www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life The Christian East & West quick question about mother teresa

I've only seen it on one website, so I'm not sure, but it gave Mother Teresa the title of Venerable. Was this title given to her by Rome already??

Dear Catholicos,

Yes.

Here process is moving very, very rapidly, as Rome has already recognized what everyone already knows about Mother Teresa and the local process of investigation of her virtues has been accelerated and completed.

Can you imagine a Vatican bureaucrat going on about what a virtuous person Mother Teresa was?

Sounds kind of funny . . .

Alex

That's the greatest news I've heard in a while, Alex, thanks for confirming it for me.

Dear Catholicos,

No problem, Big Guy, no problem.

You are very

(Sometimes I do make the extra effort to appear contemporary, if not altogether modern!).

Alex

You're quite cool and "with it" yourself.

Now I need to get a picture of VENERABLE ( ) Mother Teresa for my icon corner...

[ 03-04-2002: Message edited by: Mor Ephrem ]

Dear Mor Ephrem:

As far as Rome OFFICIALLY bestowing the title "Venerable" (or "Blessed") on Mother Teresa, the answer is NO.

The initial phase of the "investigation" of her heroic virtue was just completed on the diocesan level by the Archdiocese of Calcutta on August 15, 2001. It is now being continued in Rome, on the universal level, by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints if beatification should proceed.
No official word or date yet from the Vatican.

Locally, it is widely known that people of all walks of life and Calcutta's Catholic hierarchy have come to her tomb and venerate her as "Blessed," which is not at all in contravention to the on-going process of her eventual beatification and, hopefully, her canonization! Back in my native country, the Philippines, nuns and lay faithful are joining pilgrimages to her tomb in Calcutta. (Asians for Asians, he, he, he!)

Judging by the surprising "early start" of the process of her beatification (within 3 years of her death), this might ecclipse the speed with which Bl. Padre Pio's beatification to canonization (this year) happening within 34 years of his death on September 24, 1968, which might be a record in modern history.

But who would not venerate a LIVING SAINT?!!!Let's wait for the miracles through Mother
Teresa's intercession!

[ 03-04-2002: Message edited by: Amado Guerrero ]

[ 03-04-2002: Message edited by: Amado Guerrero ]

Thanks, Amado, for bursting my bubble. :p

Just kidding. Thanks for the further clarification. I was going to ask actually why I hadn't heard of this in the press, since this would've been a big deal.

At any rate, into my icon corner she goes, along with a few other modern (and Latin! ) saints...

http://www.bridgebuilding.com/narr/nmmot.html

I don't know if you have already found an icon of Mother Teresa, but here is a beautiful one. I'm going to add her to my corner as well.

Columcille

Dear Catholicos and Amado,

Well, the declaration of her virtues is a fait accomplit.

According to Roman Law, this makes her a "Venerable" as I believe the Pope himself has referred to her.

The miracles are already being examined for her beatification.

And Columcille is right.

Catholicos, don't listen to Amado .

Alex

Dear O/C Alex:

I hate to prick your "bubble" but the process of declaring a person's sainthood these days is different in the West (Latin Rite). Essentially, it involves a 2-step process: beatification and, then, canonization.

Remember the BEATIFICATION by Pope John Paul II in Lviv of the 27 martyrs of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church last June 27, 2001? They are all now "Blesseds" (or "Venerables") and, therefore, can be venerated "locally," i.e., in the Ukraine. Of course, nobody is prevented from privately venerating them elsewhere, like by you (a Ukie to the bone)and an epitome of Byzantine Catholicism and by me (a Filipnio Roman Catholic)or by Mor Ephrem (an Oriental Orthodox Catholic?)! Now, how many of the 27 will be elevated to sainthood? This, we do not know as yet. Under "Roman Rules", it takes at least 2 miracles atributable (and confirmed independently!) to the intercession of a "Blessed" for him/her to cause a designated postulator or vice postulator to start preparing for the canonization process. It does really take a long and lengthy process which, in Mother Teresa's case, the process has been "shortened" providentially.

The canonization of Bl. Juan Diego (of Our Lady of Guadalupe)this July has taken almost 500 years for the venerating millions in Mexico!

Dear Amado, Friend in Christ,

And I hate to prick your bubble!

The Blesseds so declared in Ukraine by His Holiness are not "Venerable" but "Blessed."

Perhaps I am wrong, but I think a major source of confusion here is in what "Venerable" as a title in the Roman process of canonization really is.

"Venerable" is the title that is "in between" that of "Servant of God" and "Blessed."

"Blessed" means, as you correctly say, that a person is locally venerated as a saint, as are the Ukrainian, Ruthenian, Russian and Polish saints beatified by the Pope in Ukraine.

In the Middle Ages, there was no difference between "Blessed" and "Saint." But that is an aside.

"Venerable" means that the candidates virtues are recognized as heroic and is then considered for beatification.

"Venerables" often have their relics enshrined in a church or chapel. Private devotion is accentuated, but not public devotion as in the case of Blesseds.

Mother Teresa is now a "Venerable" in this sense, being between the status of "Servant of God" and "Blessed."

She will probably be beatified within the next two years, at the rate the miracles are going!

(See, Catholicos, I told you not to listen to our dear friend, Amado!)

Alex

Dear Amado:

First the servant of God is declared Venerable by local authorities.

Then the process is moved to the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints in Rome.

After the compilation of a vita and the acceptance of one miracle, the Venerable Servant of God is declared a "Blessed" by the Holy Father.

Later, after further study and the acceptance of a second miracle, the Blessed servant of God is declared a Saint of the Universal Church.

As I understand it Venerable is always the first of three distinct steps [and if you include the title "Servant of God" then four steps].

This is just a simple resume of the whole process but its how I always understood it to be.

defreitas

Dear Jose,

Thank you . . .

I've been trying to make that clear to our dear friend, Amado, for some time now . . .

Alex

Will she be "Saint Mother Theresa" or "Saint Theresa of Calculta"? Do you include "brother" "father" or "mother" in canonized names?

My question also applies to Padre Pio. Will he be "Saint Pio" or "Saint Padre Pio"?

Thanks in Christ,
Marshall

Dear Marshal:

They don't usually call the saints by their religious titles.

I think that the Venerable Mother Theresa will be called St. Theresa of Calcutta.

But they may come up with something more poetic in her case.

When they finally canonized the Vererable Bede they gave him the title of St. Bede the Venerable.

In Portugal there is a Servant of God who is called "Holy Father Cruz" and most people couldn't even tell you what his first name is.

I suppose people will continue to call the saint by whatever title they are most comfortable with.


defreitas

PS.
I almost forgot, they will apply a descriptive title to the end of Saint's name [eg. Widow, Virgin, Confessor, Martyr, Bishop, Pope, O.F.M., S.J., etc.].

[ 03-04-2002: Message edited by: defreitas ]