Vatican City, Oct 3, 2015 / 12:39 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis on Saturday presided over a candlelight vigil for the Synod on the Family, calling on the Synod Fathers to listen to families, including the Holy Family, over the course of their deliberations.   “The family is a place of discernment, where we learn to recognize God’s plan for our lives and to embrace it with trust,” the Pope said. “It is a place of gratuitousness, of discreet fraternal presence and solidarity, a place where we learn to step out of ourselves and accept others, to forgive and to be forgiven.”   “Every family is always a light, however faint, amid the darkness of this world.”   Speaking the night before the opening of the Synod on the Family, he called on Synod participants – many of whom were present – to “acknowledge, esteem, and proclaim all that is beautiful, good and holy” in the family, and “embrace situations of vulnerability and hardship: war, illness, grief, wounded relationships and brokenness, which create distress, resentment and separation.”   “May (the Synod) remind these families, and every family, that the Gospel is always 'good news' which enables us to start over,” he said, addressing the crowds – many of them families with children – gathered in Saint Peter's Square.   The pontiff also reflected on the importance of looking to the Holy Family.   The family of Nazareth, he said, was not unlike most families: “with their problems and their simple joys, a life marked by serene patience amid adversity, respect for others, a humility which is freeing and which flowers in service, a life of fraternity rooted in the sense that we are all members of one body.”   “Let us set out once more from Nazareth for a Synod which, more than speaking about the family, can learn from the family, readily acknowledging its dignity, its strength and its value, despite all its problems and difficulties.”   Pope Francis prayed that the Synod on the Family, which opens Sunday, would demonstrate marriage and family as a “rich and humanly fulfilling” experience.   “The family is a place where evangelical holiness is lived out in the most ordinary conditions,” the Pope said.  “There we are formed by the memory of past generations and we put down roots which enable us to go far.”   The Synod on the Family goes from Oct. 4-25, and is the second and larger of two such gatherings to take place in the course of a year. Like its 2014 precursor, the focus of the 2015 Synod of Bishops will be the family, this time with the theme: “The vocation and mission of the family in the Church and the modern world.”   Looking out onto the darkened square filled with candlelight, the Pope reflected on the symbolism of the candle in the dark, in reference to the difficulties we face throughout our lives.   “What good is it to light a little candle in the darkness? Isn’t there a better way to dispel the darkness? Can the darkness even be overcome?”   “When life proves difficult and demanding, we can be tempted to step back, turn away and withdraw, perhaps even in the name of prudence and realism, and thus flee the responsibility of doing our part as best we can.”   The Pope reflected on the story of the prophet Elijah who, the Old Testament recounts, fled out of fear on the mountain of Horeb. The scriptures recount that God came to him as he hid in a cave on the mountain.   “He would get his answer not in the great wind which shatters the rocks, nor in the earthquake nor even in the fire,” the Pope said.   “God’s grace does not shout out; it is a whisper which reaches all those who are ready to hear its still, small voice. It urges them to go forth, to return to the world, to be witnesses to God’s love for mankind, so that the world may believe.”   Pope Francis recalled the vigil held one year prior for the 2014 Extraordinary Synod on the Family. During that gathering, those present prayed for the Holy Spirit to inspire the Synod participants to listen to each other, and to keep their “gaze fixed on Jesus, the definitive Word of the Father and the criterion by which everything is to be measured.”   “This evening, our prayer cannot be otherwise,” the Pope said.   He cited the words of Patriarch Athenagoras, who said without the Holy Spirit, the Church is simply an organization, whose “authority becomes domination, mission becomes propaganda, worship becomes mystique, Christian life the morality of slaves.”   The Pope appealed to the Synod participants to draw from the Church's tradition in bringing “comfort and hope” to families today.   Jesus has his own experience within a family, like many others, for the first 30 years of his earthly life in an obscure town of the Roman Empire, the Pope recalled.   Pope Francis cited the example of Charles de Foucauld, Algerian founder of the Little Brothers of Jesus. An early 20th century martyr, declared Blessed in 2005, “Brother Charles” had abandoned a military career to explore a spirituality based on the Holy Family.   “Contemplating the Family of Nazareth, Brother Charles realized how empty the desire for wealth and power really is,” the Pope said.   The Blessed had wanted to be a hermit, but learned that love of God was fostered by human relationships. “For in loving others, we learn to love God, in stooping down to help our neighbor, we are lifted up to God,” he said.   “Through his fraternal closeness and his solidarity with the poor and the abandoned, he came to understand that it is they who evangelize us, they who help us to grow in humanity.”   Pope Francis said it is necessary to follow Blessed Charles' example and enter “into the mystery of the family of Nazareth.”   Pope Francis called on the Synod to not only speak about the family but to learn from the family its dignity, strength, and value, notwithstanding its challenges.   He also reflected on the Church in terms of a family. As mother, it is “ever capable of giving and nourishing life, accompanying it with devotion, tenderness, and moral strength.”   In turn, the Church also demonstrates the “closeness and love of a father, a responsible guardian who protects without confining, who corrects without demeaning, who trains by example and patience, sometimes simply by a silence which bespeaks prayerful and trusting expectation.”   The Pope also spoke of the Church in terms of brothers and sisters, who never view one another as “a burden, a problem, an expense, a concern or a risk.”   For this reason, the Church appeals “to the longing for peace present in every man and woman, including those who – amid life’s trials – have wounded and suffering hearts.”   Pope Francis concluded: “This Church can indeed light up the darkness felt by so many men and women. She can credibly point them towards the goal and walk at their side, precisely because she herself first experienced what it is to be endlessly reborn in the merciful heart of the Father.”   Read more

Vatican City, Oct 3, 2015 / 05:15 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The director of the Holy See press office has issued a statement in response to Vatican official Msgr. Krzysztof Charamsa's declaration in a recent interview that he is homosexual and has a boyfriend. Msgr. Charamsa, 43, granted a video interview to Italian agency Corriere della Sera published on Oct. 3 in which he, speaking in Polish, announced that he is "a homosexual priest, with a partner." Following the revelation, Fr Federico Lombardi, S.J. issued the following Oct. 3 statement: “Regarding the statements and interviews released by Msgr. Kryzstof Charamsa, it must be considered -- notwithstanding the respect warranted to the events and personal situations and reflections on the issue -- the choice to make such a pointed statement on the vigil of the Synod’s opening seems very serious and irresponsible, since it seeks to impose on the Synodal assembly undue media pressure.” Certainly, he said, "Msgr. Charamsa will not be able to continue performing his previous duties at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Pontifical Universities, whereas other aspects of his situation are under the competence of his diocesan ordinary.” In the Corriere interview, Msgr. Charamsa said that he made the announcement so that the Church and community would know his true identity. He said he was proud of his orientation and suggested the Church's stance on sexual abstinence for homosexuals is "inhumane," asking for change. Msgr. Charamsa has served as an official for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF). Since 2009 he has served on the theology faculty of Rome’s Pontifical Gregorian University and Regina Apostolorum University. In 2011, he was appointed as secretary of the International Theological Commission. The CDF is responsible for appointing theologians to the International Theological Commission. On Friday, the day before the Corriere interview was published, a conference was held featuring testimonies by persons with same-sex attraction who are living chaste lives. Sponsored by Courage, an apostolate which offers pastoral support for men and women with same-sex attraction, participants called for the Synod fathers to defend the Church's teaching on chastity. The international gathering was entitled "Living the Truth in Love: Addressing the Pastoral Needs of Men and Women with Homosexual Tendencies," and was held at the Pontifical Thomas Aquinas University, also known as the Angelicum. The Synod on the Family will be addressing pastoral care in the Church for persons with same-sex attraction. It begins tomorrow, Oct. 4, and will close Oct. 25. Read more

Vatican City, Oct 2, 2015 / 04:47 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Each of us has a Guardian Angel who, acting on behalf of God, advises us and protects us from evil, if we only listen to him, Pope Francis said during his homily at Mass on Friday. “May we... Read more

Vatican City, Oct 2, 2015 / 10:57 am (CNA/EWTN News).- As the synod’s schedule and methodology were rolled out ahead of its launch this weekend, some novelties came along with it, such as no midterm report and a heightened emphasis on the small groups. Set to take place Oct. 4-25, this year’s ordinary synod will reflect on the theme “Jesus Christ reveals the mystery and vocation of the family” and will gather 279 cardinals, bishops and representatives from all over the world. Each day of the synod will be divided into morning and afternoon sessions, similar to last year. However, with a longer overall duration, the gathering will be divided into three parts, with each week dedicated to one of the three sections of the synod’s guiding document. Released in June, the synod’s “Instrumentum Laboris” builds on the final report of last October’s extraordinary synod, and incorporates suggestions from Church entities like bishops’ conferences and even individuals who freely sent their opinions. The first part, titled “Listening to the challenges of the family,” focuses mainly on themes surrounding last year’s synod, and will be the topic of the first five days of this year’s ordinary synod. Afterward, discussion will shift to the second part, titled “Discernment of the family vocation,” before culminating with the third, “The mission of the family today.” Both of the final parts will address the new themes to be discussed this year. The schedule and new method were presented by Vatican spokesman Fr. Federico Lombardi and the Secretary General of the synod of Bishops, Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, during an Oct. 2 press briefing. Cardinal Baldisseri explained that although there will be no midterm report during this year’s synod, all of the reports of the small groups will be published and available to the press. However, due to time constraints, official translations into the rest of the languages will not be available. Divided by language into 13 groups with around 20 members each, there will be one German group, four in English, three in Spanish, two in Italian and three in French. Groups were determined by both the language of participants and the requests of the synod fathers. Fr. Lombardi said that the publication of the small group reports is really “the novelty” of this synod, since last year they were only published once, and now they will be published after each of the three synod phases. Small groups will meet in total 13 times throughout the three-week gathering. Also distinct from last year is the fact that there will be no midterm report. However, the synod fathers will draft an initial report summarizing the discussions of the first week, and will continue to develop the document throughout the following two weeks of discussion. The synod will officially be opened by Pope Francis Sunday, Oct. 4, with a special inauguration Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica. Discussion will formally begin the following day with speeches from Cardinal Baldisseri as well as the synod General Relator, Cardinal Peter Erdo, who will expose the first theme. Afterward, a married couple auditing will have the chance to speak. Cardinal Baldisseri said it is still unknown whether or not Pope Francis will speak at the opening discussion, but said they at least expect the Pope to stop by for a greeting. Discussion will then continue with the synod fathers in the General Congregations. Each participant will have three minutes to speak, but are able at any point to provide a text expressing more of their thoughts. After the initial general meetings take place, there will be several small group sessions, during which the participants will reflect on the Instrumentum and develop it with their own thoughts and input. When the small group sessions finish, one member from each will give a brief presentation of their work in the synod hall, which will then be made public. This process will be repeated for the three stages of the synod discussion. At the end of the three-week gathering, a special 10-member global commission nominated by Pope Francis will draft the final synod report. The members include: Cardinal Peter Erdo, archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest (Hungary), Rapporteur General; Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, the General Secretary; Archbishop Bruno Forte of Chieti-Vasto (Italy); Cardinal Oswald Gracias, archbishop of Bombay (India); Cardinal Donald Wuerl, archbishop of Washington (United States of America); Cardinal John Atcherley Dew, archbishop of Wellington (New Zealand); Archbishop Victor Manuel Fernandez, rector of the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina (Argentina); Bishop Mathieu Madega Lebouakehan of Mouila (Gabon); Bishop Marcello Semeraro of Albano (Italy); Father Adolfo Nicolas Pachon, superior general of the Society of Jesus, representing the Union of Superiors General. When the final synod document has been finished, it will, like last year, be voted on paragraph by paragraph with a required majority of 2/3 vote to be approved. However, the final approval of the report depends on Pope Francis. Cardinal Baldisseri stressed that it is still unknown whether the document, including the details of the voting, will be published like last year’s. That decision, he said, depends on the Pope. Conclusions from the synod discussion will then be used by Pope Francis to draft his first Post-Synodal Exhortation, which can be expected in 2016. Among the 279 participants are 74 cardinals, including one cardinal Patriarch and 2 major archbishops; six Patriarchs; one major archbishop; 72 archbishops, including three titular; 102 bishops, among whom are six auxiliaries, three apostolic vicars and one emeritus; two parish priests and 13 religious. There will also be 24 experts and collaborators, 51 auditors, both couples and individuals, and 14 fraternal delegates.   Read more

Vatican City, Oct 2, 2015 / 06:03 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Ten prelates from Africa have stood up against a pastoral approach to new challenges to marriage and the family that would effectively modify the Church's doctrine, by writing essays for a book meant to be a “contribution to the Synod onf the Family by African pastors.” This is the subtitle of Christ's New Homeland – Africa, published this week by Ignatius Press, and which features a preface by Cardinal Francis Arinze, prefect emeritus of the Congregation for Divine Worship. In the book, cardinals and bishops from Africa tackles the main issues of the upcoming Synod on the Family; shed light on shortcomings in the synod's instrumentum laboris (working document); stress the importance of formation of Christians; and face challenges such as polygamy and interreligious marriages. Above all, the African prelates claim the importance of their continent in facing secularizing trends, and explain that a strong faith is the best response to them. The book is divided in three parts: “The Synod on the Family: From one Assembly to Another”; “The Gospel of the Family”; and “Pastoral Care of Families that are Hurting”. There is also an epilogue, an “Appeal from the Church in Africa to the State”, which explains why governments should support families. The books contributors are Cardinal Robert Sarah, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship; Bishop Barthélemy Adoukonou, Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Culture; Archbishop Denis Amuzu-Dzakpah of Lomé; Cardinal Philippe Ouedraogo of Ouagadougou; Cardinal Berhaneyesus Souraphiel of Addis Ababa; Cardinal Christian Tumi, Archbishop Emeritus of Douala; Archbishop Antoine Ganye of Cotonou; Cardinal Théodore-Adrien Sarr, Archbishop Emeritus of Dakar; Archbishop Samuel Kleda of Douala; and Cardinal Jean-Pierre Kutwa of Abidjan. The first part of the book is constituted by two essays, by Cardinal Sarah and Bishop Adoukonou, critiquing the instrumentum laboris of the upcoming synod. Both found numerous deficiencies – “slippery language” and “treacherous expressions” among them –  in the synod’s working document, and underscored the role the  media has played in discussions leading up to the synod. According to Cardinal Sarah, “the media coverage of this debate gives the impression that, on the one hand, there are those who are in favor of ‘closed doctrine’ and, on the other hand, those who are for ‘pastoral openness’.” But – the cardinal underscored – “in reality, there is no doctrinal party opposed to a pastoral party; instead, both parties claim to be attached to the Church’s perennial doctrine and want pastoral practice to express God’s mercy toward everyone … Might there be some, then, who would argue for the continuation of a pastoral practice that, if it changed, would ipso facto modify the doctrine? Cardinal Sarah added that “new developments in pastoral practice would not mean changing doctrine, they maintain, but rather would allow the Church to make God’s loving heart more apparent and accessible.” He countered, however, that such “developments” would be “a sort of 'mercy' that accomplishes nothing but lets them seek deeper into evil.” “But could they seriously think that the bishops and cardinals who were warning about a real danger of doctrinal deviation have a fixed concept of pastoral practice? If God’s pedagogy changes, that of the Church should not become rigid,” concluded the prefect. He noted that the media who push for a change to pastoral practice “forget to say that now most practicing Christians are found no longer in the Northern Hemisphere but rather in the Young Churches.” Cardinal Sarah also highlighted some “perplexities” raised by the synod’s working document, especially as it seems to propose civil marriage as a preparation for  sacramental marriage. “To what population does the document address this reality of civil marriages as a preparation for sacramental marriage? To the baptized members of the Church or to sympathetic pagans in areas where an initial evangelization is being conducted? Unless it applies to the neo-pagans in the countries of former Christendom!” “Set God and doctrine aside, and you create a major pastoral confusion,” Cardinal Sarah wrote. Cardinal Sarah also underscored that “the Church’s pastoral ministry, as her pastors strive to conduct it in the Young Churches, has never outlawed from the community those who are in difficult marital situations. On the contrary, in most cases, they are active members in ecclesial life.” He then explained that “the fact that they do not go to sacramental Communion – which is not in their view a simple communal meal from which they would feel excluded – nevertheless does not diminish their profound desire to serve Jesus and his ecclesial community.” According to Cardinal Sarah, “the lack of a clear position and all the confusion that we note in the relatio synodi are obvious signs, not only of a deep crisis of faith, but also of an equally deep crisis in pastoral practice: pastors hesitate to set out clearly in one direction.” The instrumentum laboris, he said, reflects the malaise of the Church in the West, and that were the Church to allow the divorced-and-remarried to receive Communion, “why would we reject the lay faithful who had become polygamous? We would also have to remove 'adultery' from the list of sins.” Bishop Adoukonou wrote that “the fundamental methodological limitation that we observe in the document lies in the fact that it utilizes the resources of almost all the human and social sciences to put into context the topic of the family today without bringing to light the most important background, namely, the historical choices that led to this disaster.” A clear position is needed, says Bishop Adookonou. Citing the rise of the Islamic State caliphate, similar efforts in the Sahel and that “other extremist movements seek to set up radical Islamic regimes everywhere, which confuse decadent Western civilization with Christianity, we have the obligation to set ourselves apart from that postmodern civilization, not out of fear or by way of withdrawing into our own enclaves, but out of fidelity to our deep Christian and African identity,” he wrote. And he added: “For the sake of attracting people, we do not want to put ourselves into situations that would compromise our values, under the illusion of being open to the world in that way.” Bishop Adokonou also declared that “conscious more than ever of this interdependence, Africa would like to remind the Church in the West that she could not possibly engage in a hermetically sealed dialogue with the postmodern world, while ridiculing other countries as though they were trapped in various forms of obscurantism that no one understands, without seriously compromising her faith and Christian roots.” The archbishop deems “unacceptable” the idea – contained in the Synod’s working document – that “the Gospel in itself is a burden from which the Church, out of mercy, ought to strive to relieve our poor contemporaries.” He went so far as to suggest that a section of the document “contains elements that are highly debatable and even in contradiction with Catholic doctrine.” Cardinal Souphraniel highlighted the Church’s importance in providing a correct education about marriage and family. The Church – he wrote - “prepares young couples for marriage. She provides religious education for children grades 1–12. She makes available Catholic schools from kindergarten to the university level, where truths of the faith and moral truths are part of the learning experience. She provides classes in Natural Family Planning, family counseling, and pastoral care, especially in the sacrament of reconciliation and forgiveness. She counteracts such contemporary trends as hedonism, abortion, euthanasia, and value-free sex education.” But the most important thing is that “she provides the sacraments, whereby every man, woman, and child can obtain the spiritual help he needs to resist temptation, to pursue virtuous living, and to grow in the worship and praise of God,” Cardinal Souphraniel underscored. Archbishop Kleda also shed light on the lack of education, especially for couples. In his words, “one last form of suffering that can be observed involves couples who are not well prepared for marriage, who have not understood the meaning of family life and have not agreed to give themselves totally to each other.” In the end, explains Cardinal Kutwa, “The family is and remains, in Africa as elsewhere in the world, society’s most precious resource. It is the place where one learns the importance of oneself, certainly, but also the importance of the other. No one is born alone and for himself alone.” This is one of the many reasons Cardinal Kutwa provides to explain why the state should support family. But the real, final rationale of the book is that of setting the core on Christian families who are fully living their vocation as Christian families. “The beautiful Christian families that are heroically living out the demanding values of the Gospel are today the real peripheries of our world and of our societies, which are going through life as though God did not exist,” wrote Cardinal Sarah. Read more

Vatican City, Oct 2, 2015 / 04:54 am (CNA/EWTN News).- After meeting with Pope Francis earlier this morning, Vatican spokesman Fr. Federico Lombardi confirmed that the Pope met with Kim Davis and her husband as part of a large group invited by the nunciature. In an Oct. 2 statement, Fr. Lombardi said that Pope Francis met with Davis alongside several dozen others who had been invited by the nunciature to greet him as he prepared to leave Washington for New York City. Such brief greetings “occur on all papal visits and are due to the Pope’s characteristic kindness and availability,” he said, adding that the only specific audience granted by the Pope at the nunciature “was with one of his former students and his family.” Fr. Lombardi clarified that during Pope Francis’ meeting with Davis, the Pope “did not enter into the details” of her situation, and specified that the meeting with her “should not be considered a form of support of her position in all of its particular and complex aspects.” The spokesman answered questions about the meeting with Davis during an Oct. 2 press briefing for the upcoming Synod of Bishops on the Family, saying that “I don't have anything else to add at this moment.” Davis, a clerk for Rowan County, Kentucky, has repeatedly made headlines for refusing out of conscience to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, after the U.S. Supreme Court in June legalized same-sex marriage in all 50 states in its decision, Obergefell v. Hodges. The district court judge ordered that Davis serve jail time for refusing to obey the law, stating that her conscientious objection was not enough for her to lawfully recuse herself from issuing licenses. Davis served five days in jail. Headlines have been circling the past few days after Roberty Moynihan, editor of the publication “Inside the Vatican,” broke the news about the meeting Sept. 30. The meeting was later confirmed by Davis’ attorney, Matthew Staver, to several news outlets. Fr. Thomas Rosica C.S.B., CEO of Salt and Light media foundation and the English language assistant to Holy See Press Office, told journalists Oct. 2 that as far as the Pope’s meeting with Davis goes, “I don't think it’s a matter of being tricked as of being fully aware of the situation and its complexities.” “I don't think anyone was willfully trying to trick the Pope,” he said, but clarified that the Pope had not been fully briefed on her situation, or the impact such a meeting would have. Fr. Rosica said that since Pope Francis had not been fully aware of Davis’ situation, he was not referring to her when he made his comments about a government employee’s right to conscientious objection on board the plane from Philadelphia to Rome. He also said he is unaware whether any U.S. bishop had known about the meeting in advance, and was not sure who orchestrated the meeting, if it had been the Vatican ambassador to the U.S., Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, or the Davis’ lawyer. Although Fr. Rosica had been very involved in Pope Francis’ visit to the United States last week and was aware of the details, he said that no one really knew about the meeting with Davis and her husband until the Pope had returned to Rome. Read more

Vatican City, Oct 2, 2015 / 04:04 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Among the eight causes for sainthood advanced by Pope Francis is a Mexican exorcist who lived during the time of the Cristero War, and was mentored by a bishop that has since been canonized. The Pope gave the green light to move the causes on to the next step in a private Sept. 30 audience with Cardinal Angelo Amato, head of the Vatican's congregation for saint's causes. Fr. Juan Manuel Martín del Campo was one of five priests recognized for heroic virtue, and who have now received the title of “Venerable,” only two steps away from canonization, which takes place after the requirement two miracles has been fulfilled. Born in in Lagos de Moreno, in the state of Jalisco, Dec. 14, 1917, Fr. Martín del Campo served as a priest for more than 50 years before his death, eight of which (1987-1995) were spent as the official exorcist for the Mexican diocese of Xalapa, Mexican newspaper “Diario de Xalapa” reports. Raised in a pious family, the priest would pray the rosary with his parents and siblings every day, and would receive a blessing from his mother, Ana, each night before he went to bed. One of his brothers, Fernando, also became a priest. He entered the seminary of Veracruz in the 1930s, during the time of Mexico's Cristero War that was sparked by anti-clerical legislation being passed by the Mexican President Elías Calles in 1926. The laws banned religious orders, deprived the Church of property rights and denied priests civil liberties, including the right to trial by jury and the right to vote. The persecution became so fierce that some Catholics began to forcibly resist, fighting under the slogan and banner of “Cristo Rey” (Christ the King). Martín del Campo stood out as an exemplary student in the seminary, and was mentored by his bishop, Rafael Guízar y Valencia, who was canonized by Benedict XVI in 2006. In the midst of the persecution, when the seminary was still in hiding, Bishop Guízar y Valencia named the young seminarian coordinator of the group of students in charge of buying food for the seminary. In 1939 he was appointed to the ministry of acolyte – the person in charge of preparing all liturgical celebrations – by Bishop Guízar y Valencia’s successor, Manuel Pío López Estrada. Martín del Campo was ordained a priest Dec. 21, 1940, and afterward continued on at the Veracruz seminary as a professor and director and prefect of theologians until 1947. He became the Vicar of religious in April 1947, and seven years later, in 1954, was appointed the diocesan director of the Work of the Propagation of the Faith. Four years later the priest was put in charge of St. Jerome parish in Coatepec, where he continued to serve for the next 10 years. In 1970, he was appointed as Canon penitentiary for the Xalapa Cathedral. A canon penitentiary is a member of the cathedral’s chapter who serves as a general confessor of the diocese. After serving in that role for 15 years, he became the diocese’s exorcist until 1995, the year before he died. Fr. Martín del Campo passed away Aug. 13, 1996, in Xalapa. His remains have since been moved to the Chapel of St. Francis of Assisi, inside the Church of St. Jerome in Coatepec in 2010. In addition to the exorcist, the heroic virtue was approved for four priests, a religious sister and a laywoman. The martyrdom of a priest and his four companions was also recognized, allowing for their beatification. Fr. Valentino Palencia Marquina and his four companions were recognized as having been killed in hatred for the faith July 15, 1937, in Spain. Sister Maria Benedetta Giuseppa Frey was one of those approved of heroic virtue. A Cistercian nun, she was born in Rome in 1836, and died May 10, 1913. Also approved of heroic virtue is Anna Chrzanowska, a Polish laywoman who was an Oblate with the Ursuline Sisters of St. Benedict. She was born in Varsavia in 1902, and died in Krakow April 29, 1973. The four priests approved of heroic virtue were Italians Fr. Giovanni Folci, founder of the Work of the Divine Prisoner who died in Colorina in 1963, and Fr. Antonio Filomeno Maria Losito of the Congregation of the Holy Redeemer, who was born in Puglia in 1838 and died in Pagani in July 1917. Spanish priest Giuseppe Rivera Ramírez of Toledo, Spain and Fr. Francesco Blachnicki of Rybnik, Poland were also approved of heroic virtue. Fr. Ramírez was born in 1925 and died in March 1991, and Fr. Blachnicki lived from 1921-1987, when he died in Germany. Read more