Thanks to Fr Z for passing on the news that the beatification of the Venerable John Henry Newman is "imminent" according to Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins, the Prefect of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Causes of Saints. Apparently also in the pipeline are Louis Martin and Azelia Guérin, the parents of St Thérèse of Lisieux.In the same interview, to be published this week in L'Osservatore Romano, Cardinal Martins speaks of a document, soon to be published, which will promote greater caution and more accuracy in the local diocesan part of the process of canonisation. This is to reflect the "new spirit" introduced by Pope Benedict.
Some people speak critically of Pope John Paul's "saint factory". I would share some reservations about the relaxation of the process and it is no surprise to find Pope Benedict tightening it up a little. This seems to be another "theme" of his pontificate; without in any way casting aspersions on his magnificent predecessor, he is gently correcting some developments that were perhaps over enthusiastic. I do think that Pope John Paul was a great Pope: the effect of his preaching on the communist regimes of Eastern Europe is unquestionable in my view, and Evangelium Vitae must be ranked as one of the great encyclicals of the 20th century. But I don't think we will see Pope Benedict kissing the Qu'ran or letting anyone get away with having bare-breasted dancers doing the offertory procession.
Here is the clip from CNA news which broke the story about Newman's forthcoming beatification:
The clip is a short news piece with some pictures of Newman. When I first saw the embed, I thought that somehow there was actually footage of Newman on YouTube. After the amazing Chesterton video, I wondered if there was anything not available somewhere or another and mused on the possibility of someone actually finding some grainy footage of Cicero delivering part of one of his orations against Catiline :-)
11 comments:
"Cicero delivering part of one of his orations against Catiline :-)"
As if that would have been such a great thing!
Well, to be sure, Cicero knew how to speak, but when the fate of the Republic was at stake, he really was as at sixes and sevens.
Thankfully, Caesar was a stronger and better man!
Cicero was in his element against Antony (in his Philipics) but in those days, without a faction behind you, you were, well, not a great deal. So it was for him.
Anyhow, John Henry Cardinal Newman: Ora Pro Nobis.
the interview never says "imminent" it seems the word is an invention of the CNA. The Cardinal Prefect is obviously keen, as is the Pope, but neither the Medical process nor the theological process have yet been concluded. Interestingly enough the Italian interview published today in the Osservatore Romano says that Newman converted from Anglicanism to Christianity, not as the CNA reports from Anglicanism to Catholicism! An interesting point for dialogue with Lambeth.
Great. When are we going to get to Fr. Faber? who was much holier.
Can we please stop canonising celebrities?
Father,
this news - which would be fantastic if true - is spreading like wildfire through the Catholic internet. However, looking at the actual Osservatore interview - http://www.vatican.va/news_services/or/or_quo/text.html#7 - there is no mention of Cardinal Newman at all.
People are far too taken by the "rock star" papacy of JP II. There is no doubt that he is personally a holy Pope with a good devotion to Our Lady but history cannot be re-written, in that he is the first Pope to see the practising Catholic population of the world go down as a whole. His "saint factory" destroyed the credibility of the canonisation process, so much so that questionable people like Paul VI were just about to be beatified until some of the faithful blew the whistle on him (to name but a few). His ecumenism was verging on religious indifferentism with scandals such as Assisi 1986 and asking St. John the Baptist to protect Islam. In meeting with all the religious leaders, there was no preaching about conversion to the Catholic faith. And yet more ecumenical hospitality was shown to non-Catholics than the SSPX, under JP II's papacy!
Even the Evangelium Vitae document fluffs up the perennial teaching of the Council of Trent on the death penalty.
In all, and as sad it is to say this, his papacy was more dedicated to the "rights of man" rather than the rights of God. But the "JP II we love you" crowd can never fathom this.
Oh we can fathom it alright Ottaviani! It's you who can't fathom us!
Wow, Ottaviani, are you parodying the one-track-mindedness of the nasty screeching trads or is this for real?
Because it is a really good parody if you are. Sure makes me not want to be a trad, or be identified as one, or hang out with trads. Makes me feel like doing a little handshaking at Mass, in fact.
Yep. Good parody is always very instructive.
Jackie - I can fathom the JP II lovers alright and see the results. The people who cannot tolerate any criticism of him, cannot bring themselves to see that overall the church has been not progressed overall but has actually gone even worse. The curial appointments made by JPII have been disastrous on the whole. The church is England is more or less stuck in the "Derek Warlock" era, because ineffectual Cardinals like His Eminence Murphy O' Conor were appointed.
One only has to look at the near open rebellion of most Bishop's conferences to the motu proprio to see this. Bishops were so used to doing their own thing under JP II that, when Pope Benedict came along and did what he did on July 7th, the bishops reacted.
Also, how can anyone excuse the ecumenical overtures of the papacy under JP II? Are Catholics allowed to question acts such as the Quran kissing in 1993 (something that Franciscan martyrs in Morocco died for not doing), that would mitigate his process for beatification? Or shall we be like you, Jackie and Hilary and pretend everything is nice and live according to "Ministry of Truth" from 1984?
And... Hilary - I don't call myself a "trad" (whatever that is?) - I am Roman Catholic. Not a papalatrous one:
"Peter has no need of our lies or flattery. Those who blindly and indiscriminately defend every decision of the supreme Pontiff are the very ones who do most to undermine the authority of the Holy See—they destroy instead of strengthening its foundations."
Melchior Cano - Theologian of the Council of Trent
Ottaviani - the Church got worse under Pope John Paul?!!!
Seriously - do you remember what it was like under Paul VI?
Seriously - do you remember what it was like under Paul VI?
Paul VI did have a disastrous pontificate and start the deluge. Yet JP II had a chance to clear some of it up, with the curial appointments made and using his papal powers to abolish "Bishop's conferences". He could have taken a robust and traditional approach to ecumenism, instead of promoting syncretist and indifferentist prayer gatherings in Assisi (where pagans were encouraged to pray to false gods, and never mentioned the name of Jesus to them). He could have helped to stamp out the abuses in the liturgy (especially his own papal masses) and be the Pope to release the motu proprio.
Yet he didn't. Most of his instructions were flatly ignored by the people purporting to serve him and they did it because they knew they could get away with it.
All his die-hard supporters claimed he couldn't do much but his mind was very much sharp. He knew what he had to do but didn't do it. Some of the notorious bishops wrecking havoc today, were put there by JP II. He knew exactly who Archbishops Piero Marini, Roger Mahoney, Lehaman, Walter Kasper, Angelo Sodano, Cormac Murphy O' Connor and their ilk were and they all got into powers of position. None of them were disciplined at all, because JP II was too busy developing a cult of personality.
What some people here don't seem to understand is that these are not judgements of JP II's soul, but criticisms of his public actions which are in the open for everyone to view and they all mitigate the process of his beatification... well they would if we had the traditional practice of devil's advocate but that was abolished by JP II (not surprisingly).
So perhaps you do not actually remember it personally? I do - and boy, was Pope John Paul II a breath of fresh air!
You have focussed on the negative aspects of his pontificate and, as I hinted in the post, I would agree with some of these. But many of us also thank God heartily for the many positive things he did. Not the least of these was the appointment of Cardinal Ratzinger to the CDF and his constant support of him in this role.
Perhaps this is actually a generational thing. Old fogeys like me perhaps forget just how much we can hope for now...
BTW Nobody here has made the daft allegation that you are trying to judge his soul. You must be thinking of the commenters who come on stream when I write about Tony Blair :-)
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