Now, literally, soon a saint:
John Paul II - 'Santo subito'
Theologians approve a second miracle, and
canonization may take place in October
Translated from
June 18, 2013
VATICAN CITY - The commission of theologians consulted by the Congregation for the Causes of Sainthood has approved a miracle attributed to the intercession of Blessed John Paul II after his beatification. The miracle was certified as 'scientifically unexplainable' last April by the Congregation's medical consultants.
So, after just over eight years since his death, the Polish Pope could be canonized by October 20, the Sunday that falls between Oct. 18, anniversary of his election as Pope, and Oct. 22, anniversary of the formal start of his Petrine ministry, and also his liturgical feast day.
The remaining steps before the expected canonization include approval by all the cardinals and bishops of the full Congregation for the Causes of Sainthood, who will then elevate it to Pope Francis for final approval and a determination of the date for canonization.
The miracle was supposed to have taken place the very evening of May 1, 2011, after John Paul II was beatified by Benedict XVI in St. Peter's Square.
No other details about the miracle have been given out, but last April, a source at the Vatican said that "when the type of healing is known, many will be surprised".
[In July 2012, EWTN News reported the case involves the former mayor of a town in Colombia, who, like the Freench nun whose healing led to John Paul II's beatification, also suffered from Parkinson's disease, the ailment that eventually caused the Pope's death.
http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/miracle-could-lead-to-john-paul-iis-canonization]
The rest of the Repubblica story is maliciously tendentious, claiming that Benedict XVI had 'blocked' progress of his predecessor's canonization in a confrontation before his resignation with Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, who was reported at the time to have sought to pressure Benedict XVI to approve the canonization. But that was at least two months before the medical experts had decided on the presumed miracle presented by the postulator for John Paul II's cause. After having expedited the start of the whole process, the timing of the various stages in the process was no longer in the hands of Benedict XVI!
The Repubblica report goes on to make the absurd statement that the approval by the doctors and by the theologians means "Pope Francis approves of the canonization, otherwise the process would not have progressed". The second half of the article then goes into how Pope Francis is said to have 'unblocked' the process for beatification of eArchbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador after it was 'stalled' under Benedict XVI.
The report cites the gushing account of Romero's postulator, Mons. Vincenzo Paglia, who has lost no opportunity to demonstrate his dislpyalty to Benedict XVI (who named him cursed be the day - president of the Pontifical Council for the Family)... Well, it's Repubblica, which. far longer than Paglia, has been stabbing Benedict in the back every chance it gets *he ought to be mincemeat by now) and is still at it!
As for Mons. Romero's cause, what will Pope Francis do? Tell the Congregation for the Causes of Sainthood to consider his assassination martyrdom for having been killed 'in hatred of the faith' and not just as an act of political vendetta? If Romero's death is considered martyrdom, he will be beatified without requiring a miracle.]
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 19/06/2013 06:08]