Beatification in the Roman Catholic Church is the declaration that a dead person is among the blessed in heaven, and deserves religious honor. The pope issues the declaration. This formal procedure allows the title “the Blessed” to be prefixed to the name of the individual. Candidates for beatification have gained a reputation for their supreme Christian faith. They have lived a life of piety or holiness and thus are worthy of veneration (honoring). Beatification is an essential first step toward a person’s canonization, the proclamation in the Roman Catholic Church by which a person is given the title of saint. Beatification permits limited public veneration of a person, usually only by Roman Catholics living within a certain diocese, province, or region of the church in which the beatified person lived.
The church formally investigates the case of each candidate for beatification. Under the Code of Canon Law of 1917, beatification was a long drawn-out process. In the late 1960’s, however, Pope Paul VI shortened the procedure considerably. Today, diocesan, regional, or provincial courts conduct the investigation in consultation with the Vatican.
The courts collect all relevant material backing up the candidate’s case and examine it for evidence of sanctity or heroic Christian virtue. The investigators examine the candidate’s writings, along with information about any miracles associated with the candidate, either while still alive or after death. Two officials appointed by the local bishop preside over the investigation. One, the postulator of the cause, promotes the candidate’s case. The other, the promoter of the faith, also known as the devil’s advocate, presents arguments against the beatification that must be answered satisfactorily. The devil’s advocate thus ensures that the entire truth about a candidate be made known. At the end of the process, if the pope agrees to the beatification of the candidate, he will publicly mark the fact with a proclamation and a solemn Mass.
See also Canonization ; Saint .
