Vatican to encourage greater caution in opening sainthood causes

CNS ^ | January 8, 2008 | John Thavis

[NYer]

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The Vatican is preparing to issue a set of instructions to promote "greater caution and more accuracy" in the opening of new sainthood causes by local dioceses, a top Vatican official said.

Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins, head of the Congregation for Saints' Causes, said the instructions were needed to reflect the "new spirit introduced by Pope Benedict XVI in beatification procedures."

The cardinal spoke in an interview published Jan. 8 by the Vatican newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, under the headline: "More precision will be asked in diocesan canonization processes."

Cardinal Saraiva Martins said the new document will be addressed to all resident bishops, instructing them on procedures regarding the opening and advancement of sainthood causes. It will underline how the "theology of the local church" is manifested in such causes, he said.

The cardinal said the beatification of a local member represents an intense moment of faith and joy for church communities.

"But precisely because of this new value and this additional fervor implied by such events, it is necessary to proceed with even greater caution and more accuracy," he said.

He said the new document would probably be formally presented to journalists at the Vatican press office. The congregation also intends to bring the new instructions to the attention of the hundreds of postulators who guide sainthood causes, possibly through a day of study, he said.

Asked if the new instructions would help put an end to stories about the church's "saint factories," Cardinal Saraiva Martins said the term does not even merit a response. The church does not make saints; it merely follows procedures so that they are recognized, he said.

[NYer]

It would be nice if they could finalize some of the causes pending for many years.

[utahagen]

It’s about bloody time the Vatican put the brakes on. JPII was a great man, but his fast-tracking of saints was just silly.

[Tax-chick]

Yes.

And it also doesn’t hurt to remind everyone to follow the procedures diligently and to use patience and caution.

[Rutles4Ever]

his fast-tracking of saints was just silly.

Why? It seems that the lives of 20th century saints were much easier to investigate if only because documentation, travel, and communication have grown at lightspeed.

That said, what's wrong with fast-tracking, if the pertinent information and eyewitness testimony is available? Should we wait two hundred years to canonize Mother Theresa so it looks like we're not rushing into it?

[Salvation]

Follow the rules, even for Pope John Paul II and Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

[utahagen]

“Should we wait two hundred years to canonize Mother Theresa so it looks like we’re not rushing into it?” I don’t know if we need to wait 200 years to canonize Mother Teresa, but I see no benefit to doing it within the next few years. Moving quickly to canonize someone who has died relatively recently gives an incentive to people like Christopher Hitchens to sell books attacking Mother Teresa’s character. The Vatican should wait a least a couple of decades. (What’s the rush, anyway?)

[Rutles4Ever]

(What’s the rush, anyway?)

Good points.