New rules for miracles at Congregation for Saints
(Vatican Radio) The Cardinal
Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin, under the mandate of Pope Francis, has
approved new Regulations for the Medical Board of the Congregation for the
Causes of Saints.
The Regulations were
published on Friday, signed by Cardinal Angelo Amato, the Prefect of the
Congregation for the Causes of Saints, and Archbishop Marcello Bartolucci,
secretary of the same dicastery.
In a brief introduction it is
explained that the miracle required for the beatification of Venerable Servants
of God and for the canonisation of Blesseds has always been examined with the
utmost rigour. Already in medieval times consultation was sought from medical
experts for whom, on 17 September 1743, a specific Order was created by
Benedict XIV. More recently, Pious XII instituted, at the Congregation of
Sacred Rites, on 20 October 1948, a Commission of Doctors to which he added, on
15 December 1948 a special Medical Council.
On 10 July 1959 John XXIII
unified these two bodies to form a Medical Board, approved by the Regulation.
In the light of new demands and on the basis of the Apostolic Consultation
Sacra Rituum Congregatio of 8 May 1969, a further revision of the provisions of
the Regulation was undertaken, and approved by Paul VI on 23 April 1976.
The promulgation of John Paul
II’s Apostolic Constitution Divinus perfectionis Magister on 25 January 1983
and the experience of recent years on the part of this Congregation have
demonstrated the need to further update the Regulation of the Medical Board. To
this end, revised provisions of the Regulation of the Medical Board of the
Congregation for the Causes of Series have been drafted.
The current text, explains
Archbishop Bartolucci, “is inspired by the previous Regulation approved by Paul
VI on 23 April 1976 and, aside from the linguistic and procedural updating,
introduces some new elements, such as: the qualified majority, to proceed ad
ulteriora to the examination of a presumed miracle, is at least 5/7 or 4/6; the
case cannot be re-examined more than three times; for the re-examination of the
presumed miracle a Board of nine members is required; the mandate of the
president of the Board can be renewed only once (five years, plus another five
year term); all those who are occupied with a presumed miracle (promoters of
the cause, tribunal, postulators, experts, officials of the Dicastery) are held
to secrecy; remuneration for experts shall be paid only via bank transfer; and
the under-secretary shall perform for miracles the functions that the Apostolic
Constitution Divinus perfectionis Magister attributes to the Relator.”
“The purpose of the
Regulation can be none other than the good of the Causes, which can never
neglect the historical and scientific truth of the alleged miracles. Just as it
is necessary for the legal checks to be complete, convergent and reliable, it
is also necessary that their study be performed with serenity, objectivity and
sure competence by highly specialised medical experts and then, at a different
level, by the Congress of theological consulters and by the Session of
cardinals and bishops, eventually reaching the decisive approval of the Holy
Father, who has the exclusive competence of acknowledging an extraordinary
event as a true miracle. This Regulation obviously concerns only the good
functioning of the Medical Board, whose task appears increasingly delicate,
demanding and, thanks be to God, appreciated both inside and outside the
Church.”
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