VATICAN CITY, APR 27, 2006 (VIS) - Made public today was a Message from Pope Benedict XVI to Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins C.M.F., prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, which has just concluded its plenary session.
''From her beginnings", says the Message, "the Church has dedicated great attention to the procedures that elevate Servants of God to the glory of the altars. The causes of saints are considered 'major causes' because of their noble and material impact on the lives of the people of God."
The Pope recalled prior interventions by earlier pontiffs who sought to improve the celebration and study of the causes of saints, quoting, among others, Pope John Paul II who in 1983 promulgated the Apostolic Constitution " Divinus Perfectionis Magister" and the "Normae servandae in inquisitionibus ab Episcopis faciendis in Causis Sanctorum."
"The experience of more than 20 years since this text was published has prompted this congregation to publish an 'Instruction for the procedure of diocesan inquiries into the causes of saints,' which is chiefly addressed to diocesan bishops and constitutes the first theme examined by the plenary," says the Holy Father. The instruction "attempts to facilitate the application of the 'Normae servandae' in order to safeguard the seriousness of investigations", into virtues, causes of martyrdom or possible miracles.
"It is clear", writes the Pope "that a cause of beatification or canonization cannot be initiated in the absence of a proven reputation for holiness, even when dealing with people who have been distinguished for their evangelical coherence and for particular ecclesial or social merits."
Going on to refer to the second theme of the plenary session - "the miracle in the causes of saints" - Benedict XVI recalls that "miracles constitute divine confirmation of a judgement expressed by the ecclesial authorities on [a person's] virtuous life. I hope that the plenary will study this subject deeply in the light of the tradition of the Church, of modern theology, and of the most accredited discoveries of science. It should not be forgotten that in examining purportedly miraculous events the competency of scientists and theologians comes together, although the decisive judgement falls to theology which alone is capable of interpreting miracles in the light of the faith. ... It should also be clearly borne in mind that unbroken Church practice establishes the need for a physical miracle, a moral miracle is not enough."
On the third subject, "martyrdom," the Pope writes: "If the motive that impels [people] to martyrdom remains unaltered, having its source and its model in Christ, what have changed are the cultural contexts of martyrdom and the strategies 'ex parte perscutoris' who seek to give ever less explicit prominence to their aversion to the Christian faith, ... but fake different reasons, for example political or social ones. It is of course necessary to find incontrovertible proof of willingness to suffer martyrdom, ... and of the victim's acceptance thereof. But it is equally necessary that, directly or indirectly but always in a morally certain fashion, the 'odium Fidei' of the persecutor should be apparent. If this element is lacking, there is no real martyrdom in accordance with the perennial theological and juridical doctrine of the Church."
Finally, Benedict XVI referred to indications contained in John Paul II's Apostolic Constitution "Divinus Perfectionis Magister" concerning the need to associate bishops with the Holy See in dealing with the causes of saints. On the basis of these indications, Pope Benedict said, "I have implemented the widespread desire that the substantial difference between the celebration of beatification and that of canonization should be more deeply underlined; and that particular Churches should be more visibly involved in the rite of beatification, it being understood that only the Roman Pontiff may concede veneration to a Servant of God."
MESS/CONGREGATION CAUSES OF SAINTS/SARAIVA VIS 20060427 (650)
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