Pope Francis took 8 candidates a step closer to sainthood, among them, Polish Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski, Archbishop of Warsaw, known for his heroic stand against Nazism and Communism, according to a bulletin on Vatican radio.

 The Pope, on October 2, received in audience Cardinal Angelo Becciu, the Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints and authorized the promulgation of the decrees concerning the 3 Italians, 2 Spaniards and a Polish, Brazilian and French each.

Three decrees on 3 miracles and 2 on martyrdom clear five candidates for beatification, that will confer on them the title “Blessed”.  They are:

– A miracle, attributed to the intercession of the Venerable Servant of God Stefan Wyszyński, Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church, metropolitan archbishop of Gniezno and Warsaw, primate of Poland; born in Zuzela, Poland on 3 August 1901, and died on 28 May 1981 I Warsaw, Poland.

– A miracle, attributed to the intercession of the Venerable Servant of God Francesco Mottola, diocesan priest, founder of the Secular Institute of the Oblates of the Sacred Heart; born in Tropea, Italy on 3 January 1901, and died there on 29 June 1969.

– A miracle, attributed to the intercession of the Venerable Servant of God Alessandra Sabattini, layperson, born on 19 August 1961 in Riccione, Italy, and died on 2 May 1984 in Bologna, Italy.

– The martyrdom of the Servant of God Juan Roig y Diggle, layperson, born on 12 May 1917 in Barcelona, Spain, and killed during the night between 11 and 12 September 1936 in Gramanet, Spain.

– The martyrdom of the Servant of God Benigna Cardoso da Silva, layperson, born on 15 October 1928 in Santana do Cariri, Brazil, and killed there on 24 October 1941.

After beatification, another miracle would be required by these men and women to be cleared for canonization or sainthood.

The 3 decrees on heroic virtues that confers on the candidates the title “Venerable Servant of God”, are as follows: 

– the heroic virtues of the Servant of God Augusto Cesare Bertazzoni, titular archbishop of Temuniana, previously bishop of Potenza and Marsico; born on 10 January 1876 in Polesine di Pegognaga, Italy, and died on 30 August 1972 in Potenza, Italy.

– the heroic virtues of the Servant of God Jean-Louis Querbes, priest, founder of the Congregation of the Clerics of Saint Viator; born on 21 August 1793 in Lyon, France, and died on 1 September 1859 in Vourles, France.

– the heroic virtues of the Servant of God Francisca del Niño Jesús (née María Natividad Sánchez Villoria), professed religious of the Order of Saint Clare; born in Fuenteguinaldo, Spain on 25 December 1905, and died on 28 February 1991 in Salamanca, Spain.

  Catholic Church, Pope Francis, religion, Vatican