Dear Catholic Exchange:
In the process of John Paul the Great's canonization process, will the documents he wrote, that is, the Apostolic Letters, Apostolic Constitutions and Encyclicals be examined though they are Church teachings? Are there some that will not be considered or is everything he wrote considered?
Sincerely,
Andrew Cole
Dear Mr. Cole,
Peace in Christ!
The Congregation for the Causes of Saints’ Norms to Be Observed in Inquiries Made By Bishops in the Causes of Saints explains that the Bishop initiating the cause is to “seek the vote of two theological censors on the published writings of the servant of God.” If the findings are favorable, the Bishop is to order all the writings of the servant of God, those not yet published as well as each and every historical document, either handwritten or printed, which in any way pertain to the cause (nos. 13, 14).
You raised the question as to whether this would apply to official documents written in the servant of God’s capacity as Pope.
Fr. Peter Gumpel, who is spearheading the cause for sainthood for another pope, Pius XII, is quoted as saying,
“If the five-year waiting rule is bypassed, the Vatican could proceed directly to the beatification procedures: collecting all John Paul's private writings and his published works before he became pope and submitting them to theological experts to determine whether he had written anything heretical” (“Pope On Saint Fast-Track?” reported by CBS News.)
Based on Fr. Gumpel’s qualification, it appears that pontifical documents will not be reviewed, at least in the context of ruling out heretical teaching.
United in the Faith,
Peter Balbirnie
Information Specialist
Catholics United for the Faith
827 North Fourth Street
Steubenville, OH 43952
800-MY-FAITH (800-693-2484)
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