The South African Diocese of Tzaneen has completed the first phase of of the cause for beatification and canonization of the Servant of God Benedict Daswa, a teacher who was killed after refusing to support a search for witches. The final documents addressed to Archbishop Angelo Amato SDB, Prefect of the Congregation for Causes of Saints, were signed on July 2 by Bishop Hugh Slattery MSC, Bishop of Tzaneen, AllAfrica reports.
The documents consist of over 850 pages of testimonies of reliable witnesses to the life and death of the Servant of God. The original copy, which was sealed first, remains in the archives of the Diocese of Tzaneen. The transcript copy and public copy were then sealed and are to be taken to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints in Rome, through the the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop James Green.
The Transcript and Public Copies will remain sealed until the Congregation for the Causes of Saints approves a Roman Postulator to proceed with the next phase of the process. Information about the Servant of God and the Cause may now be made known to the public.
It is thought that Benedict Daswa led a holy life and became a genuine martyr for the faith.
A short biography and DVD will be produced to make Benedict Daswa more widely known here in South Africa and in other African countries, as a role model for all and a great witness to the faith.
According to a biographical note published by the Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference, Benedict grew up in a traditionalist family who belonged to the small Lemba tribe who live mainly among the Venda people in the Limpopo Province. He became a Catholic while training to become a primary school teacher.
Benedict soon realized that witchcraft was against his Catholic faith. From then on in his private life and also in public he took a strong stand against witchcraft because he said it led to the killing of innocent people accused of witchcraft activities.
He also rejected the use of muti or medicines for protection against evil or for success in sport or other activities. It was this stand against witchcraft which eventually led to his death. A few days after refusing to give money for the purpose of smelling out witches, he was stoned and bludgeoned to death on February 2, 1990. He was just four months short of his 44th birthday.
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