The protagonist of the first part of the morning was Fr Sergio La Pegna, Superior General of the Christian Doctrine Fathers, whose founder, Fr César de Bus, was canonized just last year. The religious, an official of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, first presided over the morning Mass. In the celebration he emphasized the role of Mary in salvation history ("Mary always leads us to Jesus") and the role of the saints as collaborators and intercessors ("the saints also do the same: they always call us back to Jesus"), clearly identifying how true holiness does nothing other than multiply and spread the one light coming from God.

Next, Fr La Pegna went into detail on the subject of miracles, the extraordinary manifestation of a 'direct intervention by God' and for this reason different from receivable 'graces'. With clear words, concrete examples and a good dose of humour, he explained why, in order to have "absolute certainty" in recognizing the holiness of an individual, the Church requires a miracle, as it does not consider the reputation of holiness sufficient on its own: "The miracle is considered a loving response from God, an authoritative sign that the person invoked is in Paradise and from there can intercede for the faithful of the pilgrim Church on earth," he clarified.

Finally, he presented the features necessary to recognize a miracle: the scientific and the theological elements. In the largely majority case of miracles, that of healings, the scientific elements require the collaboration of medical personnel, called upon not to pronounce on the miracle, but simply to do their job competently: to present the initial diagnosis, the expected prognosis, the therapy followed and the attestation of an 'instantaneous - or at any rate very rapid - complete and lasting' healing. The theological element, on the other hand, serves to establish the causal link between the intercession of the figure of holiness and the alleged miracle: it is substantiated by the attestation that there was, prior to the miraculous event, the invocation of the figure of holiness.

After a lively question-and-answer session, the discussion flew high again, between Heaven and Earth, examining the miracle inherent in the Cause of Canonization of the Salesian coadjutor Artemide Zatti; that of the Beatification of Maria Carola Cecchin, a Cottolengo religious; the unexplained healing in the Cause of Beatification of Camille Costa de Beauregard, a French diocesan priest; and an alleged miracle performed by Blessed Sr Maria Troncatti, Daughter of Mary Help of Christians (FMA).

Thanks to the interventions of Drs. Massimo Bonzanino and Maurizio Bruni, doctors and members of the Salesian Family, and that of Sr Francesca Caggiano, FMA, the medical and theological aspects of the different cases were examined, and it was also seen how in all circumstances the miracle, whether acknowledged or presumed, confirmed the specific charisms of their intercessors: concern for poor patients (Zatti), dedication to newborns and women in labour (Cecchin), dedication to orphans (Costa de Beauregard) and dedication to indigenous people (Troncatti).

• Title Title
• Title Title
• Title Title
• Title Title
• Title Title
• Title Title
• Title Title
• Title Title
• Title Title
•  

Tweet