The Sisters of Compassion have announced that as part of the process for obtaining the canonisation of Suzanne Aubert, an historical consultation took place on 4th February. The votes were unanimously positive for her cause to proceed.
The process for seeking sainthood for Suzanne Aubert began in the 1980s. Jessie Munro wrote a biography of her life and the investigation of three recorded miracles began.
In 1997 the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference agreed to support the first part of the formal process, called the “Introduction of the Cause of Suzanne Aubert”.
Now that historical consultation has been completed the next step in the process is a theological consultation by a panel of theologians. A panel of nine theologians in the Congregation of Saints judge whether the case has merit.
If their decision is affirmative, they offer the cause to the Bishops and Cardinals who work in the Congregation.
If the Bishops and Cardinals approve, the case is given to the Pope for his personal decision.
A decree on the heroic nature of Suzanne Aubert’s virtues would be issued and she would be given the title of Venerable.
The penultimate step in the process is the approval of a posthumous miracle, which would lead to Suzanne Aubert’s Beatification. A person who is beatified is given the title “Blessed”
After beatification the Church looks for a second posthumous miracle before proceeding to canonisation.
The consent of the Holy Father to the decision of the Congregation results in a Decree of a Miracle. Canonisation would then be possible.
Source
- Archbishop John Dew’s Newsletter 20 February 2014
- NZCBC
- Image: nzhistory.net.nz
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