Beatification and canonization process prior to 1983: Difference between revisions

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# Meanwhile all necessary preparation was made for the discussion of the question (''dubium''): Is there evidence that the venerable servant of God practiced virtues both [[Theological virtues|theological]] and [[Cardinal virtues|cardinal]], and in an [[Heroic virtue|heroic]] degree? (''An constet de virtutibus Ven. servi Dei, tam theologicis quam cardinalibus, in heroico gradu?'') In the causes of confessors this step was of primary importance. The point was discussed in three meetings or congregations called respectively, ante-preparatory, preparatory, and general. The first of these meetings was held in the palace of the cardinal relator (reporter) of the cause, and in it only consultors of the Congregation of Sacred Rites, and with their chairman, or prefect, presiding, the third was also held in the Vatican, and at it the pope presided, and both cardinals and consultors voted. For each of these congregations the advocate of the cause prepared and printed official reports (''positiones''), called respectively report, new report, final report, concerning the virtues, etc., -- ''positio'', ''positio nova'', ''positio novissima'', ''super virtutibus''. In each case, before proceeding to the subsequent meeting, a majority of the consultors must decide that the difficulties of the promotor of the Faith had been satisfactorily solved.

# When the Congregation of Rites in the above described general meeting had decided favourably, the pope was asked to sign the solemn decree which asserted that there existed evidence of the heroic virtues of the servant of God. This decree was not published until after the pope, having commended the matter to God in prayer, gave a final consent and confirmed by his supreme sentence the decision of the congregation.

# The miracles now remained to be proved, of which two of the first class were required in case the practice of virtues in the heroic degree had been proved, in both ordinary and Apostolic inquiries or processes by eyewitnesses -- threeeyewitnesses—three, if the eyewitnesses were found only in the ordinary processes; four, if the virtues were proven only by hearsay (''de auditu'') witnesses. If the miracles had been sufficiently proven in the Apostolic processes (''super virtutibus'') already declared valid, steps were taken at once to prepare the documents with regard to miracles (''super miraculis''). If in the Apostolic processes only general mention had been made of the miracles, new Apostolic processes must be opened, and conducted after the manner already described for proving the practice of virtues in an heroic degree.

# The discussion of the particular miracles proceeded in exactly the same way and in the same order as that of the virtues. If the decisions were favourable, the general meeting of the congregation was followed by a decree, confirmed by the pope, in which it was announced that there was proof of miracles. It must be noted here that in the positio for the ante-preparatory congregation there were required, and were printed, opinions of two physicians, one of whom had been chosen by the postulator, the other by the Congregation of Rites. Of the three reports (''positiones'') above mentioned, and which were now also required, the first was prepared in the usual way; the second consisted of an exposition of the heroic virtues of the servant of God, an information, and a reply to later observations of the promotor of the Faith; the last consisted only of an answer to his final observations.

# When the miracles had been proved, another meeting of the Congregation of Rites was held in which it was debated once, and only once, whether or not, given the approbation of the virtues and miracles, it was safe to proceed with the solemnities of beatification. If a majority of the consultors was favourable, a decree to this effect was issued by the pope, and at the time appointed by him the solemn beatification of the servant of God took place in the Vatican [[St. Peter's Basilica|Basilica]], on which occasion a pontifical Brief was issued permitting the public [[cultus]] and [[veneration]] of the beatified person now known as Blessed (Beatus).

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==Bibliography==

* [[André Vauchez]], ''La sainteté en Occident aux derniers siècles du Moyen Âge (1198-1431)'' [http://www.publications.ecole-francaise.it/cgi-bin/ecole-francaise/details.cgi?address=&request=1%253d1003%25204%253d2%2520%2520%2522vauchez%2522&visrequest=%253cspan%2520class%253dvisrequestuse%253eAuteur%253c%252fspan%253e%253d%2520%2522%253cspan%2520class%253dvisrequestval%253evauchez%253c%252fspan%253e%2522&listrequest=&database=&item=17&format=&previous=&sort=1003+4+31&template=&stateless= [1]]], Rome, 1981 (''BEFAR'', 241) [Eng. Transl.''Sainthood in the Later Middle Ages'', Cambridge, 1987 and Ital. transl. : ''La santità nel Medioevo'', Bologne, 1989].

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[[Category:Roman Catholic Church history]]

[[Category:Sainthood]]