BISHOP JOSEPH ADAMEC
For the Good of the Household
Monday, October 3, 2005 - The
Catholic Register
What’s In A Name
As everyone in our Diocesan Church should know, the
Reverend Prince Demetrius Gallitzin is now known as “Servant of God.”
He merits this title as a result of the Holy See having no objection to our
proceeding with the process necessary for possible canonization. This was in
response to a letter, which I wrote describing the life of Demetrius Gallitzin.
I am now in the process of appointing the various officials and commissions
necessary for the process. The two commissions necessary are the historical and
theological, which will look into the Servant of God’s life and writings. The
officials include one who is to promote the cause for canonization, an
individual who represents the bishop, and a promoter of justice whose role is to
challenge the process.
Once the diocesan process is completed, the documentation is sent to the
Congregation for Saints. After the Holy See studies that documentation and
recognizes the heroicity of the virtues lived out by the Servant of God and has
issued the relative decree, he is referred to as “Venerable.” While
the term comes from the word “venerate,” the individual is not allowed
public veneration at this point of the process.
The title of “Blessed” is bestowed at a beatification ceremony,
following a favorable review by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. A
miracle proven through appropriate canonical investigation and verified after
the individual’s death is required. The Holy Father gives the final approval
and authorizes the Congregation to draft the relative decrees. As a result of
beatification, the Church is allowed to venerate the Blessed, limited to a
particular sphere.
The next and last phase involves a miracle that has occurred after the person
was declared Blessed. The steps that affirm this miracle to be true are the same
as that for beatification. If favorable, the Pope instructs the Congregation
accordingly. Preparations for canonization then proceed. Canonization is
understood as a confirmation that the individual has entered into the eternal
Kingdom of God. The Pope is considered infallible in his declaration. With
canonization, the Blessed acquires the title of “Saint,” and the
individual is allowed full veneration throughout the Universal Church.
There is also something called “Equivalent Canonization.” This occurs
when the Pope, omitting the usual judicial process and ceremonies, orders a
Servant of God to be venerated in the Universal Church. This can happen when
such a person has been an object of veneration by God’s people for a long
period of time. Even though this has not been the case with anyone in recent
years, it seems to me that it fits our Servant of God, Demetrius A. Gallitzin.
In 1852, John W. Barber and his wife Elizabeth published a book in which they
wrote about Demetrius Augustus Gallitzin, “a Catholic clergyman of Cambria
County, Pennsylvania, who was born at Munster, Germany.” At the end of a poem
about Gallitzin, they wrote: “Servant of God, well done! Well done!”
Already 153 years ago, he appeared to be considered a Servant of God. Actually,
he has been ever since.
So many of our people have felt and continue to feel that the Servant of God
Gallitzin is already a saint. We need your assistance in documenting this
phenomenon of his cult. I invite you to check out our new Website at “www.demetriusgallitzin.org.”
