Saints canonized by Pope Pius XII
Encyclopedia
Pope Pius XII canonized
numerous saints, including Pope Pius X
and Maria Goretti
. He beatified Pope Innocent XI
.
were two women, the founder of a female order, Mary Euphrasia Pelletier
, and a nanny and housekeeper, Gemma Galgani
. Pelletier had a reputation for opening new ways for Catholic charities, helping people in difficulties with the law, who so far were neglected by the system and the Church. Galgani was an unknown woman whose virtue, charity and devotion became model by her canonization.
The saints include:
He named Saint Casimir
the patron saint
of all youth. Saint Catherine of Siena and Saint Francis of Assisi were named Patron Saints of Italy on 5 May 1940 just before Italy entered the Second World War.
Pope Pius XII opened the canonization procedures for Pope Pius IX
, who was beatified by Pope John Paul II
.
who had a fatal pulmonary abscess
, who was cured upon placing a picture of the Blessed Pope Pius X upon his chest. The second miracle involved Sr. Maria Ludovica Scorcia, a nun who was afflicted with a serious neurotropic
virus
, and who, upon several novenas, was entirely cured. The Canonization mass was presided over by Pius XII at Saint Peter's Basilica before a crowd of about 800,000 of the faithful and church officials at St. Peter's Basilica. Pius X became the first Pope to be canonized since the 17th century.
canonized
Saint Maria Goretti as a virgin and martyr
saint of the Roman Catholic Church
. Maria's mother, nicknamed "Mamma Assunta" by her neighbors, was present at the ceremony; she was the first mother ever to attend the canonization ceremony of her child, along with her four remaining sons and daughters. Her murderer Serenelli also was present at the canonization
Because of the huge number of visitors, the canonisation of Maria Goretti by Pope Pius XII, was held outside at Piazza San Pietro on June 24, 1950. The Pope spoke, not as before in Latin, but in Italian. "We order and declare, that the blessed Maria Goretti can be venerated as a Saint and We introduce her into the Canon of Saints". Some 500 000 people, among them a majority of youth, had come from around the World. Pope Pius asked them:
A resounding Yes was the answer.
, personally a holy man, was highly controversial even hated, because of his opposition to the French monarchy and its aspirations for European hegemony; but also for his family's engagement in money-lending. He opposed French attempts to usurp the traditional liberties of the Church, for example in nominating its bishops. He opposed Gallicanism
, the Gallican Liberties demanded by the French
king. The case for his canonization was introduced in 1714 but the strong emotional and political influence of France forced a postponement until Pope Pius XII, who reintroduced the case, announced his beatification
on 7 October 1956 .
, an Italian born nun with American citizenship, was raised to sainthood in St. Peter’s Basilica. Pius also accelerated the canonization of other Americans, including American born Mother Seton of Emmitsburg, Maryland
, founder of the Sisters of Charity. Fourteen month after his death, she was declared Venerable
and was later beatified by Pope John XXIII
and canonized by Pope Paul VI
. Pope Pius supported also the case of an American Indian
women from the Mohawk
tribe, Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha
, who was declared “Venerable
” by him in 1943.
by Pius XII, a majority are women, with Spanish, Italian and French backgrounds:
and others.
Canonization
Canonization is the act by which a Christian church declares a deceased person to be a saint, upon which declaration the person is included in the canon, or list, of recognized saints. Originally, individuals were recognized as saints without any formal process...
numerous saints, including Pope Pius X
Pope Pius X
Pope Saint Pius X , born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto, was the 257th Pope of the Catholic Church, serving from 1903 to 1914. He was the first pope since Pope Pius V to be canonized. Pius X rejected modernist interpretations of Catholic doctrine, promoting traditional devotional practices and orthodox...
and Maria Goretti
Maria Goretti
Maria Goretti is an Italian virgin-martyr of the Roman Catholic Church, and is one of its youngest canonized saints. She died from multiple stab wounds inflicted by her attempted rapist after she refused him...
. He beatified Pope Innocent XI
Pope Innocent XI
Blessed Pope Innocent XI , born Benedetto Odescalchi, was Pope from 1676 to 1689.-Early life:Benedetto Odescalchi was born at Como in 1611 , the son of a Como nobleman, Livio Odescalchi, and Paola Castelli Giovanelli from Gandino...
.
The Saints
The first canonizations of Pope Pius XIIPope Pius XII
The Venerable Pope Pius XII , born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli , reigned as Pope, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City State, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958....
were two women, the founder of a female order, Mary Euphrasia Pelletier
Mary Euphrasia Pelletier
- Biography :She was born in the island of Noirmoutier, France of pious parents, on 31 July 1796, and received in baptism the name of Rose Virginie. She entered the community of "Our Lady of Charity of the Refuge" of Tours , in 1814, and made her profession in 1816, taking the name of Mary Saint...
, and a nanny and housekeeper, Gemma Galgani
Gemma Galgani
Maria Gemma Umberta Pia Galgani was an Italian mystic, venerated as a saint in the Roman Catholic Church since 1940...
. Pelletier had a reputation for opening new ways for Catholic charities, helping people in difficulties with the law, who so far were neglected by the system and the Church. Galgani was an unknown woman whose virtue, charity and devotion became model by her canonization.
The saints include:
- Jeanne-Elisabeth Bichier de AgesJeanne-Elisabeth Bichier de AgesJeanne-Elisabeth Bichier des Ages is a French saint, canonized by Pope Pius XII on July 6, 1947. She is commemorated August 26....
- Francis BianchiFrancis BianchiSaint Francis Xavier Bianchi was an Italian Barnabite priest. Bianchi was born in Arpino and was inducted into the clergy at the age of 14. His feast day is January 31.-References:...
- John de Britto
- Gaspar del Bufalo
- Mother CabriniMother CabriniSaint Francesca Xavier Cabrini, M.S.C., , also called Mother Cabrini, was the first citizen of the United States to be canonized by the Roman Catholic Church.-Early life:...
- Bartolomea CapitanioBartolomea CapitanioBartolomea Capitanio born in Lovere, Italy was, with Vincenza Gerosa, one of the foundresses of the Catholic religious order the Sisters of Charity of Lovere....
- Peter ChanelPeter ChanelPierre Louis Marie Chanel, known in English as Saint Peter Chanel was a Catholic priest, missionary, and martyr.-Early years:Chanel was born in La Potière near Cuet in the area of Belley, Ain département, France....
- Joseph CafassoJoseph CafassoGiuseppe Cafasso was a significant social reformer in early nineteenth-century Turin, born in Castelnuovo d'Asti, Piedmont, Italy....
- Anthony Mary Claret
- Nicholas of FlueNicholas of FlueSaint Nicholas of Flüe was a Swiss hermit and ascetic who is the patron saint of Switzerland. He is sometimes invoked as "Brother Klaus."...
- Joan of France, Duchess of BerryJoan of France, Duchess of BerryJoan of France was briefly Queen consort of France as wife of King Louis XII of France, in between the death of her brother, Charles VIII, and the annulment of her marriage....
- Gemma GalganiGemma GalganiMaria Gemma Umberta Pia Galgani was an Italian mystic, venerated as a saint in the Roman Catholic Church since 1940...
- Michael GaricoitsMichael GaricoitsSaint Michael Garicoits was a Basque saint. He was ordained priest at Bayonne in December 1823 and combated Jansenism in his parish of Cambo. He founded the Society of Priests of the Sacred Heart of Betharram, which received official approval from the Pope after his death.-External links:**...
- Vincenza GerosaVincenza GerosaVincentia Gerosa was an Italian saint who, together with Bartolomea Capitanio, founded the Sisters of Charity of Lovere.She was a native of Lovere, Lombardy. She met Bartolomea when she was 40 years old. Together, they founded the order because of their concern over the ignorance and neglect of...
- Anthony M Gianelli
- Maria GorettiMaria GorettiMaria Goretti is an Italian virgin-martyr of the Roman Catholic Church, and is one of its youngest canonized saints. She died from multiple stab wounds inflicted by her attempted rapist after she refused him...
- Margaret of HungarySaint Margaret of HungarySaint Margaret was a nun and the daughter of King Béla IV and Maria Laskarina. She was the niece of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary and the younger sister of Saint Kinga and Blessed Yolanda.-Early life:...
- Mariana Paredes of Jesus
- Catherine LabouréCatherine LabouréSaint Catherine Labouré was a sister of the Daughters of Charity and a Marian visionary who relayed the request from the Blessed Virgin Mary to create the Miraculous Medal worn by millions of Catholics and even non-Catholics today.- Early life :She was born in the Burgundy region of France to...
- Ignatius of LaconiIgnatius of LaconiSaint Ignatius, O.F.M. Cap., was born in 1701, the son of peasants at Laconi, Sardinia. As a young man he vowed, during a serious illness, that if he recovered his health, he would consecrate his life to God in the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin. He regained his health, but kept putting off the...
- Jeanne de LestonnacJeanne de LestonnacSaint Jeanne de Lestonnac , alternately known as Joan of Lestonnac, was a Roman Catholic saint and founderess of the order The Company of Mary Our Lady. Though she lived in the 17th century her body remains incorrupt....
- Maria Domenica Mazzarello
- Louis de MontfortLouis de MontfortSt. Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort was canonized in 1947. He was a French priest and known in his time as a preacher and author, whose books, still widely read, have influenced a number of popes....
- Mary Euphrasia PelletierMary Euphrasia Pelletier- Biography :She was born in the island of Noirmoutier, France of pious parents, on 31 July 1796, and received in baptism the name of Rose Virginie. She entered the community of "Our Lady of Charity of the Refuge" of Tours , in 1814, and made her profession in 1816, taking the name of Mary Saint...
- Joseph Pignatelli
- Pope Pius XPope Pius XPope Saint Pius X , born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto, was the 257th Pope of the Catholic Church, serving from 1903 to 1914. He was the first pope since Pope Pius V to be canonized. Pius X rejected modernist interpretations of Catholic doctrine, promoting traditional devotional practices and orthodox...
, - Bernadino RealinoBernadino RealinoBernardino Realino was a Jesuit of Italy. He passed his entire career in the ministry in the area of Naples and at Lecce, Italy....
- Emilie de RodatEmilie de RodatEmilie de Rodat was the founder of a French female order and a mystic. Pope Pius XII beatified her June 9, 1940 and canonized her April 23, 1950. Her feast day is September 19. Her foundation, created in the year 1815 focused on young women and girls with difficulties, prisoners of war and...
, - Maria Crocifissa di RosaMaria Crocifissa di RosaMaria Crocifissa Di Rosa was the founder of the Handmaids of Charity in Brescia, Italy, in 1839. She was both beatified and canonized by Pope Pius XII.She was born as Paolina Francesca di Rosa on November 6, 1813, in the city of Brescia, Italy...
, - Maria Guiseppa Rosello
- Dominic SavioDominic SavioDominic Savio was an Italian adolescent student of Saint John Bosco. He was studying to be a priest when he became ill and died at the age of 14, possibly from pleurisy....
, - Vincent StrambiVincent StrambiSaint Vincent Strambi born Vincent Dominic Salvatoro Strambi was a Catholic bishop who was a member of the Passionist Congregation, born at Civitavecchia, Italy, January 1, 1745; died Rome, Italy, January 1, 1824...
, - Emilie de Vialar,
- Assunta Maria Pallotta,
He named Saint Casimir
Saint Casimir
Saint Casimir Jagiellon was a royal prince of the Kingdom of Poland and of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania who became a patron saint of Lithuania, Poland, and the young.-Biography:...
the patron saint
Patron saint
A patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...
of all youth. Saint Catherine of Siena and Saint Francis of Assisi were named Patron Saints of Italy on 5 May 1940 just before Italy entered the Second World War.
Pope Pius XII opened the canonization procedures for Pope Pius IX
Pope Pius IX
Blessed Pope Pius IX , born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, was the longest-reigning elected Pope in the history of the Catholic Church, serving from 16 June 1846 until his death, a period of nearly 32 years. During his pontificate, he convened the First Vatican Council in 1869, which decreed papal...
, who was beatified by Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
.
Pius X
On 29 May 1954, less than three years after his beatification, Pius X was canonized, following recognition of two more miracles. The first involved Francesco Belsami, an attorney from NaplesNaples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
who had a fatal pulmonary abscess
Abscess
An abscess is a collection of pus that has accumulated in a cavity formed by the tissue in which the pus resides due to an infectious process or other foreign materials...
, who was cured upon placing a picture of the Blessed Pope Pius X upon his chest. The second miracle involved Sr. Maria Ludovica Scorcia, a nun who was afflicted with a serious neurotropic
Nervous system
The nervous system is an organ system containing a network of specialized cells called neurons that coordinate the actions of an animal and transmit signals between different parts of its body. In most animals the nervous system consists of two parts, central and peripheral. The central nervous...
virus
Virus
A virus is a small infectious agent that can replicate only inside the living cells of organisms. Viruses infect all types of organisms, from animals and plants to bacteria and archaea...
, and who, upon several novenas, was entirely cured. The Canonization mass was presided over by Pius XII at Saint Peter's Basilica before a crowd of about 800,000 of the faithful and church officials at St. Peter's Basilica. Pius X became the first Pope to be canonized since the 17th century.
Maria Goretti
Pope Pius XIIPope Pius XII
The Venerable Pope Pius XII , born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli , reigned as Pope, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City State, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958....
canonized
Canonization
Canonization is the act by which a Christian church declares a deceased person to be a saint, upon which declaration the person is included in the canon, or list, of recognized saints. Originally, individuals were recognized as saints without any formal process...
Saint Maria Goretti as a virgin and martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
saint of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. Maria's mother, nicknamed "Mamma Assunta" by her neighbors, was present at the ceremony; she was the first mother ever to attend the canonization ceremony of her child, along with her four remaining sons and daughters. Her murderer Serenelli also was present at the canonization
Because of the huge number of visitors, the canonisation of Maria Goretti by Pope Pius XII, was held outside at Piazza San Pietro on June 24, 1950. The Pope spoke, not as before in Latin, but in Italian. "We order and declare, that the blessed Maria Goretti can be venerated as a Saint and We introduce her into the Canon of Saints". Some 500 000 people, among them a majority of youth, had come from around the World. Pope Pius asked them:
-
- Young people, pleasure of the eyes of Jesus, are you determined to resist any attack on your chastity with the help of grace of God?
A resounding Yes was the answer.
Innocent XI
Pope Innocent XIPope Innocent XI
Blessed Pope Innocent XI , born Benedetto Odescalchi, was Pope from 1676 to 1689.-Early life:Benedetto Odescalchi was born at Como in 1611 , the son of a Como nobleman, Livio Odescalchi, and Paola Castelli Giovanelli from Gandino...
, personally a holy man, was highly controversial even hated, because of his opposition to the French monarchy and its aspirations for European hegemony; but also for his family's engagement in money-lending. He opposed French attempts to usurp the traditional liberties of the Church, for example in nominating its bishops. He opposed Gallicanism
Gallicanism
Gallicanism is the belief that popular civil authority—often represented by the monarchs' authority or the State's authority—over the Catholic Church is comparable to that of the Pope's...
, the Gallican Liberties demanded by the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
king. The case for his canonization was introduced in 1714 but the strong emotional and political influence of France forced a postponement until Pope Pius XII, who reintroduced the case, announced his beatification
Beatification
Beatification is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a dead person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in his or her name . Beatification is the third of the four steps in the canonization process...
on 7 October 1956 .
Placet Eugenio
The Placet Eugenio was the required final approval by the Pope of proposed candidates. Not all, who had passed the Vatican tribunals, received the Placet Eugenio. In one instance, Pius found, that the candidate, supposedly a model of virtue, had consistently used foul language. Refusing to accept the Vatican defense, that this kind of language was custom in that region, he stopped the proceedings shortly before their conclusion. Another person, belonging to a large religious order, was refused the honour of the altars, because he turned out to be a chain smoker. "Monsignore, as long as I am alive, this Causa will not find approval" This case too was almost completed and the relatives and members of the order were quite disappointed.American Saints
According to Halecki and Murray, Pius has shown a particular interest in the discovery and recognition of sanctity among American religious leaders and pioneers of the Church movement. The first “American” saint was canonized during his pontificate, when Mother CabriniMother Cabrini
Saint Francesca Xavier Cabrini, M.S.C., , also called Mother Cabrini, was the first citizen of the United States to be canonized by the Roman Catholic Church.-Early life:...
, an Italian born nun with American citizenship, was raised to sainthood in St. Peter’s Basilica. Pius also accelerated the canonization of other Americans, including American born Mother Seton of Emmitsburg, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, founder of the Sisters of Charity. Fourteen month after his death, she was declared Venerable
Venerable
The Venerable is used as a style or epithet in several Christian churches. It is also the common English-language translation of a number of Buddhist titles.-Roman Catholic:...
and was later beatified by Pope John XXIII
Pope John XXIII
-Papal election:Following the death of Pope Pius XII in 1958, Roncalli was elected Pope, to his great surprise. He had even arrived in the Vatican with a return train ticket to Venice. Many had considered Giovanni Battista Montini, Archbishop of Milan, a possible candidate, but, although archbishop...
and canonized by Pope Paul VI
Pope Paul VI
Paul VI , born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding Pope John XXIII, who had convened the Second Vatican Council, he decided to continue it...
. Pope Pius supported also the case of an American Indian
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
women from the Mohawk
Mohawk nation
Mohawk are the most easterly tribe of the Iroquois confederation. They call themselves Kanien'gehaga, people of the place of the flint...
tribe, Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha
Kateri Tekakwitha
Kateri Tekakwitha or Catherine Tekakwitha was a Mohawk-Algonquian woman from New York and an early convert to Catholicism, who has been beatified in the Roman Catholic Church.-Her life:...
, who was declared “Venerable
Venerable
The Venerable is used as a style or epithet in several Christian churches. It is also the common English-language translation of a number of Buddhist titles.-Roman Catholic:...
” by him in 1943.
Beatifications
Among the persons beatifiedBeatification
Beatification is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a dead person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in his or her name . Beatification is the third of the four steps in the canonization process...
by Pius XII, a majority are women, with Spanish, Italian and French backgrounds:
- Maria Soledad Torres Acosta,
- Maddalena di Canossa,
- Marcelino Champagnat
- The Franciscan Martyrs of China,
- Paola Elisabetta CerioliPaola Elisabetta CerioliSaint Paola Elisabetta Cerioli is a saint in the Roman Catholic Church from Soncino, Italy and founder of the Institute of Sisters of the Holy Family and the congregation of the Family of Bergamo.-Early years:...
- Alix le Clerc,
- John Baptist Turpin du Cormier,
- Jeanne DelanoueJeanne DelanoueSaint Jeanne Delanoue is a saint in the Roman Catholic Church from France and founder of the Congregation of St. Anne of Providence.-Early life:...
, - Philippine Duchesne,
- Contardo FerriniContardo FerriniBlessed Contardo Ferrini, O.F.S., was born on 5 April 1859 in Milan, Italy, to Rinaldo Ferrini and Luigia Buccellati. He was baptized at the same baptismal font where the Blessed Frédéric Ozanam, also a native of Milan, had been baptized 46 years prior...
, - Pope Innocent XIPope Innocent XIBlessed Pope Innocent XI , born Benedetto Odescalchi, was Pope from 1676 to 1689.-Early life:Benedetto Odescalchi was born at Como in 1611 , the son of a Como nobleman, Livio Odescalchi, and Paola Castelli Giovanelli from Gandino...
- Justin de JacobisJustin de JacobisSaint Justin de Jacobis was an Italian Lazarist missionary who became Vicar Apostolic of Abyssinia and titular Bishop of Nilopolis.-Biography:He was born at San Fele, Province of Potenza in southern Italy...
, - Ignatius de Laconi,
- Vincenzo Palotti,
- Pierre Romancon,
- Domenico Savio,
- Marie Therese de Soubiran,
- Rose VeneriniRose VeneriniSaint Rosa Venerini was the founder of a Roman Catholic religious congregation of women, often called the Venerini Sisters. Rosa Venerini died a saintly death in the community of St. Mark's in Rome on the evening of May 7, 1728.She was canonized by Pope Benedict XVI on October 15, 2006.-Early...
, - Theresa Eustachio Verzeri,
- Emilie de Vialar,
- Maria Lopez Vicuna,
and others.
Source
- Oskar HaleckiOskar HaleckiOskar Halecki was a Polish historian, social and Catholic activist.As a historian, Halecki was an expert on medieval history of Poland and Lithuania, and history of Byzantine Empire....
, James Murray, Jr. Pius XII, Eugenio Pacelli, Pope of Peace, New York, 1954 - Pascalina Lehnert, Pius XII, Ich durfte ihm dienen, Würzburg, 1982
- Jan Olav Smit, Pope Pius XII, London & Dublin 1951