Tuesday, December 27, 2016

8 sainthood, beatification causes advance

Image result for congregation for the causes of saintsIn a December 21 audience with the prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, Pope Francis approved the publication of decrees that advance eight sainthood causes.

In approving separate decrees on miracles attributed to the intercession of Blessed Faustino Míguez González (1831-1925) and Ven. Leopoldina Naudet (1773-1834), the Pontiff has paved the way for the canonization of the former and the beatification of the latter.

Blessed Faustino Míguez, a Spanish Piarist priest, founded the Calasanzian Pious Institute (Daughters of the Divine Shepherd); Ven. Leopoldina Naudet is the Italian foundress of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Verona.

Pope Francis also approved a decree of martyrdom that cleared the way for the beatification of Father Mateu Casals Mas (1883-1936), professed scholastic Teófilo Casajús Alduán (1914-36), Brother Ferran Saperas Aluja (1905-36), and their 106 companions, all of them Claretians slain during the Spanish Civil War in 1936 and 1937.

Finally, Pope Francis approved decrees on the heroic virtues of five servants of God, who may now be honored with the title “venerable”:
  • Father Jean-Baptiste Fouque (1851-1926), a French diocesan priest who founded St. Joseph’s Hospital in Marseille
  • Lorenzo of the Holy Spirit (Egidio Marcelli, 1874-1953), an Italian Passionist religious
  • Sister Maria Rafela of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (Sebastiana Lladó i Sala, 1814-99), the Spanish foundress of the Congregation of the Missionaries of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary
  • Mother Clelia Merloni (1861-1930), the Italian foundress of the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus
  • Isidoro Zorzano Ledesma (1902-43), an industrial engineer who was one of the first members of Opus Dei; he was born in Buenos Aires and died in Madrid
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