- Tuesday, 19 April 2011 09:11
differences need certain light in a canonization process. Scholasticism
advocates that we always distinguish. Benedict XVI will be beatifying his
friend, colleague and boss, Pope John Paul II on May 1. So, the faithful are
asking what’s the difference between the ecclesial acts of beatification and
The Holy See told us what’s considered to be the distinguishing
marks of any beatification. There are three differences:
- location of dioceses
that can hold annual public liturgical celebrations in the holy person’s honor;
- who ceremonially requests the pope to act;
- and the level of papal authority
involved in the proclamation.
What Pope Benedict has worked hard to remind the
Church, “at a beatification ceremony, the bishop of the diocese where the
person dies asks that the candidate be declared blessed; at a canonization, the
prefect of the Congregation for Saints’ Causes speaks in the name of the whole
church and asks that the candidate be declared a saint.”
But a central
difference between a beatification and canonization is that with a canonization
there is an act of declaring dogmatically, that God has revealed this person
with Him in beatitude. Essentially, it is a matter of papal infallibility.
Being a saint is a dogmatic statement; being a blessed is not. A saint can be
liturgically commemorated at the sacred Liturgy worldwide and remembered in
other circumstances like naming buildings after the person. When the Church
says a person is a blessed, it is an administrative act of the papal office; a
blessed can be liturgically commemorated is limited to certain circumstances,
like where the person lives or in the houses of the religious congregation
should the person be a religious.
- Saturday, 02 April 2011 13:20
The accepted the recommendation of the Congregation for Saints today advancing to the next step several causes for saints, including the North American, Adolphe Chatillon (known in religious life as Frère Théophanius-Léo). Pope Benedict signed a decree that said Chatillon lived the Christian virtues in a heroic way. The Servant of God Adolphe Chattillon will now be called “The Venerable Servant of God Adolphe Chatillon –many will just use the simple form of the title “venerable.”
Adolphe Chatillon (1871-1929) was a professed member of the LaSalle Christian Brothers. He served in the Canadian schools administered by the Christian Brothers as a teacher, headmaster, novice-master for 30 years and a General Vicar for the USA.
Chatillon needs a miracle attributed to his intercession before he would be beatified and another prior to a declaration of sainthood.
We pray to God the Father almighty that He’ll give us the gift of calling Aldophe Chatillon a saint in the near future. Venerable Servant of God Adolphe Chatillon, pray for us.
- Monday, 21 February 2011 16:19
The Pope called an ordinary consistory of cardinals to today to discuss and then announce that 3 new saints are to recognized. The new saints: Don Luigi Guanella, Don Guido Maria Conforti and Sister Bonifacia Rodriquez de Castro.
- Blessed Luigi Guanella founded Congregation of the Servants of Charity and the Institute of the Daughters of Saint Mary of Providence
- Blessed Guido Maria Conforti founded the Xavierian Missionaries
- Blessed Bonifacia Rodriquez de Castro founded the Congregation of the Servants of Saint Joseph
The Sacrifice of the Mass and the Rite of Canonization will take place on October 23.
- Friday, 18 February 2011 12:11
The Holy See is allowing the coffin of Pope John Paul II to be viewed following the May 1st beatification ceremony which will be celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI.
After the viewing the papal body will repose in the Chapel of San Lorenzo in the Basilica of Saint Peter.
- Thursday, 27 January 2011 20:50
The Bishop of Peoria, Daniel R. Jenky, CSC, has jump-started the canonization process for Fulton J. Sheen. Jenky took a pause in the case when Archbishop Timothy Dolan indicated that he wanted to keep Sheen’s body in the crypt at the Cathedral of Saint Patrick and to see the process to completion. Not a good thing, for sure. The halting of the case happened in November, as you recall.