The death of Pope Francis shocked the Catholic world and aroused a series of questions about his legacyamong them one that resonates strongly both in the faithful and in the media: Can Pope Francis be canonized?
The Catholic Church has A rigorous procedure and structured to declare a person as a holy, a process known as canonization, which officially recognizes that someone He lives in the presence of God and can be publicly revered. This path is made up of several stages, each with clear demands.
Can Francisco be holy?: What requirements the Church asks to canonize it
To start the canonization process, They must generally take five years since the death of the candidate, unless the prevailing Pope dispens this requirement, as happened in cases of John Paul II and Mother Teresa de Calcutta. In this sense, if it was decided to initiate Francisco’s cause in a short period, it would not be unprecedented.
The first step is to recognize that He lived a life of heroic Christian virtues. If the researchers conclude that it was so, the deceased receives the title of “Venerable”. Then, to move towards the beatificationverification of A miracle attributed to its intercession. This miracle must be verified by a team of independent doctors, theologians and experts. In the case of the martyrs, this step is omitted, but not for those who, like Francis, die for natural causes.
Overcome that threshold, the candidate can be declared “Blessed“, And after a second miracle, canonized as Holy. This whole process may take years or even centuries.
During his pontificate, Francisco was admired for his proximity to the poor, his defense of the environment, his impulse for a more open church and his constant preaching of mercy. For many, his life is already considered an example of holiness. However, it will be future generations – and the institutional church – who will officially evaluate if their life was from “heroic virtue” and if miracles occur due to their intercession.
The miracles attributed to Pope Francis
During his papacy, Pope Francis was the protagonist of multiple stories attributed to him extraordinary facts, in particular linked to healing that defy all medical explanation. These testimonies, arising over the years, fed the perception that His spiritual closeness could work miracles.
One of the most cited episodes took place in 2014when a family from the United States traveled to Rome with his daughter Birda girl with Down syndrome who also suffered a severe heart condition. Thanks to the intervention of a security agent of the Vatican, the little girl was set in the arms of the Pope, who, upon knowing her story, kissed her and gave her her blessing.
Back in their country, the family led AVE to a medical routine review. Against all forecast, the report revealed unexpected improvement: One of the cardiac drills that affected the girl had closed completely, while the other had decreased considerably. Moved by the result, the parents remembered the moment lived with Francisco. His mother, Lynn, said with conviction: “His hand is there (on the heart) and He is a servant of God. “
Another fact that remains in collective memory occurred in 2015during the visit of the Supreme Pontiff to Paraguay. On that occasion, he toured the pediatric hospital Acosta Ñu. After their passage, several parents said that, after receiving the blessing of the Pope and listening to their prayers, their children began to show signs of improvement in their health conditions.
In a similar line is the case of Paolo Bonavitaan Italian child whose history charged notoriety in 2022. Paolo, 10, suffered epilepsy, autism and doctors suspected the presence of a brain tumor. On October 20, 2021, during a general audience, he approached spontaneously to the Pope, played with him and even tried to take the solido. That tender gesture went viral, but for his mother he was much more than an endearing scene: he lived it as a divine intervention.
The woman reported that since that day, her son showed unexpected advances. “Paolo climbed only the stairs, something he could not do.“He said, visibly excited.
The canonization of John Paul II as Saint
As an immediate antecedent it can be considered The case of John Paul IIwho was canonized as a saint precisely for Francisco in 2014.
The Church recognized two miracles attributed to its intercession. One of them was The miraculous healing of a French nun suffering from Parkinson’s. The second was The inexplicable healing of a cerebral aneurysm in a Costa Rican woman.
Prior to being considered saint, John Paul II began, as all, his process to achieve it. In 2011, under the pontificate of Benedict XVI, “his immediate successor and valuable collaborator for many years,” acknowledges the Vatican, a solemn ceremony for his beatification was held.
Like Pope John Paul II, in the list of leaders of the Catholic Church turned into Santos, according to the World Catholic Network, names such as:
- San Pío X.
- San Juan XXIII
- Saint Paul VI
- San León IX
- San Pascual i
- San Nicolás i
- San Silverio
The truth is that the death of Pope Francis is very recent and, beyond the two miracles attributed to him, the process to be canonized can take years, even decades. The important thing, beyond this, is the legacy he left for the Catholic Church with his papacy.
