Cardinals set to vote to canonize Carlo Acutis, 14 others

By Christopher Wells

On the night of July 9 to 10, 1860, eight Franciscan brothers and three lay Christians of the Maronite rite were martyred in the Franciscan convent of Syria during a Druze uprising against local Christians.

Today, almost 100 years after their beatification by Pope Pius XI, Emanuele Ruiz and his companions, including brothers Francesco, Abdel-Mooti and Raffaele Massabki, are one step away from sainthood.

On Monday, July 1, Pope Francis will preside over an ordinary public consistory during which the cardinals present in Rome are expected to give their formal agreement to proceed with their canonization.

The Martyrs of Damascus

The first holy millennium

During the ceremony, which will begin with the celebration of the liturgical hour of Tierce, the cardinals will also examine the causes of three founders of religious orders, as well as that of Bd Carlo Acutis, the young 15-year-old web designer who must to become the first “millennial” saint.

Born in 1991, Carlo Acutis was known for his devotion to Eucharistic miracles and Marian apparitions, cataloging them on a website he designed before his death in 2006 from leukemia. His relics can be visited in Assisi, famous as the home of Saint Francis, for whom Blessed Carlo had a deep devotion.

Blessed Carlo Acutis

Founders of religious orders

Of the three founders of religious orders, two – Father Giuseppe Allamano and Elena Guerra – were Italian, while the third, Marie-Léonie Paradis was Canadian.

Born in 1840 in the French-speaking province of Quebec, Élodie Paradis (Marie-Léonie was her religious name) first joined the Sisters of the Holy Cross before founding the Little Sisters of the Holy Family, dedicated to domestic needs in the domain. of education in Canada.

Father Giuseppe Allamano, founded the Consolata Missionaries and the Consolata Missionary Sisters, while also serving as the presbytery of the Shrine of Our Lady of Consolation (Sanctuary of the Madonna Consolata) in Turin, Italy. His idea for an annual day for missionaries came to fruition shortly after his death, when Pope Pius XI established World Mission Day.

Blessed Don Giuseppe Allamano

Elena Guerra, born in Lucca, Italy, had a great devotion to the Third Person of the Trinity and founded the Oblates of the Holy Spirit. During her lifetime, she was particularly concerned with the education of Chinese and African girls.

The Consistory

At the ordinary public Consistory in July, cardinals who reside in Rome or are in the city will be invited to vote formally on the causes presented to them.

The ceremony is normally a formality, as the various cases have been carefully examined and approved by the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints. The announcement of the dates of the various canonizations depends on a positive vote from the cardinals.