Saints canonized by Pope Pius XII

Pope Pius XII (1939–1958) canonized numerous saints, including Pope Pius X and Maria Goretti. He beatified Pope Innocent XI.

The Saints

The first canonizations of Pope Pius XII were two women, the founder of a female order, Mary Euphrasia Pelletier, and a little girl, 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 a rather unknown girl whose virtue became model by her canonization. [Lehnert, 163]

The saints include:
* Jeanne-Elisabeth Bichier de Ages
* Francis Xavier Bianchi
* John de Britto
* Gaspar del Bufalo
* Mother Cabrini
* Bartolomea Capitanio
* Peter Chanel
* Joseph Cafasso
* Anthony Mary Claret
* Nicholas of Flue
* Joan of France, Duchess of Berry
* Gemma Galgani
* Michael Garicoits
* Vincenza Gerosa
* Anthony M Gianelli
* Maria Goretti [Pius XII beatified and canonized Maria Goretti]
* Margaret of Hungary
* Mariana Paredes of Jesus
* Catherine Labouré
* Ignatius of Laconi
* Jeanne de Lestonnac
* Maria Domenica Mazzarello
* Louis de Montfort
* Mary Euphrasia Pelletier
* Joseph Pignatelli
* Pope Pius X, [Pius XII beatified Pius X in 1950 and canonized him in 1954]
* Bernadino Realino
* Emilie de Rodat, [Pius XII beatified Emilie Rodat in 1940, and in 1950 canonized her.]
* Maria Crocifissa di Rosa, [Pius XII beatified her in 1940 in 1940 ]
* Maria Guiseppa Rosello
* Dominic Savio, [Pius XII beatified Dominic Savio in 1950 and canonized him in 1954.]
* Vincent Strambi,
* Emilie de VialarHe named Saint Casimir the patron saint of all youth. Catherine of Siena and Saint Benedict were named Patron Saints of Italy in World War Two.

Pope Pius XII opened the canonization procedures for Pope Pius IX, who was beatified by Pope John Paul II. [Lehnert, 163]

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 Naples 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 Basillica before a crowd of about 800,000 [ [http://www.museosanpiox.it/international/eng/engpio_x8.html The Canon Process - Museo San Pio X ] ] 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 XII 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 [ [http://www.mariagoretti.org/mariabio.htm] [http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=78] [http://catholicism.about.com/cs/saints/a/mariagoretti.htm] ]

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. [ Vinzenz Ruef, Die Wahre Geschichte von der hl. Maria Goretti, Miriam, Jestetten, 1992, ISBN 3-87499-101-3 p.71]

Innocent XI

Pope Innocent XI, personally a holy man, was highly controversial even hated, because of his firm stand against France. He opposed French attempts to upsorb liberties of the Catholic 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 strong emotional and political influence of France forced a postponement until Pope Pius XII, who reintroduced the case, announced his beatification on October 7, [1956.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Innocent_XI]

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. [Lehnert, 162] 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. [Lehnert, 162]

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 Cabrini, an Italian born nun with American citizenship, was raised to sainthood in St. Peter’s Basilica [Oscar Hallecki, James Murray, Jr. Pius XII, Eugenio Pacelli, Pope of Peace, New York, 1954, p.380 ] 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. [The Daily Catholic, July 2000 http://www.dailycatholic.org/issue/2000Jul/jul14lit.htm]

Beatifications

Among the persons beatified 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 Cerioli
* Alix le Clerc,
* John Baptist Turpin du Cormier,
* Jeanne Delanoue,
* Philippine Duchesne,
* Contardo Ferrini,
* Pope Innocent XI
* Justin de Jacobis,
* Ignatius de Laconi,
* Vincenzo Palotti,
* Pierre Romancon,
* Domenico Savio,
* Marie Therese de Soubiran,
* Rose Venerini,
* Theresa Eustachio Verzeri,
* Emilie de Vialar,
* Maria Lopez Vicuna, and others. [Jan Olav Smit, "Pope Pius XII", London&Dublin 1951, pp 280-281 ]

ource

* Oskar Halecki, 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

References