John Allen's Advice To The Pope Regarding Pius

I sent a tweet on this yesterday, but for those of you who do not follow me on Twitter, I thought I'd bring this to your attention. John Allen, now of the Boston Globe, has an interesting view on the Pope Pius XII controversy: go ahead and canonise him and that will sort it out. Citing two other Saints whose Causes created tensions with the Jews, St Maximilian Kolbe and our own St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, Allen says that the tensions and controversy died down after the two were canonised, and he is correct there. 

He also states, correctly in my view, that opening all the archives for all to see will not end the controversy. The source of this controversy is not Pius's wartime decisions and actions (nor even his perceived non-actions) but rather it is an ideological attack, not on Pius per se, but on the Church and her adherence to orthodox Christian and moral teachings of which Pius has become the symbol. For example in his book The Myth of Hitler's Pope, Rabbi David Dalin, defending Pius counselled his fellow Jews not to get involved in the controversy because it was not about the Pope's wartime record, but rather liberal Catholics ongoing revolt against Catholic teaching.

The Holy Father has said in a recent interview that he is opening the archives to let people see what Pius actually did.  That process is already underway - Pope Benedict initiated it and it is due to be complete in the next year or so. In the interview Francis also revealed his affection for Pius. 

I think I agree with John Allen, at this stage most of the evidence is out there, the critics have chosen to ignore it and just keeping banging on their tin drums, so the Cause must proceed. As I indicated in a previous post, I do not think it is a good idea to dispense with the need for a miracle, but when one is accepted it is up to the Holy Father to decide to beatify or take the unusual step, which falls within his prerogative, and proceed straight to canonisation.

By the way, my Twitter account is @jshocds, so you're welcome to follow me.

Pius's Cause "Blocked"?

I sometimes wonder when the Holy Father is interviewed if what he actually said is reported or, if it is, are there difficulties in translation, or the Holy Father uses obscure or incorrect words by mistake, or is it the case that what he said and what he meant has been communicated accurately and correctly?  I am asking these questions again following his recent interview in which he is said to have said that the Cause of the Venerable Pius XII is "stalled" or, as the Times of Israel would have it, "blocked". One of the things I do miss when it comes to this papacy is the clarity of Pope Benedict; when he spoke you knew what he was saying, even though the press often misreported what he said.

Anyway, I have to wonder at talk of Pius's Cause being "blocked" or "stalled". The initial report said that Francis, answering a question on the current status of the Cause, said there was no miracle and so the Cause was stalled. Now, to be honest, I do not want to contradict the Holy Father (if that is what he said), but I do not think "stalled" is a word I would use when it comes to the progress of a Cause, and certainly not of a recent Cause. And certainly not of one in which at least one alleged favour is reported to be under investigation at Diocesan level. We could say stalled if a Cause has been waiting on a miracle for a long time and no sign of a favour. For example the new Saints he canonised, their Causes may have said to have stalled since there was no sign of a miracle for Blessed Peter Faber or Blessed Angela of Foligno. I presume it was because their Causes had stalled he used his prerogative to canonise them.

What is more interesting was what the Holy Father said next: "I can't think of whether I will beatify him or not". What does that mean? Now remember he was coming back from a trip to the Middle East, and had just left Israel after a successful trip but having made a gesture that may well cause problems between the Church and the State of Israel in the months to come - the Holy Father's spontaneous stop at the Israeli security wall and praying at it as if at the Western Wall. That offended many Israelis, and I can only presume that he did not want to offend them again by saying he will beatify Pius. So, maybe, he ducked. 

As we have come to expect, the Holy Father's response is intriguing if not clear. I would certainly hope that when a miracle comes and if he is still on the Chair of Peter he will beatify Pius - to do otherwise could be interpreted as a political move, and certainly it would be hard to defend such a decision, not when the historical record with regard to Pius's position in World War II has been clarified and the evidence supporting his heroic efforts to save Jews is there even if his critics refuse to engage with it.  In saying what he said, is the Holy Father wondering whether or not to dispense the need for a miracle and beatify Pius, is he mulling over the possibility? Certainly that would confirm rumours coming from Vatican sources. Pope Francis seems to have a less administrative approach to Causes, he likes to dispense and it seems this may well be a norm for him in this pontificate.

Well, I think Francis should not worry about what to do, to dispense or not to dispense. I don't think he should dispense the need for a miracle for Pius, but rather allow the Cause proceed as per the administrative process. I say this for two reasons in particular. First beatification and canonisation are not the gift of a pontiff, they are a confirmation of what God himself has already done and made clear to the Church on earth; they are, in a sense, the expression of the will of God. The process is there to study the life and virtue of a person and then seek confirmation from God as to whether they are to be glorified.  The Pope can dispense, but in my opinion it should be done rarely, it must not become the norm, and when it is done it should be done for good reasons that most, if not all, the faithful can understand. 

Secondly, given that Pius's beatification will create controversy, I think it is best that it comes in response to a bona fide miracle. To beatify him without one will leave him and his Cause open to another avenue of attack, and we have enough of those to deal with. Let the Cause proceed normally, and when the miracle comes, beatify.  Someone said to me recently that there now seems to be two levels of Blesseds/Saints: those who worked miracles and are beatified/canonised in a ceremony, and those who don't and are beatified/canonised in the office. I'm not sure where to go with that one, but if there is a danger that Pius be seen as a lesser Saint because he was dispensed the miracle it would not be good. 

When the confusion created by his critics has been cleared up, the world has to see that there is much more to the man and the pontiff which is of relevance to the People of God in every age. Let his glorification come as a gift and a sign from God in God's time, as permitted by the process, so the eyes of the faithful can see the holiness of the man and not the controversy that has been created around him.  

Another Excuse For A Party!

One of our new Beati: Blessed Joan of Jesus, OCD

 

Today two great events are happening in the Church - opportunities to celebrate.  First the Holy Father is renewing the consecration of the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Rome - the statue of Our Lady of Fatima has been brought over from the Portugal for the event.  I hope this renewal will bring many blessings and graces.  Following the definitive consecration in 1984 we saw the gradual dismantling of the Iron Curtain and the fall of communism in many countries, most notably Russia.  It is to be noted that first real swipe was in Poland, Blessed John Paul II's home country - the first domino to fall. 

 

Also in Spain, 522 martyrs are to be beatified today, among them eleven of our friars: from Lleida four friars: the Venerables Joan of Jesus, Bartomeu of the Passion, Silveri of St Aloysius Gonzaga and Francesc of the Assumption, together with Francesc's brother, the Venerable Pau Segala Sole, a diocesan priest.  From Tarragona seven friars: the Venerables Vicente de la Cruz, Elipio of St Rose, Pedro of St Elias, Angel of St Joseph, Carlos of Jesus Maria, Jose Cecilio of Jesus Maria and Damian of the Most Holy Trinity.  Four Carmelite Brothers from a congregation founded by one of our friars, Blessed Francis Palau, the Tertiary Carmelites of Education, will also be beatified: the Venerables Julio Alameda Cameraro, Luis Domingo Oliva, Isidro Tarsa Guibets and Buenaventura Toldra.  That congregation has since been integrated into the Discalced friars.  Friars from the Carmelites Ancient Observance are also being beatified in the same group: the Venerable Alberto Maria Aleman, O Carm, priest and eight young Carmelite brothers in formation, and the Venerable Carmelo Moyano Linares, O Carm, priest and nine companions - Carmelite priests, clerics and postulants.  So both branches of the Carmeite Order have reason to celebrate today.

 

I also note that last week Pope Francis canonised the Franciscan Secular Order mystic, Angela of Foligno by equivalence. Another great Saint, so great news. The Holy Father is certain going at saint-making with hammer and tongs.  In his short pontificate so far he used Papal privilege twice, dispensing with the need for a miracle for canonisation in the case of Angela and John XXIII, and I believe he will also do so for his fellow Jesuit, Blessed Peter Fabre.  Benedict used the privilege once, I believe, to canonised St Hildegard, and I think Blessed John Paul also only used it once to canonise St Maximilian Kolbe.  There are rumours that Francis may use it again for Pius XII, dispensing with miracles and beatification and going straight to canonisation.  If he did so it could raise a rumpus, although I think he might be the one who would actually get away with it.  He certainly loves his Saints does our Holy Father!

 

While I love new Saints, as you all know, I do think equivalence and dispensations kept to a minimum and the norms and process adhered to strictly.  One of the accusations often thrown at the Church when it comes to Saints is that is a purely political process and popes canonise their own cronies for ideological reasons.  The requirement for bona fide miracles knocks that accusation on the head.  As regards the time taken to process a Cause, well the quicker the better.  I'm not one of these who thinks every Cause should  be left for fifty year before even looking at it: if the work is done quickly and it is done right and in accordance with the canonical legislation, and there is a miracle, why wait? 

 

All that said we delight in the canonisation of St Angela and offer congratulations to the Franciscans.  And if he is so inclined, I might have a few candidates for the Holy Father - our own Matt Talbot, Fr Willie Doyle (he would have to dispense with the need for process there since the Jesuits have not decided to open a Cause there yet) and we have a lady, a member of our Fraternity, who was known for her holiness; we'd be delighted if the Holy Father would give us our first Saint!

 

Have a good Sunday.