The Process of the Beautification; the Significance of Imprimatur; Church’s Stance
Church of St. Mary the Greek in Corato, Italy
· 1994: The Vatican gave “Non Obstare” to Mons. Carmelo Cassati, Archbishop of Trani-Barletta-Bisceglie to start the cause of beatification and Luisa Piccarreta automatically became a Servant of God.
(Before a bishop can begin an investigation of any person’s Cause of Beatification he must first obstain permission from the Vatican, otherwise known as the Holy See. The Congregation for the Causes of Saints grants this permission on behalf of the Holy See only after consulting all the other appropriate Curial offices of the Vatican to determine whether there are any objections to the candidate’s cause proceeding. Following this requirement the Most Reverend Carmelo Cassati, Archbishop of Trani-Barletta-Bisceglia, the archdiocese in which Luisa died, sought permission from the Vatican to proceed with her Cause. By way of an official letter dated February 24, 1994, the Congregation for the Cause of Beatification of Saints declared, “on the part of the Holy See the Non Obstare for the opening of the Cause of Beatification of the Servant of God, Luisa Piccarreta.” )
· November 20, 1994: The cause of beatification was opened officially on the Feast of Christ the King.
· January 1996: Then Cardinal Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI) released 34 volumes of the Book of Heaven to Archbishop Cassati as part of the protocol for process of Luisa’s Cause of Beatification.
· March 1997: On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Luisa’s death, it was announced publicly that the Tribunal Responsible for Luisa’s Cause had determined unanimously that her life was one of heroic virtue and that her mystical experiences were authentic.
· October 28, 2005: The cause of beatification was officially concluded at the diocesan phase.
· November 7, 2005: All the official documents were transferred to the Vatican.
· March 7, 2006: Congregation for the Causes of Saints opened the box (started the cause) officially.
· 2008: Congregation for the Causes of Saints appointed two independent, highly qualified theologians – Fr. Antonio Resta, President of the Pontifical Theological Seminary in Italy; Fr. Cosimo Reho, dogmatic theologian – to review Luisa’s writings.
· End of 2009: one of two theologians gave his positive judgment.
· July 19, 2010: the other theologian gave his positive judgment.
“Positive judgment” means that there are no teachings in Luisa’s writings contrary to Catholic Faith and Moral. It also means that the Church recognizes the legitimacy and authenticity of her writings.
<Significance of Imprimatur>
· Ecclesiastical permission, expressed only with the word imprimatur, means that the work is free from errors regarding Catholic faith and morals.
· Approval granted by competent authority shows that the text is accepted by the Church or that the work is in accordance with the authentic doctrine of the Church (can. 661).
· As Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger explained when he was head of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith:
“Ecclesiastical approval of a private revelation has three elements: the message contains nothing contrary to faith or morals; it is lawful to make it public; and the faithful are authorized to accept it with prudence.”
· Although the Imprimatur and Nihil Obstat may be given by the local bishop for his diocese, one ought not to lose sight of the fact that these official seals, though given locally and within one diocesan jurisdiction, customarily transcend juridical boundaries by virtue of episcopal collegiality and their acceptance by other bishops the world over.
· The fact that bishops can issue Imprimaturs is a significant sign that they are acts of the Magisterium. (The archbishop of Trani gave his handwritten Imprimatur directly on those original manuscripts of Luisa.)
<What is Church’s stance on Luisa Piccarreta?>
· Since she has not yet been declared “Venerable” there is nothing that yet amounts to formal Vatican “approval” of Luisa’s writings.
· Vatican’s current, official position on Luisa’s sanctity and her writings is neutral. The Catholic Church does not yet officially give them her full “approval,” but neither does she “condemn” them.
· The Archbishop promoting Luisa’s Cause is doing so in strict accord with Canon Law and in complete harmony with Rome. This includes a careful and comprehensive review of Luisa’s writings by competent, independent experts in theology.
· In summary, the record is entirely clear concerning the writings of Luisa. Anyone can read them with a clear conscience and be completely at peace.
<The Process of Beatification for the Servant of God Luisa Piccarreta.docx>
3/8 Pope Leo XIII grants the Most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in Luisa’s room in 1898
On this day in 1898 Pope Leo XIII granted that the Most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass could be Offered in Luisa’s room. Information is from the Book The Sun of My Will – Luisa Piccarreta – by Maria Rosaria Del Genio. That book was Published by the Vatican Library after Luisa’s death. Luisa became the first person who was not yet declared either a Saint or Blessed to have a Book concerning her life published by the Vatican Library.
3/7 Funeral Liturgy and Burial of Luisa Piccarreta in 1947
1947 – Funeral Liturgy and Burial of Luisa Piccarreta
Biography by Padre Bucci, OFM
“More than forty priests, the Capitolo [the Ecclesiastical authorities] and the local Clergy, were present; the sisters, who brought her on their shoulders in turns, and an immense crowd of citizens. The streets along which the procession was to pass, were packed – incredibly; even the balconies and the roofs of the houses were crammed with people, and the procession proceeded with great difficulty. The funeral was celebrated in the Matrice Church by the entire Capitolo. All the people of Corato followed the body of Luisa to the cemetery, and everyone tried to bring home a souvneir of the flowers which had accompanied and touched the body. A few years later, the body of Luisa was transferred to her Parish Church of Santa Maria Greca, where she is humbly waiting for her glorification.”
3/6 In answer to the Servant of God Luisa Piccarreta’s request for Mercy,
St. Mary Faustina of the Blessed Sacrament
was born the following year on August 25, 1905
+St. Faustina died in the odor of Sanctity the evening of October 5, 1938
Poland, the birthplace of the Divine Mercy message, and also of Saint John Paul II (Mary’s “Masterpiece” in a message of the Blessed Mother’s to Fr. Gobbie), points to a more positive sign of the times—the gradual reconciliation of the Eastern and Western Churches. The period between Luisa’s death and the opening of her cause for beatification coincided with a grace-filled movement toward reconciliation between the Church of Rome and the ancient Churches of the East, especially the Orthodox Church. Luisa’s Cause was opened during the Pontificate and approval of Saint John Paul II.
As a meeting place for the Latin Rite Catholics of the West, and the Orthodox and Byzantine Catholics of the East, Poland gave to the world the devotion to the Divine Mercy that combined the Trisagion prayer of the Byzantine liturgy “Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, Have mercy on us and on the whole world” (Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostrom), with the use of the Rosary. Luisa is also connected to this same prayer, which the Priest would say while at the same time making the sign of the Cross on her hand to command her soul to return to her body. This connection between Luisa and Poland, the home of Saint John Paul II, is made even more clear by the date of Luisa’s death on March 4, 1947—the Feast Day of St. Casimir of Poland.
St. Casimir of Poland—Feast Day March 4th. He was third of the 13 children of King Casimir IV of Poland and Elizabeth of Austria, daughter of Emperor II of Germany. He was born at the royal palace in Cracow on October 3rd. Many miracles were reported at his tomb, and he was canonized by Pope Adrian VI in 1522. He is the Patron of Poland and Lithuania.
As Cardinal Archbishop of Cracow, Wojtyla ordered a theological review of St. Faustina’s diaries, which had been condemned by the Holy See. As a result of the inquiry, the prohibition against the spread of her writings was removed. Six months later, Wojtyla was elected to the Chair of Peter. As Saint John Paul II, he published one of his first encyclicals on the Mercy of God, and acknowledged the importance of Blessed Faustina and her writings by beatifying her on the Feast of Divine Mercy. The beatification of Saint Faustina attracted new interest in the prophetic content of her diaries, which predicted the Second Coming of Jesus.
Little Daughter of the Divine Will, Luisa Piccarreta
Volume 6; April 16, 1904
Jesus and God the Father speak about Mercy.
Continuing in my usual state, I (Luisa) found myself outside of myself, and I saw a multitude of people, and in their midst one could hear noises of bombs and gun shots. People were dropping dead or wounded, and those who were left would flee up to a building nearby; but the enemies would go up there and kill them, more surely than those who remained outside. So I said to myself: “How I wish I could see whether the Lord is there in the midst of these people, so as to say to Him: ‘Have Mercy – Pity on these poor people!’” So I made my Round and made my Round and I saw Him as a little Child; but little by little He kept growing, until He reached the perfect age. I drew near Him and I said: “Amiable Lord, don’t You see the tragedy that is happening? You don’t want to make use of Mercy any more? Do You perhaps want to keep this attribute as useless, that has always Glorified Your Incarnate Divinity with So Much Honor, forming a Special Crown on Your august Head, and Bejeweling You with a second crown, so Wanted and Loved by You – which are the souls?”
Now, while I was saying this, He (Jesus) told me: “Enough, enough, do not go any further; you want to speak of Mercy, and what about Justice – what are we going to do with It? I have told you and I repeat to you: ‘It is necessary that Justice follow Its course’.” So I replied: “There is no remedy – why then leave me on this earth when I can no longer placate You and suffer in the place of my neighbor? Since it is so, it is better if You let me die.” At that moment I saw another Person behind the shoulders of Blessed Jesus, and He told me, almost making a sign with His Eyes: “Present yourself to My Father and see what He tells you.” I presented myself, all trembling, and as soon as He saw me, He (God the Father) told me: “Why have you come to Me?” And I: “Adorable Goodness, Infinite Mercy, knowing that You are Mercy Itself, I have come to ask for Your Mercy – Mercy on Your very images, Mercy on the works Created by You; Mercy upon no other but Your creatures themselves.”…
3/5 Temptations can be conquered easily. Where there is passion, the devil has more strength.
Book of Heaven
3/25/08 – Vol. 8
Continuing in my usual state, blessed Jesus came for just a little and told me: “Daughter, temptations can be conquered easily, because the devil is the most cowardly creature that can exist, and a contrary act, a contempt, a prayer, are enough to make him flee. In fact, these acts render him even more cowardly than he is, and in order not to bear that confusion, as soon as he sees the soul resolute in not wanting to pay attention to his cowardice, he flees terrified.
Now, if the soul cannot easily free herself, it means that it is not only a temptation, but a passion rooted within the soul, which tyrannizes her together with the temptation. Therefore, she is unable to free herself; and where there is passion, the devil has more strength to make fun of the soul.”
3/4 On this day the Transit into Heaven in 1947 of Luisa Piccarreta, Little Daughter of the Divine Will
THE LAST WORDS OF LUISA PICCARRETA, HER SPIRITUAL TESTIMONY
March 4, 1947
“Now I die with greater contentment, because the Divine Will has Consoled me more than usual with Its Presence in these last few moments of my life. Now I see a Long, Beautiful and Spacious Road, all Illuminated by an Infinite number of Resplendent Suns – Oh, yes, I recognize them! They are all my Acts done in the Divine Will! This is the Road that I Must Now take; it is the Road that the Divine Will has Prepared for me. It’s the Road of my Victory: it’s the Way of my Glory, which will Unite me with the Immense Happiness of the Divine Will. It’s my Road; it’s the Road that I have Prepared for you. It’s the Road that I will keep Reserved for all the souls who will ever want to Live in the Divine Will.”