Pope Benedict XVI Blog: John Paul II on fast track for sainthood: if martyr, would eliminate need for miracle

Saturday, July 02, 2005

John Paul II on fast track for sainthood: if martyr, would eliminate need for miracle

How quickly the Holy Spirit is moving in the beatification cause for John Paul II:

Philadelphia Inquirer

Posted on Sat, Jul. 02, 2005

Cardinal says John Paul II may be a martyr

Though the late pontiff is close to beatification, martyrdom would eliminate the miracle requirement.

By Nicole Winfield
Associated Press

ROME - Vatican officials no longer are dismissing outright the notion that Pope John Paul II could be declared a martyr, a step that could remove the need for a confirmed miracle to beatify the late pontiff and make it easier for him to become a saint.

Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins, prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, said yesterday that it was up to groups of theological experts to decide whether the May 13, 1981, attempt on John Paul's life - as well as his long, public suffering before he died - warranted a declaration of martyrdom.

"In a technical, theological, juridical and canonical sense, the martyr gives his life for the faith," Saraiva Martins said in response to questions at a news conference, according to the Apcom news agency.

"We have to verify the motive for the attempt on the life of [Karol] Wojtyla. And this will be the work of theologians."

Ever since Pope Benedict XVI announced on May 13 that he was putting John Paul on the fast track to be beatified, questions have swirled about whether he could be declared a martyr. Doing so would remove the need for the Vatican to confirm that a miracle attributed to John Paul's intercession had occurred after his April 2 death - a necessary step for beatification.

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As shown in the AP news article, "John Paul II Placed on Path to Sainthood" and AP video "Process to Beatify John Paul Opens," the Church officially opened the process to beatify John Paul II on Tuesday.

However, details and notification of the date for John Paul II's cause for sainthood were given weeks ago as in this news brief from CWNews.com, dated June 10:

BEATIFICATION CAUSE FOR JOHN PAUL II TO OPEN JUNE 28

1 Comments:

At 9:19 PM, Saint Peter's helpers said...: Wow, I hope that he will be proclaimed a martyr! The whole world saw how his whole life was a total surrender of self unto the end. Thanks for the post Denice.