The statue of St Peter on the left side of the facade of St Peter's Basilica
Two new blesseds: A Lebanese monk and a French Franciscan
The Pope authorises the beatification of Béchara Abou-Mourad
and Gabriele Maria, and recognises the heroic virtues of a Ligurian priest, an
Indian Capuchin friar, and a layman from Brescia.
By Tiziana Campisi
Lebanese priest Béchara Abou-Mourad, a member of the
Basilian Order of the Most Holy Savior of the Melkites, will soon be declared
Blessed following recognition of the miraculous healing, attributed to his
intercession, of a woman confined to a wheelchair.
Pope Leo XIV authorized the Dicastery for the Causes of
Saints to promulgate the decree on
Saturday morning, during an audience with Cardinal Prefect Marcello Semeraro.
At the same audience, the Pope approved the decree for the
equipollent beatification of Gabriele Maria, a French priest of the Order of
Friars Minor and co-founder of the Order of the Most Holy Annunciation of the
Blessed Virgin Mary, confirming the long-standing spontaneous devotion to him.
Three additional decrees recognize the heroic virtues of
Francesco Lombardi, a priest from Liguria; Fausto Gei, a layman from Brescia
and member of the Silent Workers of the Cross; and Theophane, an Indian
Capuchin friar.
A New Lebanese blessed
Born Selim Béchara Abou-Mourad in Zahle, Lebanon, on May 19,
1853, the future Blessed discerned a vocation to the priesthood and religious
life at an early age. He entered the monastery of the Basilian Fathers of the
Most Holy Savior in Sidon and was ordained a priest on December 26, 1883.
He first served as “Master of Discipline” at the Basilian
minor seminary, before being sent to Deir el Qamar for pastoral ministry. With
no church building available, he celebrated Mass in private homes. With the
support of the local bishop, the faithful, and benefactors, he eventually
oversaw the construction of a church. He also founded a private charitable
society and became known for his exceptional charity, apostolic zeal, and deep
spirituality.
He spent his final years at the Convent of Saint Savior,
where he died on February 22, 1930.
The miracle attributed to his intercession concerns the
healing of a woman who had been wheelchair-bound due to a severe degenerative
knee disease diagnosed in 1983. In 2009, after reading a brief biography of
Father Béchara and recalling accounts of healings attributed to him during his
lifetime, she prayed for his help during an especially painful night. The next
day, she was able to walk without assistance and without pain, resuming what
was described as a “perfectly healthy” life.
An observant Franciscan from France
Gabriele Maria, born Gilberto Nicolas around 1460 near the
French town of Riom, is now numbered among the Blesseds too, with a decree
confirming his immemorial cult (equipollent beatification).
Raised in a devout Christian family, he developed a deep
Marian devotion. A sermon on the Immaculate Conception inspired him to embrace
consecrated life. He entered the Observant Franciscans at the convent of
Notre-Dame de Lafond and, after his ordination, taught moral theology to young
friars for nearly two decades.
A decisive moment in his life came when he met with Joan of
Valois, the repudiated wife of King Louis XII of France. Becoming her confessor
and spiritual father, he helped her found the Order of the Annunciation of the
Blessed Virgin Mary in 1501. For some thirty years, he served as superior
general as the new religious family expanded into Belgium, the Netherlands,
England, and Spain.
Within the Franciscan Order, he held numerous leadership
roles, promoting reform and serving as provincial vicar and later as general
commissary. During this period, Pope Leo X gave him the name Gabriele Maria.
A learned and versatile man, deeply devoted to the Virgin
Mary, he played a key role in shaping Franciscan spirituality. Known as a
persuasive preacher and a man of great charity, he lived in poverty and placed
complete trust in God’s will. A spontaneous devotion arose immediately after
his death in 1532 in Rodez, and miracles were attributed to his intercession.
The parish priest of Bussana
Born on February 24, 1851, in Terzorio, Italy, Francesco
Lombardi showed an early vocation to the priesthood. After spending some time
at the Monastery of Santa Scolastica in Subiaco, cut short by poor health, he
completed his studies and was ordained in 1874.
Appointed parish administrator and then pastor of Bussana in
Liguria, he served there for 47 years. Fr. Lombardi distinguished himself
through deep prayer, preaching, catechesis for children and adults, and care
for sacred spaces. He strongly promoted devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
When a devastating earthquake struck on February 23, 1887,
killing 54 people and destroying the church during Ash Wednesday Mass, Lombardi
became a pillar of support for the community. He oversaw the construction of a
new sanctuary dedicated to the Sacred Heart, which became a pilgrimage site and
spiritual center. He also founded numerous social works, including a
kindergarten, a workshop for young women, a home for the elderly, and an
orphanage.
Inspired by Pope Leo XIII’s social encyclical Rerum
Novarum, he promoted a workers’ mutual aid society and a rural credit
bank. In 1902, he established a printing press to publish a periodical
dedicated to the Sacred Heart. He died in Bussana on February 13, 1922.
A man of intense prayer, he spent long hours in Eucharistic
adoration and frequently recited the Rosary, even while walking the streets,
encouraging the faithful to cultivate a life of prayer. Among his pastoral
initiatives were the Apostleship of Prayer, Eucharistic Tuesdays, and spiritual
retreats.
The Capuchin friar from India
Among the new Venerables is Theophane, born Michael, on July
20, 1913, in Kottapuram, in the Indian state of Kerala. Raised in a devout
Christian family, he entered the minor seminary of the Archdiocese of Verapoly
in 1929. Drawn to the Franciscan charism of Francis of Assisi, he joined the
Capuchins in Farangipet and took the name Theophane in 1933.
Ordained in 1941, he served as director of postulants,
chaplain, and retreat preacher. Appointed guardian of the Sacred Heart convent
in Kunnam in 1947, he later served as pastor in Tiruchirapally and Kotagiri,
where he also taught Sacred Scripture and homiletics.
Active in pastoral and social outreach, he founded a convent
dedicated to Saint Bonaventure in Ponnurummi, along with a church and a
seminary for Capuchin vocations. He died on April 4, 1968, in Ernakulam.
Widely regarded as one of the most esteemed Capuchin
preachers of his time, Theophane was known for his humility and closeness to
the poor. Some compared him to Padre Pio of Pietrelcina, especially for the way
he welcomed and prayed for those who sought his counsel. His reputation for
holiness, already widespread during his lifetime, grew further after his death.
The layman from Brescia
Fausto Gei, also declared Venerable today, was born in
Brescia on March 24, 1927. Raised in a Catholic family, he attended the Oratory
of Peace, where Father Carlo Manziana—later Archbishop of Crema—became his
spiritual director.
In March 1945, accused of anti-fascist activity, he was
briefly imprisoned along with a priest and other young men. After the war, he
enrolled in medical school at the University of Pavia, but was soon diagnosed
with multiple sclerosis. As the disease progressed, he lost the use of his
legs, then his hands, and eventually his speech.
After an initial period of deep inner turmoil, he embraced
his condition as a form of apostolate. He met Luigi Novarese and joined the
Volunteers of Suffering movement, later becoming diocesan leader in Brescia.
Through what he called the “apostolate of the pen,” he
maintained extensive correspondence with the sick, encouraging them to take an
active role in the Church’s life. He advocated for greater spiritual assistance
for the infirm and raised awareness among civil and religious authorities about
the needs of the sick and their families.
He died on March 28, 1968, from complications related to
pulmonary edema. Deeply devoted to the Virgin Mary, he recited the Rosary
daily, calling it an “indispensable weapon for overcoming suffering” and
carrying the cross with faith.
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