Pope Francis advanced the causes of the sanctity of two women and 11 men



Pope Francis advanced the causes of the sanctity of two women and 11 men, including a miracle attributed to Blessed Charles de Foucauld.

In a meeting on May 27 with Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu, prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, the pope also authorized the decrees of recognition of the miracles attributed to Blessed Cesar de Bus, founder of the Fathers of Christian doctrine, and to the blessed Maria Domenica Mantovani, co-founder and superior general of the Little Sisters of the Holy Family.

Recognition by the pope of the miracles attributed to the Beati de Foucauld, de Bus and Mantovani paves the way for their canonization.

Born in Strasbourg, France, in 1858, Blessed de Foucauld lost confidence during his adolescence. However, on a trip to Morocco, he saw how Muslims expressed their faith, then went back to church.

His rediscovery of his Christian faith prompted him to join the Trappist monasteries for seven years in France and Syria, before choosing to live a life of prayer and worship alone.

After ordination to the priesthood in 1901, he chose to live among the poor and eventually settled in Tamanrasset, Algeria, until 1916, when he was killed by a gang of marauders.

Although he lived several centuries before Beato de Foucauld, Beato de Bus was born in France and, like his compatriot, lived his early adulthood far from his faith.

After returning to church, he entered the priesthood and was ordained in 1582. Ten years later, he founded the Fathers of Christian Doctrine, a religious congregation dedicated to education, pastoral ministry and catechesis. He died in Avignon, France, in 1607.

From the age of 15, Blessed Mantovani, born in 1862 in Castelletto di Brenzone, Italy, has played an active role in her parish. Her spiritual director, Father Giuseppe Nascimbeni, encouraged her to teach catechism and visit the sick.

In 1892, Blessed Mantovani co-founded the Little Sisters of the Holy Family with Father Nascimbeni and became the first superior general of the congregation. During his time at the head of the congregation, he dedicated his life to serving the poor and needy, as well as assisting the sick and elderly.

After his death in 1934, the Little Sisters of the Holy Family spread to Europe, Africa and South America.

The other decrees approved by Pope Francis on May 27 recognized:

- The miracle necessary for the beatification of Father Michael McGivney, founder of the Knights of Columbus. He was born in 1852 and died in 1890.

- The miracle necessary for the beatification of the Venerable Pauline-Marie Jaricot, founder of the Society of the Propagation of the Faith and the Association of the Living Rosary. He was born in 1799 and died in 1862.

- The martyrdom of the Cistercian friar Simon Cardon and five companions, who were killed in 1799 by French soldiers during the Napoleonic wars.

- The martyrdom of the Franciscan father Cosma Spessotto, killed by the assassins in San Juan Nonualco, El Salvador, in 1980, several months after the death of San Oscar Romero.

- The heroic virtues of the French bishop Melchior-Marie-Joseph de Marion-Bresillac, founder of the Society of African Missions. He was born in 1813 in Castelnaudary, France, and died in 1859 in Freetown, Sierra Leone.