Catholic World News News Feature

Decrees clear the way for canonizations, beatifications April 28, 2006

The Congregation for the Causes of Saints has released a series of decrees regarding candidates for beatification or canonization.

The decrees were approved by Pope Benedict XVI during an April 28 private audience with Cardinal José Saraiva Martins, the prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. They involve:

Recognition of miracles attributed to the intercession of 4 candidates who are already beatified, and have now met the standards for canonization:

1. Blessed Filippo Smaldone (1848- 1923), an Italian priest;
2. Blessed Rafael Guizar Valencia (1878- 1938), a Mexican bishop;
3. Blessed Rosa Venerini (1656- 1728), the Italian founder of the congregation of Maestre Pie (Venerini sisters); and
4. Blessed Teodora Guerin (1798- 1856), born in France as Anna Teresa, who in the US founded the Sisters of Providence of St. Mary of the Woods.

Recognition of miracles attributed to the intercession of 3 candidates for beatification, for whom those ceremonies may now be scheduled:

1. Basile Antonio Maria Moreau (1799- 1873), a French Holy Cross priest;
2. Mariano de la Mata Aparicio (1905- 1983), a Spanish Augustinian priest; and
3. Margarita Maria Lopez de Maturana (1884- 1934), a Spanish founder of the Missionary Sisters of Mercy.

Seven decrees recognizing the martyrdom of 11 candidates-- 10 martyrs of the Spanish Civil War, and one Hungarian victim of Communism-- who may now be scheduled for beatification:

1. Cruz Laplana y Laguna (1875- 1936), a Spanish bishop; and Fernando Espanol Berdie (1875 - 1936), a Spanish priest;
2. Narciso Estenaga Echevarria (1882- 1932), a Spanish, bishop;
3. Libero Gonzalez Nombela (1896 - 1936), a Spanish priest;
4. Eusebio del Bambino Gesu (1888 - 1936), a Spanish Carmelite priest;
5. Felice Echevarria Gorostiaga (1893 - 1936), a Spanish Franciscan priest;
6. Teodosio Rafael ne Diodoro Lopez Hernandez (1898 - 1936), a Spanish religious brother, and 3 companions; and
7. Sara Salkahazi (1899 - 1944), a Hungarian nun.

Testified that 8 other candidates lived lives of "heroic virtue." These candidates may now be beatified if a miracle is certified through their intercession:

1. Ciriaco Maria Sancha y Hervas (1833- 1909), a Spanish cardinal;
2. Vincenza Maria Poloni ne Luigia (1802 - 1855), an Italian religious;
3. Maria Bucchi ne Maria Matilde (1812 - 1882), an Italian religious;
4. Esperanza Gonzalez Puig (1823 - 1885), a Spanish religious;
5. Coromina Agusti, Spanish (1824 - 1893), a Spanish religious;
6. Maria Dolores Marquez Romero de Onoro (1817 - 1904), a Spanish religious;
7. Maria Rosa Flesch (1826 - 1906), a German religious; and
8. Giuseppina Nicoli (1863 - 1924), an Italian religious.