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===Of Confessors===
In order to secure beatification, (the most important and difficult step in the process of canonization), the regular procedure was as follows:
# ChoosingSelection of a vice-postulator by the postulator-general of the cause, to promote all the judicial inquiries necessary in places outside of Rome. Such inquiries were instituted by the local [[bishop|episcopal]] authority.
# The preparation of the inquiries (''processus'') all of which were carried on by the ordinary episcopal authority. They were of three kinds: (a) Informative inquiries regarded the reputation for sanctity and [[miracle|miracles]]s of the servants of God, not only in general, but also in particular instances; there might be several such inquiries if the witnesses to be examined belonged to different [[diocese|dioceses]]. (b) Processes ''de non cultu'' were instituted to prove that the decrees of [[Pope Urban VIII]] regarding the prohibition of public worshipveneration of servants of God before their beatification had been obeyed; they were generally conducted by the bishop of the place where the [[relic|relics]]s of the [[servant of God]] were preserved. (c) Other inquiries were known as "''Processiculiprocessiculi diligentiarum''" and had for their object the writings attributed to the person whose beatification was in question; they varied in number according to the [[diocese|dioceses]] where such writings were found, or were thought likely to be found, and might not be judicially executed before an "Instructioninstruction" was obtained from the promotorPromotor of the Faith by the postulator-generalPostulator General and by him sent to the [[bishop]] in question.
# The results of all these inquiries were sent to Rome, to the [[Congregation of Rites]], in charge of a messenger (''portitor'') chosen by the judges, or by some other secure way, in case a rescript of the congregationCongregation dispensed from the obligation of sending a messenger.
# They were opened, translated if necessary into [[Italian (language)|Italian]], a public copy was made, and a [[cardinal (Catholicism)|cardinal]] was deputed by the [[popePope]] as relator or (''ponens'') of the cause, for all which steps rescripts of the congregationCongregation, confirmed by the pope[[Pope]], must be obtained.
# The writings of the servant of God were next revised by theologians appointed by the cardinal relatorRelator himself, authorized to so act by a special rescript. Meanwhile, the advocateAdvocate and the procuratorProcurator of the cause, chosen by the postulator-generalPostulator General, had prepared all the documents that concerned the introduction of the cause (''positio super introductione causae''). These consisted of (a) a summary of the informative processes, (b) an information, and (c) answers to the observations or difficulties of the promotorPromotor of the Faith sent by him to the Postulator.
#This collection of documents (''positio'') was printed and distributed to the cardinals of the Congregation of Rites forty40 days before the date assigned for their discussion.
#If nothing contrary to faith and morals was found in the writings of the servant of God, a decree was published, authorizingthat authorized further action (''quod in causâcausa procedi possit ad ulteriora''), i. e., the discussion of the matter (''dubium'') of appointment or non-appointment of a commission for the introduction of the cause.
# At the time fixed by the Congregation of Rites an ordinary meeting (''congregatio'') was held in which this appointment was debated by the cardinals of the aforesaid congregationCongregation and its officials, but without the vote or participation of the consultorsConsultors, though this privilege was always granted them by prescript.
# If in this meeting the cardinals favoured the appointment of the aforesaid commissionCommission, a decree to that effect was promulgated, and the pope[[Pope]] signed it, but, according to custom, with his baptismal name, not with that of his pontificate. Thenceforward the servant of God was judicially given the title of "[[Venerable]]".
# A petition was then presented asking remissorial letters for the bishops outside of Rome (''in partibus'' (outside of Rome), authorizing them to set on foot, by Apostolic authority, the inquiry (''processus'') with regard to the fame of sanctity and miracles in general. This permission was granted by rescript, and such remissorial letters were prepared and sent to the bishops by the postulator-generalPostulator General. In case the eyewitnesses were of advanced age, other remissorial letters were usually granted for the purpose of opening a process known as "inchoative" concerning the particular virtues of miracles of the person in question. This was done in order that the proofs might not be lost (''ne pereant probationes''), and such inchoative process preceded that upon the miracles and virtues in general.
# While the Apostolic process concerning the reputation of sanctity was under way outside of Rome, documents were being prepared by the procuratorProcurator of the cause for the discussion ''de non cultu'', or absence of ''cultus'', and at the appointed time an ordinary meeting (''congregatio'') was held in which the matter was investigated; if it was found that the decree of [[Pope Urban VIII]] had been complied withobeyed, another decree provided that further steps might be taken.
# When the inquiry concerning the reputation of sanctity (''super famâfama'') had arrived in Rome, it was opened (as already described in speaking of the ordinary processes, and with the same formalities in regard to rescripts), then translated into [[Italian]], summarized, and declared valid. The documents ''super famâfama'' in general were prepared by the advocateAdvocate, and at the proper time, in an ordinary meeting of the cardinals of the Congregation of Rites, the question was discussed: whether there was evidence of a general repute for sanctity and miracles of this servant of God. If the answer was favourable, a decree embodying this result was published.
# New remissorial letters were then sent to the bishops ''in partibus'' for ApostolicalApostolic processes with regard to the reputation for sanctity and miracles in particular. These processes must be finished within eighteen18 months and when they were received in Rome were opened, as above described, and by virtue of an equal number of rescripts, by the cardinal prefectPrefect, translated into [[Italian]], and their summary authenticated by the Chancellor of the Congregation of Rites.
# The advocateAdvocate of the cause next prepared the documents (''positio'') which had reference to the discussion of the validity of all the preceding processes, informative and Apostolic.
# This discussion was held in the meeting called ''congregatio rotalis'' from the fact that it was only judges of the [[Roman Rota]] who voted. If the difficulties of the promotorPromotor of the Faith were satisfactorily answered, the decree establishing the validity of the inquiries or processes was published.
# 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)Relator 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|Vatican City]], and at it the pope[[Pope]] presided, and both cardinals and consultors voted. For each of these congregations the advocateAdvocate of the cause prepared and printed official reports (''positiones''), called respectively "report", "new report", "final report", report "concerning the virtues", etc.,et --cetera (''positio'', ''positio nova'', ''positio novissima'', ''super virtutibus'', et cetera). In each case, before proceeding to the subsequent meeting, a majority of the consultorsConsultors must decide that the difficulties of the promotorPromotor of the Faith had been satisfactorily solved.
# When the Congregation of Rites in the above described general meeting had decided favourably, the pope[[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[[Pope]], having commended the matter to God in prayer, gave a final consent and confirmed by his supreme sentence the decision of the congregationCongregation.
# 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; and 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 congregationCongregation was followed by a decree, confirmed by the pope[[Pope]], in which it was announced that there was proof of miracles. 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,Postulator and 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 promotorPromotor 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 consultorsConsultors was favourable, the [[Pope]] issued 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 placeoccurred in the Vatican [[St. Peter's Basilica|St. Peter's Basilica]], on which occasion a pontifical[[Papal Briefbrief]] was issued permitting the public ''[[Cult (religious practice)|cultus]]'' and [[veneration]] of the beatified person, now known as "Blessed" ("''Beatus''").
===Of Martyrs===
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