Pope formally proclaims sainthood of Hildegard of Bingen

May 10, 2012

Pope Benedict XVI has formally declared that Hildegard of Bingen is a canonized saint.

Although she has been revered as a saint for centuries, and several Roman Pontiffs have referred to her by that title, the process of canonization was never officially completed in her case. So Pope Benedict eliminated any lingering uncertainty be announcing on May 10 that St. Hildegard should be inscribed in the catalogue of saints. The Pope made this announcement as he approved a series of decrees from the Congregation for the Causes of Saints regarding other candidates for beatification and canonization. (See today’s separate CWN news story.)

St. Hildegard of Bingen (1089-1179) was noted not only as a mystic and theologian but also as a poet, musician, and scientist. In 2010, when he delivered a series of talks on the great thinkers who have shaped the thought of the Church, Pope Benedict devoted two consecutive public audiences to the thought of St. Hildegard of Bingen, noting that her vision was unusually “rich in theological content.” The Pope said that the German mystic’s keen interest in the sciences was a natural outgrowth of her spirituality, since in her eyes “all of creation was a symphony of the Holy Spirit, Who is in Himself joy and contentment.”

 

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Further information:

• Decrees of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints (VIS)
• A great intellectual (L'Osservatore Romano)
• Pope, at audience, speaks on feminine insights of St. Hildegard of Bingen (CWN, 9/8/10)