Canonization should encourage holiness

CEBU, Philippines - As Blessed Pedro Calungsod approaches to sainthood, Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma hopes this good news will encourage the people to live a life of holiness.

“May this make the people aware of the call of the lay faithful to holiness… We are all called to a life of union with God and a life of mission,” Palma said as he relayed the significance of Calungsod’s canonization.

Palma, also president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, said canonization is a reminder to the people that there is a mission call to make God known.

“We have so many lay people in other places and they are appreciated for being missionaries,” Palma said

By next year, Palma said a date will be set for the canonization of Calungsod.

Last Dec. 19, Pope Benedict XVI received in audience Angelo Cardinal Amato, the Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, and authorized the promulgation of the Decree concerning a miracle of Calungsod.

“By that decree, the Pope has made known to everyone that there is an authentic major miracle wrought about through the intercession of Blessed Pedro,” Palma said in his official statement.

A major miracle is required for the canonization or the formal declaration that Blessed Pedro is a saint. The process lasted for 11 years, from the year 2000 after the beatification until this year.

“The promulgation last Monday was the end of a long process of finding and verifying a major miracle attributed to Blessed Pedro,” Palma said.

“This latest development gives us all the reason to thank Almighty God and to be jubilant because the canonization is near at hand,” Palma said, as he clarified reports from other newspaper which indicated that Calungsod was already canonized.

Palma said 2011 has been studded with important moments of the cause for the canonization of Calungsod.

Last March 24, the Vatican consultor physicians declared that a supernatural healing has occurred. On July 2, the Vatican consultor theologians authenticated that the supernatural healing was due to the intercession of Calungsod.

Then on October 11, the Vatican consultor cardinals, archbishops and bishops unanimously affirmed that what the physicians and theologians declared could point to an authentic major miracle and that it is opportune to declare Calungsod a saint.

“Finally, last Monday, Pope Benedict declared that there is indeed an authentic major miracle attributed to Calungsod,” he said.

On February, the Pope will call cardinals to a consistory to gather their explicit assent to the canonization of Calungsod.

“After that, the day we all are waiting for will be announced – the date of the canonization. Yes, by next year, hopefully, Blessed Pedro will be canonized and will henceforth be invoked as Saint Pedro Calungsod,” he said.

The year 2012 is the 340th anniversary of the martyrdom of Calungsod.

Palma said he will sit down with former Cebu archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, who introduced the cause for Calungsod’s beatification, to discuss initial details of the preparations for the canonization.

“May Blessed Pedro, who braved the hard life in the mission even until martyrdom intercede us especially for our brothers and sisters who have become victims of the typhoon Sendong,” Palma said.

“May he help us ponder on these painful events with faith and thus learn, respond accordingly and grow as persons, as Christians,” he added. (FREEMAN)