VATICAN CITY - Today, 20 June, Pope Francis received His Eminence Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, in a private audience. During the audience, the Holy Father authorized the Dicastery to promulgate decrees regarding:

L. Paliq	G. Gazulli	I. Columbro	M.C. Zauli	A. Sánchez	V. Guilarte

-  the martyrdom of the Servant of God MATI PALIQ (in religion: LUIGJ), professed priest of the Order of Friars Minor; born in Janjevë (a.k.a. Janjevo), Lipjan, Pristina (Kosovo) on 20 February 1877, and killed in odium fidei in Janosh, Gjakova (Kosovo) on 7 March 1913;

- the martyrdom of the Servant of God GJON GAZULLI, priest of the archdiocese of Shkodrë-Pult; born in Dajç i Zadrimes, Lezhë (Albania) on 26 March 1893, and killed in odium fidei in Shkodrë (Albania) on 5 March 1927;

- the heroic virtues of the Servant of God NICOLA ANTONIO MARIA COLUMBRO (in religion: ISAIA), professed priest of the Order of Friars Minor; born in Foglianise, Benevento (Italy) on 11 February 1908, and died in Vitulano, Benevento (Italy) on 13 July 2004;

- the heroic virtues of the Servant of God PALMA PASQUA ZAULI (in religion: MARIA COSTANZA), professed religious of the Congregation of the Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus under the Protection of Saint Joseph and founder of the Adorers Handmaids of the Blessed Sacrament; born in Faenza, Ravenna (Italy) on 17 April 1886, and died in Bologna (Italy) on 28 April 1954;

- the heroic virtues of the Servant of God Ascensión Sacramento Sánchez Sánchez, professed member of the Secular Institute “Evangelical Crusade”; born in Sonseca, Toledo (Spain) on 15 June 1911, and died in Madrid (Spain) on 18 August 1946; and,

- the heroic virtues of the Servant of God Vicenta Guilarte Alonso, professed religious of the Daughters of Jesus; born in Rojas de Bureba, Burgos (Spain) on 21 January 1879, and died in Leopoldina, Minas Gerais (Brazil) on 6 July 1960.

VATICAN CITY - Today, 23 May, Pope Francis received His Eminence Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, in a private audience. During the audience, the Holy Father authorized the Dicastery to promulgate decrees regarding:

G. Allamano	C. Acutis	G. Merlini	S.K. Streich	Bodi M.M.	G. Gatiani	I. Molinero	E. Medi

- the miracle attributed to the intercession of Blessed GIUSEPPE ALLAMANO, priest and founder of the Institute of the Consolata Missionaries; born in Castelnuovo Don Bosco, Asti (Italy) on 21 January 1851, and died in Turin (Italy) on 16 February 1926; beatified on 7 October 1990;

- the miracle attributed to the intercession of Blessed CARLO ACUTIS, child of the archdiocese of Milan; born in London, England (United Kingdom) on 3 May 1991, and died in Monza, Milan (Italy) on 12 October 2006; beatified on 10 October 2020;

- the miracle attributed to the intercession of the Venerable Servant of God GIOVANNI MERLINI, priest and moderator general of the Congregation of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood; born in Spoleto, Perugia (Italy) on 28 August 1795, and died in Rome (Italy) on 12 January 1873; heroic virtues confirmed on 10 May 1973;

-  the martyrdom of the Servant of God STANISŁAW KOSTKA STREICH, priest of the diocese of Poznań; born in Bydgoszcz (Poland) on 27 August 1902, and killed in odium fidei in Luboń, Poznań (Poland) on 27 February 1938;

- the martyrdom of the Servant of God BÓDI MÁRIA MAGDOLNA, young layperson of the archdiocese of Veszprém; born in Szigliget, Veszprém (Hungary) on 8 August 1921, and killed in odium fidei in Litér, Veszprém (Hungary) on 23 March 1945;

- the heroic virtues of the Servant of God OSCAR GATIANI (in religion: GUGLIELMO FROM BADI), professed priest of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin; born in Badi, Castel di Casio, Bologna (Italy) on 11 November 1914, and died in Faenza, Ravenna (Italy) on 15 December 1999;

- the heroic virtues of the Servant of God ISMAEL MOLINERO NOVILLO (known as ISMAEL DE TOMELLOSO), young layperson of the diocese of Ciudad Real; born in Tomelloso, Ciudad Real (Spain) on 1 May 1917, and died in Zaragoza (Spain) on 5 May 1938; and,

- the heroic virtues of the Servant of God ENRICO MEDI, layperson of the diocese of Senigallia; married; born in Porto Recanati, Macerata (Italy) on 26 April 1911, and died in Rome (Italy) on 26 May 1974.

The Pope has also approved the votes made by the Ordinary Session of the Cardinals and Bishops of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints in favor of the canonization of Blesseds Manuel Ruiz López and 7 COMPANIONS, professed members of the Order of Friars Minor, along with FRANSĪS, ‘ABD AL-MU‛TĪ, and RŪFAYĪL MASĀBKĪ, laypersons of the archeparchy of Damascus of the Maronites; killed in odium fidei in Damascus (Syria) between 9-10 July 1860; beatified on 10 October 1926.

Finally, His Holiness has decided to convene a consistory which would decide also for the canonization of Blesseds Giuseppe Allamano, Marie-Léonie Paradis, Elena Guerra, and Carlo Acutis.

VATICAN CITY - Today, 18 May, the vigil of the Solemnity of Pentecost, Pope Francis issued motu proprio the apostolic letter Fide Incensus which inscribed in the catalogue of Blesseds Brother Guy from Montpellier († 1208) and granted an obligatory liturgical memorial in the Divine Office and Eucharistic celebration to be held on 7 February in the religious orders and institutes rooted in his work at the Hospital of Santo Spirito in Sassia (Rome).

   Guy (or Gui) was born to a wealthy family during the second half of the 12th century in Montpellier (France). Before 1190, he began to dedicate himself to the service of the poor and needy, founding a hospital for them on the outskirts of Montpellier. From the beginning, Guy entrusted this work of mercy to the Holy Spirit. Not long after, he was surrounded by many followers who, inspired by his example, wanted to serve the poor and needy. Thus a community was born, with members counting men and women, laypersons and clerics.

   While studying in France, Lotario di Segni, the future Pope Innocent III, learned about the works of mercy carried out by Guy and his disciples. Following his election as pope in January 1198, he gave them his full support. In the bull Hiis precipue (22 April 1198), he asked all bishops to support the initiatives of Guy : «We have learned from the truthful accounts of many that the Hospital of Saint-Esprit of Montpellier, built through the solitude of our beloved son Brother Guy, shines with religious fervor and practices a hospitality of greater charity among other recently established hospitals.... There, in fact, the hungry are refreshed, the poor are clothed, the sick are given their necessities, and the neediest are offered greater consolation, so much so that the master and the brethren of that house are not so much welcomers of the needy, but rather their servants.» [“Hiis precipue” in Othmar Hageneder and Anton Haidacher, Die Register Innocenz’ III (1964), p. 139]

   On 23 April 1198, the Hospital of Saint-Esprit of Montpellier came under the direct jurisdiction of the Holy See and Pope Innocent III confirmed the monastic rule prepared by Guy for his community: «While we approve those who choose religious life and other things connected to it, we take under the protection of Blessed Peter and ours and protect with the privilege of this document the aforementioned Hospital of Saint-Esprit of Montpellier, in which you have dedicated yourselves to divine service, [...] establishing that all the houses that you legitimately possess in the present and reasonably acquire in the future, must depend on the aforementioned Hospital of Saint-Esprit of Montpellier. So too must their procurators be subject to you, Brother Guy, and to your successors, humbly obeying and humbly receiving and keeping your correction and that of your successors.» (“Religiosam vitam eligentibus” in Othmar Hageneder and Anton Haidacher, Die Register Innocenz’ III (1964), pp. 142-143)

   By the end of 1198, the community of Brother Guy already had ten other similar hospital in southern France and two in Rome. With the bull Cupientes pro plurimis (1 December 1201), the church of Sancta Maria in Saxia in Rome (now the church of Santo Spirito in Sassia), together with the domus hospitalis founded by Innocent III himself between 1198 and 1201, was entrusted to the care of Guy from Montpellier and his companions.

   Eager to realize as faithfully as possible the mercy proclaimed by Jesus, Guy outlined a very broad objective for his work, which aimed to embrace persons in their fullness. «The sufferer is the Lord, doctors and nurses are his servants,» recommended Guy in the Liber Regulae hospitalis Sancti Spiritus. The ideal of helping everyone was particularly realized in the material and spiritual assistance for unwanted children, abandoned mothers, and prostitutes. Likewise, the community of Guy from Montpellier at Santo Spirito in Sassia took in newborns left anonymously at the hospital's rotating turn and gave them an opportunity for integral development. Guy did not limit himself to helping only those who came to him, but encouraged his sisters and brothers to go out into the streets in search of those in need. The founder combined this unconditional service towards the poor with religious contemplation of the love of God. From this constant encounter with God he drew the strength to serve the unfortunate, becoming for them a source of comfort, joy and peace.

   On 19 June 1204, Pope Innocent III reconfirmed the new religious order through the bull Inter opera pietatis as well as its jurisdiction over the Roman hospital at the church of Sancta Maria in Saxia, making it the general house for the entire order.

   Guy died in Rome in the early months of 1208. In the bull Defuncto Romae, Innocent III reiterated the importance of the works of mercy initiated by Guy and the need for them to be carried forward by his successors.

   The memory of the humble and modest servant of the poor of Montpellier was silently preserved for the next four centuries in the monasteries and hospitals which lived according to the Rules he drew up. Among the religious institutes that directly trace themselves to the work of Blessed Guy are the Order of the Holy Spirit (Comendadoras del Espíritu Santo), a monastic order of nuns present in Spain and Kenya, and the Canonesses of the Holy Spirit of Sassia, an institute of apostolic sisters present in Poland and Burundi.

VATICAN CITY - Today, 13 April, Pope Francis received His Eminence Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, in a private audience. During the audience, the Holy Father authorized the Dicastery to promulgate decrees regarding:

E. Guerra	G. Clausellas	A. Tort	T. Lanfranco

- the miracle attributed to the intercession of Blessed ELENA GUERRA, founder of the Congregation of the Oblates of the Holy Spirit (known as the Sisters of Saint Zita); born on 23 June 1835 in Lucca (Italy), and died there on 11 April 1914; beatified on 26 April 1959;

- the martyrdom of the Servants of God GAIETÀ CLAUSELLAS BALLVÉ, priest of the archdiocese of Barcelona; born on 5 August 1863 in Sabadell, Barcelona (Spain), and killed in odium fidei on 15 August 1936 around the same area; and ANTONI TORT REIXACHS, layperson of the archdiocese of Barcelona; married; born on 28 March 1895 in Monistrol de Montserrat, Barcelona (Spain), and killed in odium fidei on the night between 3-4 December 1936 in Montcada, Barcelona (Spain); and

- the heroic virtues of the Servant of God ANNUNZIATA ADDOLORATA LANFRANCO (in religion: TERESA), professed religious of the Congregation of the Daughters of Saint Mary of Leuca, born on 24 March 1920 in Gallipoli, Lecce (Italy), and died on 8 June 1989 in Rome (Italy).

VATICAN CITY - Today, 14 March, Pope Francis received His Eminence Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, in a private audience. During the audience, the Holy Father authorized the Dicastery to promulgate decrees regarding:

E. al-Dwayhī	J. Torres	C. Costa de Beaur.	M.J. Metzger	M.C. Klomfass	G. Panikkervettil

L. Rodrigues	A. Tomičić	M.M. Frescobaldi	R. Hawthorne	E. Jacobucci	A. Pirini

- the miracle attributed to the intercession of the Venerable Servant of God ESŢFĀN AL-DWAYHĪ, patriarch of Antioch of the Maronites; born on 2 August 1630 in Ehden, Jabal Lubnān (Lebanon), and died on 3 May 1704 in Kannoubine (a.k.a. Qannubine), Kesrouan, Jabal Lubnān (Lebanon); heroic virtues confirmed on 3 July 2008;

- the miracle attributed to the intercession of the Venerable Servant of God JOSÉ TORRES PADILLA, priest of the archdiocese of Sevilla; cofounder of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Company of the Cross; born on 25 August 1811 in San Sebastián de La Gomera, Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Spain), and died on 23 April 1878 in Sevilla (Spain); heroic virtues confirmed on 21 May 2022;

- the miracle attributed to the intercession of the Venerable Servant of God Camille Costa de Beauregard, priest of the diocese of Chambéry; born on 17 February 1841 in Chambéry, Savoie (France), and died there on 25 March 1910; heroic virtues confirmed on 22 January 1991;

- the martyrdom of the Servant of God Max Josef Metzger, priest of the archdiocese of Freiburg im Breisgau; founder of the Secular Institute Societas Christi Regis; born on 3 February 1887 in Schofheim, Lörrach (Germany), and killed in odium fidei on 17 April 1944 in Görden, Brandenburg an der Havel (Germany);

- the martyrdom of the Servants of God MARIA CHRISTOPHORA KLOMFASS and FOURTEEN COMPANIONS, professed religious of the Congregation of the Sisters of Saint Catherine Virgin and Martyr; killed in odium fidei in 1945;

- the heroic virtues of the Servant of God Geevarghese Thomas PaniKKERVETTIL (known as MAR IVANIOS), archbishop of Trivandrum of the Syro-Malankarese; founder of the Congregations of the Order of the Imitation of Christ (known as the Bethany Ashram) and of the Sisters of the Imitation of Christ (known as the Bethany Madhom); born on 21 September 1882 in Mavelikara, Alappuzha (India), and died on 15 July 1953 in Thiruvananthapuram (India);

- the heroic virtues of the Servant of God LIBÉRIO RODRIGUES MOREIRA, priest of the diocese of Divinópolis; born on 30 June 1884 in Lagoa Santa, Minas Gerais (Brazil), and died on 21 December 1980 in Divinópolis, Minas Gerais (Brazil);

- the heroic virtues of the Servant of God Josip Tomičić (in religion: ANTE), professed religious of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin; born on 23 March 1901 in Razbojine,  Lika-Senj (Croatia), and died on 25 November 1981 in Rijeka, Primorje-Gorski Kotar (Croatia);

- the heroic virtues of the Servant of God Maria Maddalena Frescobaldi Capponi, layperson of the archdiocese of Florence; married; founder of the Congregation of the Passionist Sisters of Saint Paul of the Cross; born on 11 November 1771 in Florence (Italy), and died there on 8 April 1839;

- the heroic virtues of the Servant of God Rose Hawthorne (in religion: Mary Alphonsa) , founder of the Congregation of the Dominican Sisters of Saint Rose of Lima; born on 20 May 1851 in Lenox, Massachusetts (United States of America), and died on 9 July 1926 in Hawthorne, New York (United States of America);

- the heroic virtues of the Servant of God Agata Jacobucci (in religion: ELISABETTA), professed religious of the Institute of Franciscan Tertiary Sisters (Alcantarines); born on 23 July 1858 in Trevi, Trevi nel Lazio, Frosinone (Italy), and died on 10 February 1939 in Meta di Sorrento, Naples (Italy); and,

- the heroic virtues of the Servant of God Angelina Pirini, young layperson of the diocese of Cesena-Sarsina; born on 30 March 1922 in Celle di Sala, Cesenatico, Forlì (Italy), and died there on 2 October 1940.

VATICAN CITY - Today, 24 January, Pope Francis received His Eminence Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, in a private audience. During the audience, the Holy Father authorized the Dicastery to promulgate decrees regarding:

M.L. Paradis	M. Rapacz	C.G. Zohrabian	S. Gili	G.M. Chiti	M. Volpato

- the miracle attributed to the intercession of the Blessed VIRGINIE-ALODIE PARADIS  (in religion: MARIE-LÉONIE), founder of the Congregation of the Little Sisters of the Holy Family; born on 12 May 1840 in L’Acadie, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Québec (Canada) and died on 3 May 1912 in Sherbrooke, Québec (Canada); beatified on 11 September 1984;

- the martyrdom of the Servant of God Michał Rapacz, priest of the archdiocese of Kraków; born on 14 September 1904 in Tenczyn, Lubień, Myślenice (Poland), and killed in odium fidei on 12 May 1946 near Płoki, Trzebinia, Chrzanów (Poland);

- the heroic virtues of the Servant of God HOVHANNES [GIOVANNI] ZOHRABIAN (in religion: GUREGH (CIRILLO) FROM ERZURUM [Հովհաննէս Զոհրաբիան (Գուրէղ)]), professed priest of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin, titular bishop of Acilisene; born probably on 25 June 1881 in Erzurum (Türkiye), and died on 20 September 1972 in Rome (Italy);

- the heroic virtues of the Servant of God SebastiÀ Gili Vives, diocesan priest, founder of the Congregation of the Augustinian Daughters of Help; born on 16 January 1811 in Artá, Mallorca, Islas Baleares (Spain), and died on 11 September 1894 in Palma de Mallorca, Islas Baleares (Spain);

- the heroic virtues of the Servant of God Gianfranco Maria Chiti, professed priest of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin; born on 6 May 1921 in Gignese, Verbano-Cusio-Ossola (Italy) , and died on 20 November 2004 in Rome (Italy); and,

- the heroic virtues of the Servant of God Maddalena Rosa Volpato (in religion: MADDALENA OF SAINT THERESE OF THE CHILD JESUS), professed religious of the Congregation of the Daughters of the Church; born on 24 July 1918 in Sant’Alberto di Zero Branco, Treviso (Italy), and died on 28 May 1946 in Venice (Italy).