Paul VI to be beatified...in the near future!

Imagine the angst of Bishop Williamson for this one. Ha!


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From Andrea Tornielli

Paul VI, or Giovanni Battista Montini, the Pope who reigned from 1963 to 1978 and led three of the four sessions of the Second Vatican Council, guiding the Church through the difficult post-conciliar period, could be proclaimed a saint in 2013. After examining the “Positio” with the documents of the canonical process, in recent weeks, theologians of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints voted in favour of the former pope’s beatification, without raising any objections. Next 11 December cardinals and bishops of the Congregation will also vote. Having overcome the theologian hurdle, the final “yes” from cardinals looks highly likely.

Benedict XVI could approve what he recognises as Pope Montini’s “heroic virtues” in the next consistory for the promulgation of the decrees on beatifications and canonizations, expected to take place next Christmas. This will conclude the beatification process. Then, before the beatification ceremony takes place all that remains is for the official recognition of a miracle that occurred through the intercession of the candidate to be elevated to the sainthood. In Paul VI’s case, Antonio Mazzaro, the Postulator promoting his cause, has already chosen a healing case which initial analyses proved “unexplainable”, out of the suggestions put forward. The alleged miracle involves the healing of an unborn child which took place sixteen years ago in California.  [Unborn child!  Remember, that Papa Montini is the father of Humanae Vitae!]

During the pregnancy, doctors found a serious problem in the foetus and because of the repercussions it would have had on the brain, they advised the young mother that the only solution was to abort. The woman had wanted to follow the pregnancy through and entrusted herself to the intercession of Paul VI, the pope who wrote the “Humanae Vitae” encyclical in 1968. The child was born without problems but the family would have to wait until the age of 16 to have full confirmation perfect healing. Although the Vatican’s examination of the miracle will formally begin after the announcement of the candidate’s heroic virtues, this could all be over and done with quite quickly.

Benedict XVI has followed developments in his predecessor’s cause for beatification closely. Paul VI appointed Ratzinger Archbishop of Munich and cardinal. After beatifying John Paul II - the pope with whom he collaborated for a quarter of a century - in record breaking time last year, Ratzinger expects to do the same for the late Brescian pope, Montini. After leading the Council and concluding it with almost complete unanimity, Montini was a suffering witness at the time of the student protests of 1968 in Italy and continued to highlight the Church’s Credo through speeches and encyclicals, without ever taking any steps back in relation to the path marked out by the Second Vatican Council.

John Paul I’s (renowned for his holiness throughout the world) beatification cause is also being deliberated on alongside Paul VI’s, while Pius XII’s was approved in 2009 [no thanks to historical revisionists!!] with the promulgation of the decree of heroic values but a miracle is yet to be selected to be presented to the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints, the Vatican dicastery led by Cardinal Angelo Amato who deals with new sainthood causes.

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Lots of teeth gnashing when the beatification takes place!