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Veneration of Blessed Today: Problems and Perspectives

Petar Bašić ; Katolički bogoslovni fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Zagreb, Hrvatska

Sažetak

The author in this article first talks about the concepts of »saint« and »blessed«. Also as an introduction he writes about different uses of those words throughout history.
In part two there is an analysis of the historical origins of canonization and beatification. The veneration of saints has popular beginnings, and in the first centuries the initiative was always to be found in the local community. The local bishop made sure that the venerations were in harmony with the Christian fatih. The first signs of papal canonization appear only toward the end of the 10th century, and only in the 11th century was there a spreading of papal authority over the introduction of new venerations. In 1234 the decretales of Gregory IX sealed into law papal authority over the process of canonization, but a fall four centuries were necessary to bring it into practice. Changes came to the terminology also. During the 14th century the attribute »saint« began to be reserved for those canonized a saint. »Blessed« remained for those who did not receive a papal canonization but were still the subject of veneration. In practice that meant that only »saints« could be the subject of official veneration, and therefore have their own liturgical celebration. The local churches and religious communities until the 16th century interpreted this differently: the accent of prohibition moved toward »pro sancto«, but those who were not canonized by the Holy See and were called »blessed.« These could be given public veneration. After the founding of the Congregation of Rites the process of beatification was standardized, and today nothing of importance has been changed.
In the third part, based on Church documents, there is ongoing research into the practice of venerating the blessed. The post-Council Church legislation speaks only about proclaiming saints and does not mention the proclaiming of blessed. Different Church documents mention blessed, but in regards to their veneration there exists a certain understatement. The Congregation for Divine Worship recognizes this and at their plenary meeting in 1996 discussed the need for a document which would bring together everything on this subject in one place and also would give instruction where it is lacking today.
Finally the author returned to some open questions and perspectives about the veneration of the blessed. Beatification in today's form comes from a relatively late date. In as much as theology does not define the difference between »blessed« and »saint« and in as much as today the Pope personally proclaims the »blessed« and the »saints,« the question can be raised why is it necessary to differentiate between saints and blessed. Today's historical conditions have changed. Once the veneration of saints was obligatitory for the universal Church, but today veneration is offered as a possibility. On the other hand the difference between the concepts of »saint« and »blessed« was never defined by degrees of saintliness. The differentiation of terms was on account of the way and place of celebration. In this context the article discussed the celebration of the new Croatian Blessed Aloysius Stepinac (proclaimed blessed October 3, 1998).

Ključne riječi

canonization; blessed; veneration; liturgy; bl. A. Stepinac

Hrčak ID:

31525

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/31525

Datum izdavanja:

29.9.1999.

Podaci na drugim jezicima: hrvatski

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