The Catholic Bulletin

HOW OUR SAINTS ARE MADE TOLD IN NEW CANON LAW.

We here give to our readers the latest regulations of the Church in the interesting matter, "how saints are made." The information is all taken from the new Code of Canon Law, which devotes no less than 142 canons to the subject. (Canon Law, canons 1999 to 2142).

The causes of future saints are all under the jurisdiction of the Sacred Congregation of Rites, which has at its head a Cardinal and is composed besides of a number of other Cardinals and prelates as consultors. The postulator or petitioner is a priest who sees to the practical work, under the direction of the Cardinal relator or proposer of the cause.

There are three different kinds of causes that may come before the Sacred Congregation of Rites: (1) Those called of non-cult, that is, of persons who are not supposed to have been publicly honored; (2) the exceptional causes, or of cult, viz., of persons who were publicly honored before the time of Pope Urban VIII (1623-1644), who to avoid abuses forbade those public honors without the Church's approval, as now required; (3) and the causes of martyrs for the faith.

In any of these causes there is followed a double procedure, the first, called the process or "procedure of the Ordinary," or Bishop, of the place where the coming saint died, and the other, the "Apostolic or Papal procedure," which is transacted in Rome by the Sacred Congregation of Rites.

The process of the Ordinary consists: (1) In collecting all the writings of the candidate for sainthood; (2) in getting together all possible information about the renown of sanctity, the virtues in general (or the martyrdom and its causes), and the miracles, for all which eight unimpeachable witnesses are required; (3) the proof of non-cult, for which also four trustworthy witnesses are required. These several documents are then sent to Rome to the Sacred Congregation of Rites.

The much longer procedure is, of course, that of the Sacred Congregation, and its decisions, after being discussed and voted upon, must in all instances be approved by the Pope.

For greater clarity, we will bring out the steps taken in the matter, which are four:

1. Servant of God.—Before receiving this title, the writings of the candidate are examined, as to not containing anything against faith or morals. Evidence as to his renown of sanctity, virtues in general (or martyrdom), and miracles, gathered from the informative process of the Ordinary, is submitted; the fact of non-cult is proven. Thus the "cause is introduced."

2. Venerable. — This title, which was formerly given when the cause was introduced, is now bestowed only when the following evidence is verified, viz.: the heroicity of his virtues, that is, of faith, hope and charity, and prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance: this requires three different meetings of the Sacred Congregation, called ante-preparatory, preparatory and general. It must be noted also that this step is taken only fifty years after the death of the candidate. For martyrs, whose death itself is heroic, no virtues are examined, but instead proof is adduced of true martyrdom, as well on account of the martyr's disposition as on account of the tyrant's purpose.

3. Blessed.—For bestowal of this title or beatification, miracles only are examined, in three similar meetings, namely, ante-preparatory, preparatory and general. Two miracles are required, or sometimes three and four (for exceptional cases), and expert physicians and scientific authorities witness to them. Besides the Pope's approval of the miracles after the general meeting, there is required the decree so-called "de tuto," stating that it may now "safely" be proceeded to the solemn beatification.

4. Saints.—Two miracles, obtained after beatification, are here required or three (in exceptional causes of saints honored of old). They are discussed in three meetings, as above, and if approved by the Pope and followed by the decree of de tuto, also as above, the solemn canonization takes place at St. Peter's in Rome, and only afterwards in other parts of the Catholic world.

—Exchange.