Beatification of Pope Paul VI

Diocesan process

On 18 March 1993 "nihil obstat" ("nothing against") was declared under Pope John Paul II which opened the cause for beatification. The diocesan process commenced on 11 May 1993 in Rome and thus, he was granted the title of Servant of God. The postulator assigned to the cause was Father Antonio Marrazzo. The diocesan process concluded its business on 18 March 1998. Father Luigi Villa, playing the part of the devil's advocate, released a book titled Paul VI: Beatified? which was written in opposition to the cause of beatification.

Roman phase

The Positio - documents and other information gathered from the diocesan process - was forwarded to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints in 2011. Theological consultors and the members of the congregation collaborated on the resources gathered from the previous process and unanimously agreed that the late pope had lived a life of heroic virtue. They forwarded their vote to Pope Benedict XVI who, on 20 December 2012, signed the decree in recognition of his heroic virtues. This meant that he was titled Venerable.

The miracle and investigations

In 2003 an alleged miracle attributed to his intercession had been discovered in the United States of America. The case involved a fetus in the mother's womb which suffered brain defects that would affect the child. The doctor advised the mother to have an abortion but the mother refused to do so and requested the intercession of the late pope at the behest of a nun who gave her a card with a piece of the late pope's cassock on it. When the child was born, there were no defects that could be detected and the child's health was monitored until it became an adolescent. The child in question still shows no signs of defects.

The inquiry into the miracle closed in 2006 and the case went to a Vatican medical board which met on 12 December 2013 and voted in favour of the miracle which they deemed was "medically unexplainable". Theological advisors met to discuss the miracle on 18 February 2014 and also voted in favour of the miracle which was then forwarded to the members of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. The congregation met on 5 May 2014 and voted that the healing was indeed a miracle attributed to the late pope.

On 24 April 2014, it was reported in the Italian magazine Credere that the late pope could possibly be beatified on 19 October 2014. This report further stated that cardinals and bishops of the congregation would meet on 5 May to confirm the miracle that had previously been approved, and then present it to the pope who may sign the decree for beatification after that.

In an audience on 9 May 2014 with the Cardinal Prefect for the Congregation of the Causes of Saints, Pope Francis approved the decree of recognition of the miracle attributed to the late pope, and set the date of the beatification at the Vatican for 19 October 2014.

Beatification

The beatification for Paul VI was held on 19 October 2014 at the Vatican, with the deceased pontiff receiving the title "Blessed". The next step would be the recognition of another miracle, which would result in his canonization.

The relics presented during the beatification rites are two blood-stained vests worn by Paul VI during the attempt on his life in the capital of the Philippines, Manila in 1970. The one habitually kept in his hometown will be brought to Rome in a reliquary for the beatification.

His tomb underneath Saint Peter's Basilica was modified the week of the beatification with the inscription "BEATVS" ("Blessed") added before his name.

Future

It had been speculated in 2014 that Pope Francis might have canonized Paul VI as early as June 2015 with the process of "equipollent canonization" which he had used in the past. If this is not used, then a miracle shall be required for the canonization.

The second miracle required for his canonization was reported to have occurred in January 2015. As of August 2015 investigation into the reported miracle is underway in northern Italy where the healing was said to have occurred. Back in January 2015, Antonio Lanzoni thought the canonization might occur in the first half of 2016, but as of October 2016 it has not happened.

List of dignitaries present

There were also several dignitaries present at the beatification ceremony as representatives of their countries.