Free Republic

Q: How many miracles are required before somebody can be canonized a saint? I thought that you needed three. But now the Pope has announced that John Paul II will be canonized after only two miracles, and John XXIII with (I believe) even less than that. Did the rules get changed at some point? Is this even a canon-law question? –Sylvie A: Sylvie is of course referring to the Vatican’s July 5 announcement that a miracle has been attributed to the intercession of Blessed John Paul II, clearing the way for his canonization. The same decree also indicates that Pope...

Pressing Sainthood for a Beloved Archbishop By MAREK FUCHS Published: December 12, 2004 A long line of priests, nuns, deacons, relatives and fans wound its way into the crypt beneath the altar of St. Patrick's Cathedral. Their mission: the canonization of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, one of the first priests to use TV to educate, inspire and even convert. Twenty-five years after the archbishop was buried in the crypt, a Mass was celebrated in his honor. The people who gathered at St. Patrick's on Thursday wanted to persuade the Vatican to declare the archbishop a saint. "It's like a kickoff,...