Pope declares seven new saints for the Catholic Church
October 22, 2012 - Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday celebrated Mission Sunday by raising
to the glory of the altars seven new saints for the Catholic Church. Some 80,000
pilgrims from around the world attended a solemn Mass in Saint Peter’s Square during
which Jacques Berthieu, Pedro Calungsod, Giovanni Battista Piamarta, Marìa Carmen
Sallés y Barangueras, Marianne Cope, Kateri Tekakwitha, and Anna Schäffer were canonized,
or officially declared saints. In his homily at the canonization Mass, Pope Benedict
noted that the coincidence between the current Synod of Bishops in the Vatican aimed
at shoring up flagging Catholic faith worldwide and Mission Sunday was a happy one
as several of the new saints were missionaries, and the day’s Gospel shed light on
both. Described them as “sons and daughters of the Church, who have chosen the path
of service following the Lord," the Pope prayed that “the witness of the new saints”
would “speak today to the whole church. He hoped their intercession would strengthen
and sustain the Church in her mission to proclaim the Gospel to the whole world. The
Pope also reflected briefly on the life and charism of each of the seven saints -
three men and four women. The loudest cheers were for the teenage Filipino sacristan
and catechist, St. Pedro Calungsod, who was born around 1654 in the Visayas region
and martyred in on 2 April 1672, in Guam. The Pope noted that his love for Christ
inspired him to train as a catechist with the Jesuit missionaries there. In 1668,
along with other young catechists, he accompanied Father Diego Luís de San Vitores
to the Marianas Islands in order to evangelize the Chamorro people. Life there was
hard and the missionaries also faced persecution arising from envy and slander. Pedro,
however, displayed deep faith and charity and continued to catechize his many converts,
giving witness to Christ by a life of purity and dedication to the Gospel. Uppermost
was his desire to win souls for Christ, and this made him resolute in accepting martyrdom.
Witnesses record that Pedro could have fled for safety but chose to stay at Father
Diego’s side. The priest was able to give Pedro absolution before he himself was killed.
Pope Benedict said Calungsod “displayed deep faith and charity and continued to catechize
his many converts, giving witness to Christ by a life of purity and dedication to
faith.” “May the example and courageous witness of Pedro Calungsod inspire the dear
people of the Philippines to announce the Kingdom bravely and to win souls for God!”
the Pope wished. Another saint, Marianne Cope was born in Germany but moved to
the United States at a very young age. She joined the Franciscan order and later became
its Superior General. She eventually opted to serve the lepers in the Hawaiian island
of Molokai. Pope Benedict noted that “at a time when little could be done for those
suffering from this terrible disease, Marianne Cope showed the highest love, courage,
and enthusiasm.” Sunday’s Mass also witnessed the canonization of North America’s
first Native American saint, Kateri Tekakwitha, known as the “Lily of the Mohawks”.
An early convert to Catholicism, she was born in New York, United States, and died
in 1680 in Quebec, Canada. Pope Benedict noted that Tekakwitha led a simple life,
while remaining faithful to her love for Jesus, to prayer, and to daily Mass. Her
greatest wish was to know and to do what pleased God,” the Pope said. At the
end of the Solemn Mass, Pope Benedict once more addressed the faithful before the
recitation of the “Angelus” Marian prayer. Recalling Mission Sunday, he called upon
the faithful to “to entrust to the maternal protection of the Virgin Mary all missionaries
– priests, religious, and lay – that in every part of the world sow the good seed
of the Gospel.” He prayed, too, for the Synod of Bishops, as they attempt to meet
the challenges of the New Evangelization. The Holy Father concluded his remarks
with greetings in several languages to all the pilgrims gathered in Saint Peter’s
Square. On the happy occasion of the canonization of the seven saints he greeted
the official delegations and all English-speaking pilgrims and visitors, especially
those from the Philippines, Canada and the United States of America. “May the holiness
and witness of these saints inspire us to draw closer to the Son of God who, for such
great love, came to serve and offer his life for our salvation. God bless you all,”
the Pope wished.