priest, killed in 1934;
Lorenzo, Virgilio and 44 companions of Marist Brothers in Spain, killed in 1936;
Enrique Izquierdo Palacios and 13 companions of the Spanish Dominicans, killed in 1936;
Ovidio Beltran, Hermenegildo Lorenzo, Luciano Pablo, Estanislao Victor, and Lorenzo Santiago, members of the Institute of Brothers of the Christian Schools, and Jose Maria Canovas Martinez, Spanish, a lay parish aide, killed in Spain in 1936;
Maria del Carmen and Rosa and Magdalena Fradera Ferragutcasas, Spanish religious, killed in 1936; and
Lindalva Justo de Oliviera, a Brazilian nun, killed in 1993.
Four decrees attested to the heroic virtue that marked the lives of four candidates, who may now be beatified if a miracle is attributed to their intercession. They are:

Mamerto Esquiu (1826-1883) an Argentine Franciscan and bishop;Salvatore Micalizzi (1856-1937), an Italian priest;
José Olallo Valdes (1820-1889), a Cuban religious; and
Stefan Kaszap (1916-1935), a Hungarian Jesuit novice.


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http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=48259
 
First I've heard of this guy.

Dublin to get a new saint when pope canonizes Dutchman Fri Feb 23, 6:53 PM ET



Dublin will get a new saint in June when Pope Benedict XVI canonizes a Dutch priest who became a much-loved figure in the Irish capital, the city's archdiocese said Friday.

Blessed Charles of Mount Argus, who was born John Andrew Houben in Mustergleeen, the Netherlands, in 1821, joined the Passionist order aged 19.

He was the fourth of eleven children born to Peter and Johanna Houben.

Dublin's Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, who warmly welcomed the news, said Blessed Charles was a much loved figure in the city and around Ireland for his devotion to the sick and healing.

He joined the Passionists at Ere, near Tournai in Belgium. He was first transferred to England and then Mount Argus just as the Passionist monastery was being founded in the south Dublin suburb of Harold's Cross.

"He grew to love Dublin and its people and spent his time working with the ill and dying in the community," Martin said.

"Irish people travelled from all over the country to meet Blessed Charles when word of his tremendous healing power spread.

"His funeral in January 1893 drew thousands of people to Mount Argus, where he lay in state for five days," Martin said.

Blessed Charles's remains were moved to a shrine in the Mount Argus church in 1949. Nowadays, people still regularly visit his relics in Harold's Cross.

The adopted Dubliner will be canonized on June 3.

Dublin Dutch
 
Future saint?
Diocesan Tribunal explores miracle attributed to Fr. Mazzuchelli
By Mary C. Uhler
CATHOLIC HERALD STAFF

MADISON -- Will we eventually have a saint who lived and worked in the Diocese of Madison?

That could happen depending on the outcome of a process set in motion on February 20. Bishop Robert C. Morlino issued a decree constituting a diocesan Board of Inquiry to examine a "presumed miraculous cure" attributed to Venerable Samuel Mazzuchelli, O.P.

Bishop Morlino named Fr. Kevin D. Holmes as judge delegate in charge of the proceedings. He also appointed five other persons as members of the tribunal: Msgr. Michael E. Hippee, promoter of justice; Dr. Richard M. Carr, a medical doctor for the inquiry; Grant R. Emmel, notary; Carolyn J. Fangmeier, first vice-notary; and David R. J. Stiennon, second vice-notary.

Tribunal convened
The tribunal was convened on February 20 at the Bishop O'Connor Catholic Pastoral Center in Madison. Each member took an oath to fulfill their duties and maintain secrecy.

Bishop Morlino told the tribunal members, "This is a very serious moment, because the truth of what we're about to investigate matters for the whole Church. If all goes well, it will lead to an infallible proclamation of the pope."

If Father Mazzuchelli is eventually declared a saint, this could bear fruit for our diocese, said the bishop. It would especially inspire vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life.

"I have the greatest enthusiasm," said Bishop Morlino. "I feel confident that the Lord will bring our efforts here to a good conclusion."

Life of Fr. Mazzuchelli
After thanking the tribunal for their willingness to serve, Bishop Morlino gave a synopsis of the life of Samuel Mazzuchelli.

In 1828, the young Mazzuchelli - just 21 years old, a Dominican friar not yet a priest - left his native Italy to labor as a missionary in the United States. Not even knowing how to speak English, he came in response to an appeal that he heard from Bishop Fenwick of Cincinnati.

After further studies and ordination, Father Mazzuchelli was sent to Mackinac Island on the northwestern frontier of the Diocese of Cincinnati as the only priest to serve an area larger than Italy.

Father Mazzuchelli spent most of his remaining years working tirelessly to build up the Church in southwestern Wisconsin and the adjacent parts of Iowa and Illinois. He established more than 30 parishes and designed and built more than 20 church buildings, along with a number of civic buildings for his pioneer territory. He also founded the congregation of Dominican Sisters, whose motherhouse remains at Sinsinawa.

The outstanding virtues and heroic labors of Father Mazzuchelli were never forgotten by the people of this area nor by the Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters.

Cause for canonization
His cause for canonization was formally opened in 1964. After an exhaustive investigation of the facts of his life and his surviving writings, Father Mazzuchelli was declared a Servant of God - honored with the title "Venerable" - on July 6, 1993.

Before he can become "Blessed," the Church waits for his sanctity to be proven by testimony in the form of miraculous favors granted through his intercession.

Fr. Vito Gomez, a Dominican who is postulator of the Cause of Venerable Samuel Mazzuchelli, has named Sr. Mary Paynter, a Sinsinawa Dominican, as vice-postulator for the cause. Sister Mary asked that a diocesan inquiry be convened to examine whether a miraculous cure was granted to a Madison man through the intercession of Father Mazzuchelli.

She presented the summary of the case to Bishop Morlino, who granted her request to establish the tribunal. A list of people to give testimony was presented, including family members and doctors.

The tribunal will meet March 9 to begin hearing testimony. The testimony will be collected and reported to the bishop to ensure that the norms for the process are observed. The results of the inquiry will then be sent to Rome.

http://www.madisoncatholicherald.org/20 ... ate.html#1
 
French "miracle" nun to attend Mass for cause of John Paul II

Rome, Mar. 28, 2007 (CWNews.com) - A French nun who was cured of Parkinson's disease after prayers for the intercession of Pope John Paul II (bio - news) will be in Rome on April 2 for ceremonies concluding the first phase of the cause for the late Pope's beatification.

The case of the French nun is being studied by Church officials as a possible miracle that could fulfill a requirement for the beatification of Pope John Paul.

Church officials have not disclosed the identity of the French religious, beyond saying that she is 45 years old, lives near Lyon, and works in a hospital. She had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease-- from which John Paul himself suffered-- in 2001. By 2005 her symptoms had become acute, with her entire body becoming increasingly rigid and her left hand trembling badly.

Exactly two months after the Pope's death, after she and other members of her community had prayed for his intercession, the nun reported: "I woke up at 4:30 in the morning, amazed that I had been able to sleep. I jumped straight out of bed, because my body was no longer rigid and painful. I was not the same as before." A physical examination showed no remaining signs of the disease.

Msgr. Slawomir Oder, the postulator for the cause of beatification for Pope John Paul, disclosed that the French nun would be in Rome this weekend. She will attend that April 2 Mass in the basilica of St. John Lateran at which the Rome diocese will formally close the first stage of the late Pope's cause. Church officials have not indicated whether the identity of the French religious will be disclosed at that time.

http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=50166
 
Ah! Shes been named.

Nun in Late Pope's Beatification Named

Wednesday March 28, 2007 10:31 PM


By PHILIPPE SOTTO

Associated Press Writer

PARIS (AP) - Sister Marie-Simon-Pierre is the French nun whose testimony of a mystery cure from Parkinson's disease will likely be accepted as the miracle the Vatican needs to beatify Pope John Paul II, an official at the Paris maternity hospital where she works said Wednesday.

The identity of the nun has been one of the Catholic Church's most closely guarded secrets. The nun says that she was cured of Parkinson's after she and her community of nuns prayed to John Paul.

The nun, a member of the ``Congregation of Little Sisters of Catholic Motherhood'' in Aix-en-Provence in southeast France, works at the Sainte-Felicite hospital in Paris, the official said on condition of anonymity because an official announcement was expected Sunday.

In Rome, Monsignor Slawomir Oder, the Polish cleric spearheading the John Paul's beatification cause, said the bishop in the woman's diocese would announce details about her case during his Palm Sunday Mass this weekend.

French newspaper Le Figaro, in an unsourced report late Wednesday on its Web site, first identified the nun by name, saying she was 45 years old.

The nun is traveling to Rome for ceremonies Monday marking the second anniversary of the pontiff's death and the closure of a church investigation into his life which began after chants of ``Santo Subito!'' or ``Sainthood Now!'' erupted during John Paul's 2005 funeral.

The Vatican's saint-making process requires that John Paul's life and writings be studied for its virtues. The Vatican also requires that a miracle attributed to his intercession be confirmed, before he can be beatified - the last formal step before possible sainthood.

Pope Benedict XVI announced in May 2005 that he was waiving the traditional five-year waiting period and allowing the beatification process to begin. There is still no word on when any beatification or canonization might occur.

Only one document about the long-mysterious nun's experience has been made public: an article she wrote for ``Totus Tuus,'' the official magazine of John Paul's beatification case.

She wrote of being diagnosed with Parkinson's in June 2001, having a strong spiritual affinity for John Paul because he too suffered from the disease and suffering worsened symptoms in the weeks after the pope died on April 2, 2005.

The nuns of her community prayed for her, and exactly two months after the pontiff's death, she awoke in the middle of the night cured, she wrote.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/s ... 85,00.html
 
Pope proclaims first Brazilian saint

Sao Paulo, May. 11, 2007 (CWNews.com) - Pope Benedict XVI (bio - news) canonized Brazil's first native-born saint on May 11, in solemn ceremonies attended by nearly 1 million people at an airfield outside Sao Paolo.

St. Antonio de Santa Ana Galvao (1739- 1822) became famous during his lifetime both for his deep faith and for his association with extraordinary healings. The Franciscan friar made a habit of handing out small "pills" consisting of rice paper inscribed with prayers, and these pills, which are still made by Brazilian nuns today, have been credited by the faithful with thousands of miracle cures. The first cure attributed to Frei Galvao involved a woman whose life was threatened by a difficult childbirth, and consequently he is revered as a special patron of pregnant women.

During the Mass at which he canonized the Brazilian friar, Pope Benedict said that today's world "needs transparent lives, clear souls, pure minds" patterned after the example set by Frei Galvao. Christians, he said, must resist the temptation to think of their lives as "mere objects of pleasure."

Expanding on that theme, the Holy Father told the people of Brazil to reject the appeals of hedonism, and the temptations offered by material comfort and pleasure. He urged Christians to strengthen the bonds of their families, in order to counteract the images put forward by the mass media, which denigrate marital fidelity and encourage sexual license. Pope Benedict also said that Christian charity requires believers to be prudent stewards, safeguarding the natural resources of the earth.

Frei Galvao is the 10th saint proclaimed by Benedict XVI since his election to the papacy in April 2005. The Thursday-morning ceremony marked the first time that the current Pontiff has presided at a canonization outside the Vatican.

Tens of thousands of people gathered on the Campo de Marte airfield on Thursday evening, camping out on the open ground in order to attend the canonization, despite unseasonable cold weather.

http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=51093
 
Halt beatification process for Pius XII, ADL urges

Rome, May. 11, 2007 (CWNews.com) - The Jewish Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has urged the Vatican to suspend the process leading to the beatification of Pope Pius XII, and open the Vatican's secret archives covering the period of World War II before proceeding with his cause.

Responding to the news that the Congregation for the Causes of Saints has approved a decree finding "heroic virtue" in the life of the wartime Pontiff, the ADL called for a pause in the proceedings "for the sake of historical truth and the deepening friendship between the Catholic Church and the Jewish people."

Before proceeding toward beatification of Pius XII, said Abraham Foxman, the ADL's national director, the Vatican should allow independent scholars to determine "what Pius XII did or did not do to help save Jews during the Holocaust."


http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=51089
 
I've read a couple of books on the Vatican and the Holocaust and numerous artices and I have come to the conclusion that:

a) The Vatican should have done more with regard to denoucing Nazi policies.
b) Given the political climate there was in all practicality very little the Vatican could do without jepordizing its own safety and the safety of its priests in Germany.
c) Pope Pius XII was not anti-semetic. He was anti-communist, anti-facist but not anti-semetic and neither was his Papal court.

Therefore the WWII Vaticans biggest fault was in what it could have done rather than what it did do.

As for his beatification. I don't think he should get one, John Paul II yes, but not Pius.
 
Four new saints canonized in Vatican ceremony

Vatican, Jun. 4, 2007 (CWNews.com) - Pope Benedict XIV presided at the canonization of four new saints on Sunday, June 3.

A hard, steady rain failed to dampen the spirits of the large congregation in St. Peter’s Square as the Holy Father delivered the official decrees of canonization for Malta’s first saint, Father Giorgio Preca (1880- 1962); Father Szymon z Lipnicy (1435?- 1482), a Franciscan priest; Father Karel van Sin Andries Houben (1821- 1893), who was born in Holland but earned fame as a missionary in Ireland; and Marie-Eugénie de Jesus Millert (1817- 1898), the French founder of the Sisters of the Assumption.

During his homily at the canonization Mass, Pope Benedict spoke of the readings for the day, Trinity Sunday. He observed that the first reading, from the Book of Wisdom, reminded the faithful of the “multi-faceted and endless manifestations of holiness” in the world. The second reading, from St. Paul’s letter to the Colossians, spoke of how God pours out his love to the faithful. Connecting these themes with the canonizations, the Pope commented that each saint is completely unique, and the variety of their backgrounds illustrates the universality of the Church. At the same time, the Pontiff added, the saints are all alike insofar as their lives reflect God’s love. Their sanctity, he said, “is always same sanctity of Jesus: always Him.”

http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=51552
 
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7012421.stm

Vatican warning over pope 'relic'

The Vatican has warned Roman Catholics that buying relics is sacrilege, after reports that pieces of former Pope John Paul II's clothes were for sale online.

The website of the Holy Diocese of Rome has been offering small pieces of John Paul II's white cassock as part of the campaign to beatify him.

But the site was inundated with requests after reports suggested pieces of the robe were available to buy.

John Paul II died in April 2005. He was the third-longest serving pope.

Unlimited edition

The website has been offering a relic featuring a prayer on one side and a "ex indumentis" - a piece from the clothing - of the former pope since early 2006.

But it has recently been swamped with requests for the tiny relics after it was reported in Italian media that they were for sale.

Anyone who clicks on the link to request the relic is now sent to an article in which diocese spokesman Monsignor Marco Frisina warns that it is sacrilegious to buy or sell relics.

The Italian version of the website also specifies that the relic is free, and requests only an optional small donation to cover postage costs.

The diocese would be able to send a relic to anyone who asked for one, director of social communications Monsignor Marco Fibbi told the BBC News website.

"We don't intend to let these objects have a collectors' value," he said.

"It's only a devotional object. It's useless to try to collect it or sell it on the internet because we will satisfy any request for this object."

John Paul II - born in Poland as Karol Jozef Wojtyla - is being considered for beatification, the first step to sainthood.

The much-loved late pontiff travelled the world extensively and was internationally renowned.

And he is on track to become a saint in record time, after Pope Benedict XVI waived the traditional five-year waiting period before the beatification campaign could begin.

There's no money in religion, obviously. Does this feel like a celebrity thing instead of a religious thing to anyone else?
 
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