Blessed Pedro Calungsod's miracles still confidential

CEBU, Philippines -  The postulator for the canonization of Blessed Pedro Calungsod yesterday clarified that there is no truth to the media accounts on the miracles made by the Cebuano martyr.

Msgr. Ildebrando Leyson said that the account on the miracles of Calungsod remains confidential until the Vatican releases the “decree of miracles.”

Although it was confirmed that Pope Benedict XVI has already signed the decree last Monday evening but they have yet to receive the official copy of the decree.

Leyson said while it is true that a woman from Cebu was miraculously healed through the intercession of Blessed Pedro Calungsod but the exact account of how the miracle happened, remains confidential.

Leyson said they also would want to respect the privacy of the people concerned.

According to Leyson, while he knew all the miracles of Calungsod being his postulator but he is not also allowed to share it to the public until they receive the official “decree of miracles” from the Holy See.

Leyson said they are expecting to receive the decree early next year.

“We ask the public to be patient with the process,” Leyson added.

He said the decree detailing the official miracle approved by the Vatican will be written either in Latin or Italian and will be sent to the Archdiocese where the candidate for canonization came from.

Leyson said it will be translated into English and probably Cebuano for the entire congregation to understand and celebrate.

Leyson said the preparation for the canonization will immediately follow. Although there is no schedule yet for the canonization but Leyson said they are expecting it to happen between March and May.

Calungsod will be the second Filipino to be declared saint by the Catholic Church. The first Filipino saint is San Lorenzo Ruiz.

Calungsod will be among the seven to be declared new saints of the Catholic Church. The others are Italian Priest Giovannie Battista Piamarta, Spanish religious Maria del Carmen, French Jesuit martyr Jacques Berthieu, German laywoman Anna Schaffer, American laywoman Kateri Tekakwitha, and German religious of the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis in Syracuse, U.S.A. Marianne Cope. — (FREEMAN)