Pope Benedict XVI signed a decree on Saturday recognizing the "heroic virtues" of Pope John Paul II and Pope Pius XII, a move that advances both of the late pontiffs along the path to sainthood.
Pope Benedict was widely expected to approve the candidacy of John Paul II, who he placed Vatican fast-track to sainthood shortly after the cries of "santo subito, or "sainthood now," rang out during his funeral in the spring of 2005.
Pope Benedict's decision to approve the heroic virtues of Pius XII, however, came as a surprise. Supporters of Pius XII, who led the Roman Catholic Church during World War II, have long pushed for his sainthood. The campaign has stumbled over the years, however, amid criticism from Jewish groups who say Pius XII didn't take sufficient action to challenge the deportation of European Jews to Nazi death camps.
Both popes still have a number of hurdles to clear before they reach sainthood. Pope Benedict and Vatican officials will review evidence that each man intervened from beyond the grave to perform miracles. One papal-approved miracle is required for a person to reach beatification, whereby the candidate is declared "blessed." A second papal-approved miracle is necessary for canonization, or sainthood.
I burst out laughing at the image of the two popes clearing hurdles from beyond the grave. And the miracle proof requirement for sainthood is ludicrous.
Jewish groups are not the only people who question Pius XII's weak protests against the Nazis during the Holocaust. Many thinking Gentiles have questions, also. The Vatican says if Pius XII had spoken out strongly, he would have made the situation worse.
From Yahoo News:
The Anti-Defamation League and American Jewish Committee said the move was premature given the Vatican still hasn't opened up to outside historians its secret archives from Pius' 1939-1958 pontificate. The Vatican says the 16 million files won't be ready until 2014 at the earliest.
"While it is obviously up to the Vatican to determine who its saints are, the church's repeated insistence that it seeks mutually respectful ties with the Jewish community ought to mean taking our sensitivities into account on this most crucial historical era," said David Harris, executive director of the American Jewish Committee.
Abraham Foxman, a Holocaust survivor and the Anti-Defamation League's national director, said he was disappointed that the pope had taken the decision while the historical jury is still out on Pius' record.
"I can't understand the rush, especially while there are still survivors who are alive who feel the issue very, very deeply and are being told the files need time to be processed. What's the imperative?"
What if explosive new and negative information is found in the Vatican archives for the period?
Pius XII and John-Paul II may now be called venerable.
would have made it worse? hmm - I seem to be hearing this lame excuse reprised by the ABC -- today.
ReplyDeleteAnn, I knew I had heard that song recently. Thanks for helping me to remember where I heard it. :-)
ReplyDeleteAs I read this post the ABC was the first thought that came to mind. They must have been tutored from the same textbook.
ReplyDeleteHow could it have possibly been worse?
ReplyDeleteThe Vatican doesn't want us to see all those plane and boat tickets to Argentina.
Meanwhile, Oscar Romero will never reach any sort of beatification because he was a political sort... at least in the eyes of the hierarchy... and the type miracles they want as proof of his holiness -- healings -- are irrelevant to the true miracle of his esse, that he speaks still to the people of El Salvador, Central America and beyond. Frankly, the people are not waiting and already call him San Romero de las Américas.
ReplyDeleteHow could it have possibly been worse?
ReplyDeleteIndeed! And if the information in the archives is damning, the well-tried cover-up strategy can be launched.
Caminante, Oscar Romero is the saint of the people, the best kind of saint to be.
Whiteycat, I, too, thought of the ABC as I read this.
ReplyDeleteEvery time I see a reference to John-Paul II being on the fast track to sainthood, I can't help but think of the beginning of the child molestation scandal that occurred on his watch and how it was handled.
Mimi, if there is new negative information found about Pius XII in the archives, I don't believe it will ever see the light of day.
I think the damning evidence will probably be records of Pius XII hiding war criminals under his skirts.
ReplyDeleteTwo Auntees, I believe that the ABC takes quite seriously the advice from Archbishop Sentamu of York, formerly of Uganda, about his public stance on the odious bill pending in Uganda. I believe he is getting bad advice.
ReplyDeleteCounterlight, could be, could be.
Venerable?
ReplyDeleteThat's not what I call either of them, though I doubt the RCC would use my rather-more-pungent descriptors.
Mark, the present pope would put his fingers in his ears if he heard your pungent descriptors.
ReplyDelete