Beatification and canonization process prior to 1983: Difference between revisions

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# 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 congregation and its officials, but without the vote or participation of the consultors, though this privilege was always granted them by prescript.

# If in this meeting the cardinals favoured the appointment of the aforesaid commission, a decree to that effect was promulgated, and the 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 ''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-general. In case the eye-witnesseseyewitnesses 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 procurator 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 Urban VIII had been complied with, another decree provided that further steps might be taken.

# When the inquiry concerning the reputation of sanctity (''super famâ'') 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 famâ'' in general were prepared by the advocate, 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.