The International Postulator General for the Society of Jesus has called for information about the life and holiness of Fr Pedro Arrupe SJ, to determine whether a cause for sainthood can be made.
In a letter to the Society on November 17, Fr Anton Witwer SJ said the General Curia had received a number of enquiries about the introduction of a case for beatification for Fr Arrupe, the former General of the Society who died on February 5, 1991.
“Such interest obviously reflects the great esteem that many Jesuits and non-Jesuits have for Fr Arrupe. It also indicates the strong desire that he be remembered as a significant and important figure, a deeply spiritual person who is an example of what it means to be an authentic Jesuit,” he said.
Fr Witwer said information about Fr Arrupe’s life must be collected in order to make a decision on whether a cause can be introduced.
“Above all we need to verify the ‘authentic and widespread reputation of holiness’, as indicated by the Instruction Sanctorum Mater of the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints,” said he said.
Article 7 of the Instruction says that, as well as having a reputation for holiness, the person must also have a reputation for intercessory power. The reputation must be “spontaneous and not artificially produced”, and must be “stable, continuous, widespread among trustworthy people and existing among a significant portion of the People of God”.
Fr Witwer said the Congregation allows for written testimony to be left on behalf of people whose cause is not in progress, so that the testimony is not lost when and if a cause is pursued. The testimony must be signed by the writer and countersigned by an ecclesiastical or civil notary in order to be accepted as proof in an eventual cause.
An invitation has been extended to all those who have personal knowledge of Fr Arrupe, either because they worked with him or lived near him for a significant period of time, to send testimonies to the Postulator’s office of the Society. The invitation has also been extended to those who feel a special devotion for Fr Arrupe – Jesuits, members of Religious Congregations inspired by Ignatian spirituality, or others.
Information can be sent to the Curia in Rome. Contact details can be found at www.sjweb.info.
Source: Province Express
