Pope advances sainthood causes of Pope Paul VI, more than 850 others
December 21, 2012 - Pope Benedict XVI on Thursday advanced the sainthood cause of
Pope Paul VI by recognizing the Italian pope as having lived the Christian virtues
in a heroic way. He also recognized a miracle attributed to the intercession of an
Italian martyr who, with an estimated 800 other people, died at the hands of Ottoman
invaders in the 15th century, and he recognized a miracle attributed to the first
blessed who was born, lived and died in Colombia - Blessed Mother Laura Montoya. They
now can be declared saints. The pope also formally recognized the martyrdom of 33
victims of the Spanish Civil War and advanced the causes of 18 other men and women.
During a meeting with Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for Saints'
Causes, the Pope signed the decree approving the heroic virtues of Pope Paul VI, making
him "venerable." Before Pope Paul can be beatified, the Vatican must recognize that
a miracle has occurred through his intercession. Born Giovanni Battista Montini 1897
in the northern Italian province of Brescia, Pope Paul VI is probably best remembered
for seeing the Second Vatican Council through to its end and helping implement its
far-reaching reforms. He is remembered for making the first major breakthrough in
breaking the ice between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches since the great schism
of 1054, when the two sides excommunicated each other. Pope Paul is also well known
for his 1968 encyclical "Humanae Vitae," reaffirming Church teaching that artificial
birth control is intrinsically wrong, which became a focus of controversy and dissent.
Particularly committed to peace, reconciliation and development, he was a strong leader
who decisively guided the church through a time of crisis. Pope Paul was the
first modern pontiff to start visiting local churches around the globe, making nine
major trips abroad, including the first papal visit to India on the occasion of the
38th International Eucharistic Congress in Mumbai, Dec. 2-4, 1964. Prior to his election,
he spent more than 30 years helping to run the Vatican's diplomatic machinery at the
Secretariat of State, but his diplomatic skills never overshadowed his priestly love
of serving those in need. He worked on behalf of prisoners and the politically persecuted
during World War II, pleaded for peace to world leaders, appealed for the lives of
condemned terrorists and kidnapped politicians, and donated the papal tiara to raise
money for the poor. He was elected pope in 1963 and died at age 80 in 1978. The Rome
Diocese officially opened his sainthood cause in 1993. On Thursday, Pope Benedict
recognized miracles attributed to the intercession of three people who, along with
800 companions, can now be declared saints. They are:
Blessed
Antonio Primaldo and an estimated 800 other laymen killed by Ottoman soldiers in the
southern Italian costal town of Oltranto in 1480.
Blessed
Mother Laura Montoya, the first blessed to be born, live and die in Colombia. Born
in 1874, she founded the Missionary Sisters of Immaculate Mary and of St. Catherine
of Siena, to work among the indigenous peoples of Colombia. She died in 1949 and was
beatified in 2004.
Blessed Mother Lupita Garcia Zavala,
also known as Mother Maria Guadalupe, the Mexican co-founder of the Congregation of
the Servants of St. Margaret Mary and the Poor. She lived from 1878 to 1963.
Pope
Benedict also signed decrees that pave the way for numerous beatifications:
He recognized the martyrdom of 33 priests, religious and a monk killed
between 1936 and 1938 during the Spanish Civil War.
He
recognized the martyrdom of Father Miroslav Bulesic, a Croatian priest killed by Italian
partisans in 1947 during World War II.
The pope approved nine other
decrees recognizing men and women for having lived the Christian virtues in a heroic
way and declaring them "venerable." Recognition of a miracle attributed to each candidate's
intercession is needed for that person's beatification.