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The 'Sacred Congregation for the Causes of Saints' (''Congregatio de Causis Sanctorum'') is the congregation of the Roman Curia which oversees the complex process which leads to the canonization of saints, passing through the steps of a declaration of "heroic virtues" and beatification. After preparing a case, including the approval of miracles, the case is presented to the pope, who decides whether or not to proceed with beatification or canonization.
The predecessor of the congregation was the 'Sacred Congregation for Rites', founded by Pope Sixtus V on 22 January 1588 in the Bull ''Immensa Aeterni Dei''. The congregation dealt both with regulating divine worship, and the causes of saints.
On 8 May 1969, Pope Paul VI issued the Apostolic Constitution ''Sacra Rituum Congregatio'', dividing it into two congregations, the ''Congregation for the Divine Worship'' and one for the causes of saints. The latter was given three offices, those of the judiciary, the Promoter General of the Faith and the historical-juridical.
With the changes in the canonization process introduced by Pope John Paul II in 1983, a ''College of Relators'' was added to prepare the cases of those declared as Servants of God.
The current Prefect is His Eminence José Cardinal Saraiva Martins, while the current secretary (appointed 5 May 2007) is Archbishop Michele Di Ruberto, who takes over from Archbishop Edward Nowak who was appointed as Assessore of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre.

Contents

Current process

Assessing of miracles

Pre-Congregation

Prefects of the Congregation for Rites since 1903

Prefects of the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints

Secretaries of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints

The Congregation in Popular Culture

External links

Current process

The steps for the recognition of the miracle follow the new rules laid down in 1983 by the apostolic constitution Divinus perfectionis Magister. The new legislation establishes two procedural stages: the diocesan one and that of what is known as the Roman Congregation. The first takes place within the diocese where the prodigious event happened. The bishop opens the enquiry on the presumed miracle in which the depositions of the eyewitnesses questioned by a duly constituted court are gathered, as well as the complete clinical and instrumental documentation inherent to the case. In the second, the Congregation examines the documents sent and eventual supplementary documentation, pronouncing its judgment on the matter.

Assessing of miracles

The miracle may go beyond the possibilities of nature either in the substance of the fact or in the subject, or only in the way it occurs. So three degrees of miracle are to be distinguished. The first degree is represented by resurrection from the dead (quoad substantiam). The second concerns the subject (quoad subiectum): the sickness of a person is judged incurable, in its course it can even have destroyed bones or vital organs; in this case not only is complete recovery noticed, but even wholesale reconstitution of the organs (restitutio in integrum). There is then a third degree (quoad modum): recovery from an illness, that treatment could only have achieved after a long period, happens instantaneously.

Pre-Congregation

Prior to the congregation, the process of canonization was highly fragmented, with many saints being declared by localities, and with little evidence.

Prefects of the Congregation for Rites since 1903

★ Luigi Cardinal Tripepi (7 Jan 1903 - 29 Dec 1906)

★ Sebastiano Cardinal Martinelli, O.S.A. (8 Feb 1909 - 4 Jul 1918)

★ Scipione Cardinal Tecchi (8 Nov 1914 - 7 Feb 1915)

★ Antonio Cardinal Vico (11 Feb 1915 - 25 Feb 1929)

★ Camillo Cardinal Laurenti (12 Mar 1929 - 6 Sep 1938)

★ Carlo Cardinal Salotti (14 Sep 1938 - 24 Oct 1947)

★ Clemente Micara (11 Nov 1950 - 17 Jan 1953)

★ Gaetano Cardinal Cicognani (7 Dec 1953 - 18 Nov 1954)

★ Arcadio Larraona Saralegui (12 Feb 1962 - 9 Jan 1968)

★ Benno Cardinal Gut (29 Jun 1967 - 7 May 1969)

Prefects of the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints

★ Paolo Cardinal Bertoli (1969-1973)

★ Luigi Cardinal Raimondi (1973-1975)

★ Corrado Bafile (1976-1980)

★ Pietro Palazzini (1980-1988)

★ Angelo Felici (1988-1995)

★ Alberto Cardinal Bovone (pro-prefect 1995-1998, prefect 1998)

★ José Cardinal Saraiva Martins (1998- )

Secretaries of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints

★ Ferdinando Giuseppe Antonelli, O.F.M. (7 May 1969 to 5 Mar 1973)

★ Giuseppe Cardinal Casoria (2 Feb 1973 to 24 Aug 1981)

★ Traian Crisan (7 Dec 1981 to 24 Feb 1990)

★ Edward Nowak (24 Feb 1990 to 5 May 2007)

★ Michele Di Ruberto (5 May 2007- )

The Congregation in Popular Culture

In the movie Stigmata, the main character, Fr. Andrew Kiernan, played by Gabriel Byrne, identifies himself as an investigator for the congregation by saying, "I am a priest, but I'm also an investigator. I work for a division of the Vatican called the Congregation of the Causes of the Saints."

External links

★ Congregation for the Causes of Saints

★ Giga-Catholic Information