This week we received an announcement the our Diocese of Paterson will celebrate the Beatification of Pope John Paul II with a special Mass of Thanksgiving at Holy Rosary Church in Passaic on May 1, 2011 at 6 pm.  It is appropriate that this Mass be celebrated in Holy Rosary, since Karol Cardinal Wojtyla celebrated Mass and preached there a short time before he became Pope John Paul II.  This diocesan celebration occurs on the same day as his official beatification in Rome.

The Catholic Church has been venerating the martyrs and saints and asking for their prayers since the days of the catacombs.  Over the centuries, the process of declaring saints has been refined and formalized into the process we call “canonization”.  Pope John Paul II is currently in the latter stages of this process.

Usually the cause for a person’s canonization is begun no sooner than five years after his or her death, unless this requirement is waived by the Pope. It is begun by the bishop of the diocese where the person died, who seeks permission to begin the process.  Information is gathered, especially concerning the candidate’s exercise of heroic virtue.  He or she is now known as “Servant of God”.

The results of the diocesan investigation are sent to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints in Rome for further study, theological examination and judgment.  Upon its recommendation, the Pope may decree that the Servant of God demonstrated heroic virtue and is declared “Venerable”.  At this time, the faithful often begin to pray for a miracle that will attest to the candidate’s saintliness and intercession.

Further critical study and investigation continues.  Once the Venerable is proven either to be a martyr (voluntarily giving his or her life in witness to the faith or heroic charity toward others) or to have effected a miracle through his or her intercession, the Pope formally advances the cause to the next step.  The Venerable now becomes known as “Blessed” in a formal liturgy of beatification, and is venerated with a feast day in local communities connected to his or her life.

Finally, after a second miracle is investigated and confirmed, the Pope, on behalf of the Church, declares that this person certainly enjoys the Beatific Vision, is in heaven, and is worthy of universal veneration.  He or she may now be publically invoked for prayer on our behalf.  In a formal “canonization”, the person is recognized to be a “Saint”, and is added to the canon, or list, of recognized saints in the Church.

We are blessed to be witnessing this process for Pope John Paul II.  We can also aspire to saints ourselves and encourage others to be.  Canonization doesn’t “make” a saint.  Only God does that.  Canonization formally acknowledges one who already is.  So with or without formal canonization, we all can still become what God wants us to be—saints who live and love with Him forever.

Sincerely,

Fr. Paul