Congregation for the Causes of Saints

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The 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.

Stages of Canonization in the Roman Catholic Church
Servant of God → Venerable → Blessed → Saint

1 Pre-Congregation
2 Prefects
3 The Congregation in Popular Culture
4 External links

[edit] Pre-Congregation

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

[edit] Prefects

Paolo Cardinal Bertoli (1969-1973)
Luigi Cardinal Raimondi (1973-1975)
Corrado Cardinal Bafile (1976-1980)
Pietro Cardinal Palazzini (1980-1988)
Angelo Cardinal Felici (1988-1995)
Alberto Cardinal Bovone (pro-prefect 1995-1998, prefect 1998)
José Cardinal Saraiva Martins (1998- )

[edit] 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."