This is the Vatican Dicastery responsible for thoroughly examining the lives of candidates for sainthood: seeking in their traits those of the Gospel, so that every Christian may see them as credible and, above all, exemplary witnesses. Behind the proclamation of a saint lies a collective and meticulous commitment that can last for decades. The Prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints is Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, while the Secretary is Archbishop Fabio Fabene.

Historical overview

In 1969, Saint Paul VI, with the Apostolic Constitution  Sacra Rituum Congregatio , created the Congregations for Divine Worship and for the Causes of Saints, dividing between them the tasks of the Sacred Congregation of Rites. The same Constitution organizes the structure of the new Congregation into three offices: the judicial office, the office of the Promoter General of the Faith, and the historical-hagiographical office.

With the Apostolic Constitution  Divinus perfectionis Magister  of 1983, Saint John Paul II carried out a profound reform of the procedure for the causes of canonization (which must be instructed by the diocesan bishops by their own right) and reorganized the Congregation, endowing it, among other things, with a College of Relators in charge of preparing the  Positiones super Martyrio  or  super Vita, Virtutibus et Fama Sanctitatis  of the Servants of God.

Subsequently, with the Apostolic Constitution  Pastor Bonus  of 1988, its name was changed to Congregation for the Causes of Saints. In 2022, with the Apostolic Constitution  Praedicate Evangelium , Pope Francis changed the name to Dicastery for the Causes of Saints.

With a view to the Jubilee of 2025, Francis instituted within the Dicastery the  “Commission of the New Martyrs – Witnesses of the Faith” , to compile a catalogue of all those who, even from other Christian denominations, have shed their blood to confess Christ and bear witness to his Gospel.

The skills

It is the responsibility of this Dicastery, as the Apostolic Constitution  Praedicate Evangelium reminds us , to follow the process of beatification and canonization of the Servants of God by assisting the bishops in the investigation of martyrdom, heroic virtues or the offering of life, as well as the miracles of a faithful Catholic.

Once the cause has been initiated, the person is called  Servant of God , and for this, an authentic, widespread, and lasting “reputation for holiness” is always necessary  ; that is, the common opinion that his life was upright, rich in Christian virtues, and fruitful for the Christian community.

The new regulations on the causes of saints, introduced in 1983, considerably shortened the time required for beatification and canonization processes. However, the duration of the causes depends on many factors: from the number of witnesses and specialists who must be heard in the diocesan phase—which can number in the dozens—to the time required to draft the  Positions  and their review by theological and historical consultants.

The time required for medical experts to examine a possible miracle of healing also plays a role. If all these steps are successful, the cause proceeds to the ordinary session of the members of the Dicastery—cardinals and bishops. The final decision rests with the Pope, to whose approval the prefect submits the various causes.

The spiritual and pastoral assessment of the 56 years since the establishment of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints shows that, up to 2020,  3,003 beatifications and 1,479 canonizations have taken place . Each year, given that there are normally two ordinary sessions per month and three or four causes are examined in each session, the number of concluded causes is usually between  70 and 80 .

The investigation

Based on the  “reputation for holiness and signs”  among the people of God, the investigation has its first phase in the diocese. Once it is taken to Rome, a relator is assigned to guide the postulator in preparing the volume that synthesizes the evidence gathered in the diocese to reconstruct the life and demonstrate the virtues or martyrdom, as well as the reputation for holiness and signs of the Servant of God. This volume is called  the Positio .

The Positio is studied by a group of theologians and, in the case of an “ancient cause”—that of a candidate who lived long ago—also by a commission of historians. If their opinion is favorable, the file is submitted for further judgment by the cardinals and bishops of the Dicastery.

In case of approval, the Pope may authorize the promulgation of the  decree on the heroic nature of Christian virtues, on martyrdom or on the offering of the life  of the Servant of God, who then becomes  Venerable .

The beatification

Beatification is the intermediate stage towards canonization.

If the candidate is declared  a martyr , he or she immediately becomes  Blessed . Otherwise, a  miracle  attributed to his or her intercession must be recognized: usually a cure deemed scientifically inexplicable by a medical commission composed of both believing and non-believing specialists.

After this approval, the miracle is also assessed by theological consultants, followed by the cardinals and bishops of the Dicastery, and the Pope authorizes the corresponding decree. Following beatification, the Blessed is inscribed in the liturgical calendar of his diocese or religious family.

The canonization

For the Blessed to be declared  a Saint , a second miracle is required  , occurring after the beatification.

The Church always uses canonical verification to determine who is a saint. While in the past this could be done by popular acclamation, at least since the 16th century the Church has established specific rules to avoid confusion and abuses.

The process involves figures comparable to the defense and the prosecution:

• the  postulator , who must demonstrate the candidate’s holiness;
• The  promoter of faith , traditionally called the “devil’s advocate,” who critically examines testimonies and documents.

Administrative work and expenses

The cause for beatification and canonization is a complex undertaking involving expenses related to the work of commissions, the printing of documents, and expert meetings. The Dicastery is committed to cost containment and adheres to administrative guidelines approved by Pope Francis in 2016 that ensure transparency and regularity.

In addition, there is a  “Solidarity Fund”  to help causes with fewer resources.

Special cases

The Pope can make exceptional decisions. Pope Francis did so with  John XXIII , who was proclaimed a saint due to his reputation for holiness, which had spread throughout the world for decades, even though no second miracle was ever recognized.

Benedict XVI also   adopted an extraordinary procedure for  John Paul II , whose cause for beatification was opened a few weeks after his death, without waiting the five years normally required.

Likewise, there are cases that proceed  by equipollence , a procedure by which the Pope, after due verification, approves a long-existing cult without waiting for the verification of a miracle.

(Translation made while maintaining fidelity to the original text published in  Vatican News  )

1. State Secretariat
2. Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith
3. Dicastery for Bishops
4. Dicastery for the Clergy
5. Dicastery for the Service of Charity
6. Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life
7. Dicastery for the Causes of Saints