10
The Southern Cross, September 9 to September 15, 2015
BENEDICT DASWA
How Benedict will become a recognised saint Beatification is the final step before a person may become a saint for the whole Church. STUART GRAHAM explains how Benedict Daswa came to be beatified and what is needed for his possible canonisation.
B
ENEDICT Daswa will be beatified as a martyr on September 13, but for him to be canonised a saint will require an approved miracle. After Cardinal Angelo Amato performs the beatification ceremony in Tshitanini village about 17km outside Thohoyandou, Daswa will officially be known as Blessed Benedict. It means that his cause will have reached the penultimate step before canonical sainthood. What this means is that, roughly put, the Church believes that the blessed is a saint who is with God, but before affirming this definitively, it wants to have one more piece of proof. We may believe he is a saint, and pray to him to intercede on our behalf with God. But he is not yet a saint for the whole Church. “Benedict can become a saint for the whole Church only if he is canonised,” according to Archbishop Stephen Brislin, president of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC). “For this to take place, a sign from God—a miracle in answer to Benedict’s prayers—must take place,” he explained. “Any claims to such a miracle would need to be thoroughly investigated by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, which up to now has made a thorough study of the testimonies given by people who knew Benedict well,” he continued. Archbishop Brislin said it is important that “we pray to this martyr for the faith” with confidence, using the official prayer to obtain favours as a witness for his canonisation. Any answers to prayers, such as
The diocesan procurator of the Benedict Daswa cause, Fr André Bohas MSC, and the cause’s notary, Sr Noelle Albert FDNSC, with a photo of Benedict. an inexplicable healing from illness after prayer through Benedict Daswa’s intercession, should be reported to the promoter of the cause for the canonisation of Benedict in the diocese of Tzaneen. Sr Claudette Hiosan, a promoter of the Daswa cause, has called on Catholics to encourage people to pray “earnestly” through the intercession of Daswa, for the favours they need. Sr Hiosan said it is necessary to pray for and obtain what is known as a “first-class miracle”, attributable solely to the intercession of Daswa, for him to be canonised. “This miracle must be verified, not only by Church officials but also by a team of medical experts appointed by the Holy See,” she said. She hoped the beatification will “encourage more people to ask God for their needs through the prayers and intercession of Benedict Daswa”. According to canon law, the process of documenting the life and virtues of a holy man or woman cannot begin until at least five years after their death. This period ensures that the person has an enduring rep-
utation for sanctity among the faithful. After the minimum of five years, the bishop of the diocese in which the individual died may petition the Holy See to allow the initiation of a Cause for Beatification and Canonisation. If there is no objection by the Vatican dicasteries, in particular the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the permission is communicated to the initiating bishop.
I
n the case of the Daswa cause, the process was officially launched in 2005 by Bishop Hugh Slattery, the now retired bishop of Tzaneen, the diocese in which Benedict died. The diocese first sought the approval of the bishops’ conference and now-retired Archbishop George Daniel of Pretoria, the metropolitan archdiocese under which Tzaneen falls. During this first phase the postulation established by the diocese to promote the cause must gather evidence and testimony about the life and virtues of the Servant of God, as happened with Daswa. The results are then communi-
Günther Simmermacher
THE HOLY LAND TREK
Let Günther Simmermacher guide you with insight and humour through the great sites of the Holy Land and Jordan on a virtual itinerary, examining the great sites of the region and their history. Only R150 (plus p&p) See also www.holylandtrek.com
Chris Moerdyk
MOERDYK FILES
A collection of the best Southern Cross columns by one of SA’s most popular writers. Read about the day Nelson Mandela was sentenced, what the great thurible swinger did at Mass, why a 400km detour was made to save the parents’ blushes, and much more... Only R150 (plus p&p)
Owen Williams
ANY GIVEN SUNDAY
An anthology of the best columns written by the late Owen Williams, The Southern Cross’ long-time contributor. First published in 2004, Any Given Sunday is a wonderful way to spend time with a first-class raconteur and man of deep faith. Only R80 (plus p&p)
Order from books@scross.co.za or www.books.scross.co.za
Southern Cross BOOKS
or call 021 465-5007 or buy at 10 Tuin Plein, Cape Town
On July 4, 2013, Bishop Hugh Slattery and Fr André Bohas celebrated Mass with Pope Francis at the Vatican’s Domus Sanctae Marthae residence, where the pope lives. Afterwards they greeted the Holy Father and gave him a copy of a novena and DVD on Benedict Daswa. cated to the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints. The Acta resulting from the documentary or informative phase of the process are then handed by the sainthood congregation to a relator. He or she is appointed from among the congregation’s College of Relators, whose task is to supervise the cause through the rest of the process. Working with a theological commission established by the congregation, the relator ensures that the positio—a summary of the candidate’s life and virtues—is properly prepared. When the positio is finished, the theological commission votes on the cause. In Daswa’s cause, this happened last October, when the consultors had to decide whether Benedict’s death was a case of martyrdom. This was a crucial point in the cause. If they decided that his death did not meet the criteria for martyrdom, the cause would require an approved miracle before beatification would be possible. But for recognised martyrs, the requirement for a miracle before beatification falls away. The theological consultors voted unanimously that Benedict was indeed a martyr. Th consultors’ recommendation is then passed to the cardinal, archbishop and bishop members of the sainthood causes congregation, who after due consideration vote to determine whether the cause lives or dies. If the vote is affirmative, as it was with Daswa at the congregation’s meeting in January this year, the recommendation of a “Decree of Heroic Virtues” is sent to the Holy Father, who makes a final judgment. Once the candidate’s heroic virtues have been recognised by the pope, he or she is referred to as “Venerable”. Once the beatification is held, the Venerable Servant of God is declared Blessed. beatified person (or beatus, if he is male; beata for females) may receive public veneration at the
A
local or regional level, but this is restricted to those dioceses or religious institutes closely associated with the person’s life. While the Church restricts the public veneration of blesseds, Catholics are free to privately venerate them, wherever they are. The reason for this is that beatification is not considered an definitive papal act, and it is not yet appropriate that the entire Church give liturgical veneration to the blessed. So it is possible for Southern African Catholics—or from anywhere in the world—to venerate Benedict Daswa, but it is not permissible for a church in, say, Port Elizabeth to have a liturgical celebration of Bl Benedict’s feast day (on February 1). After beatification the Church will search for a miracle before proceeding to canonisation. Reported miracles that seem credible are studied by scientific and theological commissions in the diocese in which they are reported to have occurred. After the diocesan process is concluded, a scientific and then a theological commission of the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints studies the proposed miracle. To be approved, a miracle must be extraordinary, permanent and inexplicable by natural or scientific laws, and the sought-after result of prayer through a particular candidate for sainthood The vote of this commission is forwarded to the episcopal members of the congregation whose vote is communicated to the Holy Father, if their recommendation is to accept that the miracle meets all the necessary criteria. The consent of the Holy Father to the decision of the congregation results in a Decree of a Miracle. This makes canonisation possible. If the candidate also passes inspection into his or her fidelity to doctrine, theological soundness and personal conduct, the pope may issue a Decree of Canonisation and set a date on which the person will
The official Daswa prayer Prayer to implore favours through the intercession of Blessed Tshimangadzo Samuel Benedict Daswa
O
Blessed Trinity, you filled the heart of your Servant Benedict with great love and zeal in building up your kingdom. You chose him and gave him the courage and the strength to stand up for his faith without fear and bear witness unto death. Loving God, like him, may I always proclaim the truth of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ by the witness of my life. Keep me away from all deeds of darkness. Protect me from evil spirits and all the powers of evil. Make me a true Apostle of Life in my family and in society. Father, through his intercession, and according to your will, grant me the grace that I ask of you…I draw strength and courage from the life of your Servant Benedict in the hope that he will be proposed to the faithful for veneration and as an intercessor and model of holiness. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.