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With the Motu Proprio “Maiorem hac
dilectionem” on the offer of life, Pope Francis has
opened the path to beatification for those faithful who,
inspired by charity, have heroically offered their life
for their neighbor, freely and voluntarily accepting
certain and untimely death in their determination to
follow Jesus: he laid down his life for us; and we ought
to lay down our lives for the brethren.” (1 Jn 3:16)
As we know, for centuries the norms of the Catholic Church have
provided that one may proceed to the beatification of a Servant of God along one
of three paths:
1) The path
of martyrdom, which is the supreme imitation of Christ and the greatest witness
of charity. The classic concept of martyrdom consists in:
a)
the voluntary acceptance of a violent death out of love of Christ on the part of
the victim;
b)
the persecutor’s odium for the faith, or for another Christian virtue;
c)
the clemency and forgiveness of the victim who emulates the example of Jesus,
who on the Cross invoked the Father’s mercy for his murderers;
2) The path
of heroic virtues, exercised “swiftly, readily, gladly and above the common way
of conduct, for a supernatural end” (Benedict XIV), and for a corresponding
period of time, or until doing so becomes a habitual way of being and acting in
coherence with the Gospel. It is a matter of theological virtues (faith, hope,
charity), cardinal virtues (prudence, justice, fortitude, temperance), and
“adjunct” virtues (poverty, obedience, chastity, humility);
3) There
is then a third path, lesser known and less travelled, which leads, however, to
the same result as the other two. It is the way of the so-called casus
excepti, thus called by the Code of Canon Law of 1917 (cf. cann.
2125-2135). Their recognition leads to the confirmation of an ancient cult,
which is subsequent to the Pontificate of Alexander III (†1181) and prior to
1534, as established by Urban VIII (1623-1644), the great legislator of the
Causes of Saints. The confirmation of the ancient cult is also called
“equipollent beatification.”
These three paths are still open and passable, but do not appear
sufficient to interpret all possible causes of canonizable sanctity. In fact,
recently, the Congregation for the Causes of Saints has asked “whether
beatification is not deserved by those Servants of God who, inspired by Christ’s
example, have freely and voluntarily offered and immolated their own life for
their brethren in a supreme act of charity, which was the direct cause of death,
thus putting into practice the Word of the Lord: ‘Greater love has no man than
this, that a man lay down his life for his friends’ (Jn 15:13).” (Positio
peculiaris, p. 3)
This introduces a fourth path, which we could call the offer
of life [vitae oblatio]. While having several elements that
resemble both the path of martyrdom and that of heroic virtues, it is a new path
that is meant to value a heroic Christian witness, previously lacking a specific
procedure, precisely because it does not demonstrate all the particular traits
of the cause of martyrdom nor of heroic virtues.
The path of the offer of life, indeed, partially resembles that
of martyrdom because there is a heroic gift of self, up to and including death,
but it is distinguishable because there is no persecutor who seeks to impose the
choice against Christ. Similarly, the path of the offer of life resembles that
of heroic virtues because there is a heroic act of charity (the gift of self)
inspired by Christ’s example, but it is distinguishable because it is not the
expression of a prolonged exercise of virtues and, in particular, of heroic
charity. However, it requires an ordinary exercise of Christian life, which
makes possible and comprehensible the free and voluntary decision to give one’s
own life in a supreme act of Christian love, which surpasses the natural
instinct of self-preservation, by imitating Christ, who offered himself to the
Father for the world, on the Cross.
It is clear, therefore, that all the paths to canonized sanctity
must have a common denominator in charity, which is the “bond of perfection”,
“fullness of the law” and “spirit of sanctity.” Hence, the offer of life cannot
elude the perfection of charity, which in this case, however, is not the result
of a prolonged, willing and joyful repetition of virtuous acts, but is a unique
heroic act which, for its radicalness, irrevocability and persistence usque
ad mortem, fully expresses the Christian option. Thus, theologians teach
that, owing to the “connection” between virtues, where there is a heroic act of
charity, there cannot fail to be a corresponding act of faith, hope, prudence,
fortitude, and so on. It must also be said that the time element, namely, the
duration of the offer, has a relevance of its own. Indeed, if the heroic act of
the offer continues over years, it could in the end fall within the cause of
heroic virtues, which become such not only because they are the expression of
extraordinarily perfect conduct, but also because they endure for a noteworthy
period of time, which Canon Law indicates as a decade of practice in ordinary
cases. To delineate this aspect the Motu Proprio speaks quite
opportunely of an “untimely death”, which does not mean immediate, but neither
so far removed as to transform the heroic act into heroic virtue.
In that circumstance the cause would be modified. Should the
heroic offer of life occur together with the heroic exercise of Christian
virtues, clearly, the juridical procedure will prefer the cause of heroic
virtues, which more fully express the character of the Servant of God, the
holiness and the harmony of his or her spiritual riches. Were it possible to
outline a classification of juridical paths for the verification of canonizable
sanctity, we could conclude that at the first place is martyrdom; at the second
is heroic virtues; at the third the heroic offer of life, up to and including
death. To conclude the rationale we can calmly assert that one who seals his or
her life with a heroic act of charity can be considered a perfect disciple of
Christ and, as such, deserves to be offered as a model of Christian life, if God
himself guarantees the authenticity and exemplarity of it through the reputation
of holiness, proof of miracles and favourable judgment of the supreme authority
of the Church.
The offer of life usque ad mortem, until now has not
constituted a cause in and of itself but, had there been such an offer, it would
have been incorporated, only as a detail, in the cause of heroic virtues, or in
that of martyrdom. It is now clear that this incorporation did not do justice to
a true and, in many respects, moving expression of sanctity. Already Benedict
XIV, the Magister, did not exclude from canonization those who had given their
life in an extreme act of charity, as, for example, providing assistance to
plague victims, which, triggering infection, became a certain cause of death.
All these questions became the object of explicit reflection by
the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, beginning with the Ordinary Congress
of 24 January 2014. The Prefect, Cardinal Angelo Amato, called the question to
the attention of the Holy Father Francis in the Audience of the following 7
February. The Pope “approved and encouraged” the study of this new cause, for
which the Dicastery prepared a Positio peculiaris, with the
complementary contributions of five academics of the Causes of Saints: a
biblical scholar, a professor of dogmatic theology, a specialist in spiritual
theology, a legal expert and a historian.
On 2 June 2016 the Congregation held a
Peculiar Congress comprised of 15 experts (10 consultors
and 5 postulators), different from those of the
Positio peculiaris. The meeting was presided by
Bishop Enrico Dal Covolo, above all in his capacity as
postulator. The discussion focused on five queries
communicated by the Congress, formulated as:
a) Can the
offer of life, followed by death, be determined to be an expression of supreme
and heroic imitation of Christ?
b)
What psychological and theological characteristics should the offer of life have
in order to be considered a heroic act of charity?
c)
Must the offer of life mature in the context of a consolidated Christian life,
or can it be a sudden decision, that is, without remote preparation?
d) Is it
appropriate that the offer of life be a cause, distinct from those of martyrdom
and of heroic virtues?
e) Must the
juridical procedure for eventual beatification per viam vitae oblationis,
beyond the diocesan investigation super vita, virtutibus, oblatione vitae,
fama sanctitatis... also include proof of a miracle?” (Relatio et Vota
Congressus Peculiaris, p. 8)
Each question was answered in writing by
the 15 consultors and postulators who then discussed the
matter in a collegial meeting (congresso). As
noted, the conclusions of the peculiar congresses of the
Congregation for the Causes of Saints are very
important, because they express the reasoned opinion of
the academics and experts who examined the matter in
depth. However, their vote is not deliberative and
binding. In our case, the ample and peaceful in-depth
examination of the Congress led to these conclusions:
a) the
offer of life, followed by death, can be determined to be an expression of
supreme and heroic imitation of Christ, as arises from the New Testament, from
the Tradition of the martyrs and confessors of the faith, from the Magisterium
of the Popes, from the Second Vatican Council and from theological reflection,
above all, in regard to charity;
b)
the offer of life, in the vast majority of cases, matures within a context of
the practice of Christian virtues;
c)
as to the query whether the offer of life must be a cause distinct from those of
martyrdom and of heroic virtues, the majority of votes supported the idea of
configuring a distinct cause, while a minority did not hold it appropriate;
d) as to
the juridical procedure for eventual beatification per viam vitae oblationis,
beyond the diocesan investigation super vita, virtutibus, oblatione vitae, fama
sanctitatis, the majority of consultors and postulators held that a formally
approved miracle is necessary for beatification.
On 27 September 2016, members of the Congregation for the Causes
of Saints took these opinions to the Plenary Session of Cardinals and Bishops.
Here too, the various aspects of the issue were deeply and broadly examined in
the light of doctrine and pastoral considerations. In conclusion, the Cardinals
and Bishops voted favourably for a new path to beatification for those who have
offered their life with explicit and recognized Christian motivations. The need
for a formally approved miracle was also highlighted, as divine confirmation of
human judgment on the offer of life. These conclusions were submitted by the
Congregation for the Causes of Saints to the Holy Father Francis by way of the
letter of 28 November 2016 (Prot. Num. VAR 7454/14).
On 17 January of this year the Secretary of State informed
Cardinal Amato that His Holiness “this 10 January has benevolently approved the
proposal to proceed to the beatification of those Servants of God whose free and
voluntary offer of life was the cause of their death.”
The Congregation was also asked to “draft the text of the
Pontifical Pronouncement” in order to present it for the definitive approval of
the Holy Father. The text of said Pontifical Pronouncement is now the Motu
Proprio “Maiorem hac dilectionem” signed by Pope Francis. This
Papal Document quite rightly states at Art. 2: “The offer of life, in order that
it be valid and effective for the beatification of a Servant of God, must
respond to the following criteria:
1) a free
and voluntary offer of life and heroic acceptance propter caritatem of
a certain and untimely death;
2) a nexus
between the offer of life and premature death;
3) the
exercise, at least as ordinarily possible, of Christian virtues before the offer
of life and, then, unto death;
4) the
existence of a reputation of holiness and of signs, at least after death;
5) the
necessity of a miracle for beatification, occurring after the death of the
Servant of God and through his or her intercession.
Article 3 of the Motu Proprio adds the norms regarding
the canonical investigation of the offer of life and the preparation of the
relative dossier (Positio) for submission to the theologian Consultors
and to the Cardinals: “The celebration of the diocesan or eparchial Inquest and
the relative Positio are regulated by the Apostolic Constitution Divinus
perfectionis Magister of 25 January 1983 [...] and by the Normae
servandae... of 7 February of the same year.” This new regulation on the
offer of life must also be linked, logically, to the Instruction Sanctorum
Mater of 17 May 2007, which is intended to facilitate the proper
application of the legislation of 1983.
Lastly, the Motu Proprio has established that the
dubium – that is, the matter under examination – in causes based on the
offer of life be thus formulated: “An constet de heroica oblatione vitae
usque ad mortem propter caritatem necnon de virtutibus christianis, saltem in
gradu ordinario, in casu et ad effectum de quo agitur” (i.e., whether the
offer of life unto death for reason of charity, as well as at least the ordinary
exercise of Christian virtues, is demonstrated in the cause and for the ends
concerned).
The Holy Father has also ordered that this legislative act be
promulgated by publication in L’Osservatore Romano and that it enter
into force on the day of said publication.
With this provision, not only have the doctrine of canonizable
Christian sanctity and the traditional procedure of the Church for the
beatification of Servants of God been amended, but they have been enriched with
new horizons and opportunities for edifying the People of God, who in their
Saints see the face of Christ, God’s presence in history and the exemplary
implementation of the Gospel.
[originally published in L’Osservatore Romano,
14 July 2017, pp. 6-8]
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