The Windswept House is not a work of fiction, after all. Fr Malachi Martin doesn’t come perfectly out of it, either, but on a much lesser scale altogether. This poor woman is now forced to step into the public eye about what must have been an unthinkable experience, something which she probably dreads. I was unaware that there is no longer a ‘Devil’s Advocate’ in the canonisation process. Unsurprising in a body that seems to take ‘niceness’ as the transcendent ‘value’. My fear is that she’ll receive an awful mauling for ‘calumny’ and there’ll be no bishop with the guts to back her up. These people might even excommunicate her.
The above bold sentence is a deep disappointment for me. If the controls over the steps for canonization are less stringent, then information which might indicate the individual was not as holy as thought, or worthy of consideration, can be set aside. I always thought ""close to impeccable" was a necessary attribute of a declared saint, especially after a conversion experience had taken place. Think of St. Francis of Assisi, following his return from the battlefield. But the above situation with Cardinal Bernardin strikes me as nothing of the sort, even if he had a deathbed conversion. Please correct me if I'm whistling Dixie.
Forgive me if I’m wrong, but I was under the impression that a death-bed conversion was a route to salvation rather than sanctity.
I was referring to my suspicion that it seems convoluted that his track record was worthy of serious consideration for sainthood, however, praying for every soul should never be frowned upon!
But, if he’s canonised it implies that he’s so wonderful that he’s in Heaven already and has no need of our prayers.
Could someone point me to the evidence that Pope Leo is pushing for Cardinal Bernardin's cause for sainthood to open? I watched the above video, but it only talked about allegations against Bernardin.
https://www.facebook.com/SignoftheC...in-as-an-example-for-the-ch/1448340690828542/ https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/...-an-example-for-the-church-and-the-world.html
Cardinal Bernardin: An example for the Church and the world Thirty years after the death of Joseph Louis Cardinal Bernardin, archbishop of Chicago from 1982 to 1996, the Italian archdiocese of Trento has organized various events in memory of the prelate, whose origins lie in the region. We are publishing the full text of the Lecture delivered Friday evening, 16 October 2026, by Cardinal Blase Joseph Cupich, Archbishop of Chicago, as part of the initiatives carried out at Fiera di Primiero, in Trento, in memory of Cardinal Joseph Louis Bernardin thirty years after his death. Cardinal Bernardin, born in the U.S. state of South Carolina to parents of Trentino origin who had immigrated to the USA, led the archdiocese of Chicago from 1982 until 1996, the year of his death. The Italian towns of Rovereto and Trento are also taking part in the initiatives, which were promoted by the archdiocese of Trento. The three-day event concludes Saturday evening with the celebration of a Mass presided over by Cardinal Cupich in the cathedral of the Trentino capital. By Cardinal Blase Cupich I, who come from the city that Cardinal Bernardin called home, feel honoured to be here at Fiera di Primiero, where the Cardinal equally felt at home, thanks to your welcome and your esteem. Tonight, I would like to reflect briefly with you on how Joseph Bernardin took the best of what he learned from Trentino's rich culture and matured into a world-class figure whose impact on the Church and the world has not yet faded. Ethics and life The historic speech he delivered at Fordham University in 1983, with which he introduced his famous “consistent ethic of life” approach to the examination of crucial issues of the contemporary world, as well as the leadership role he played in the drafting of the pastoral letter on peace written by the American bishops, offer insights into appreciating this impact. Revolutionary beliefs There were three truly revolutionary beliefs that guided him. He was first of all convinced that it was necessary to follow up on the invitation of the Second Vatican Council to read the signs of the times. The Cardinal understood that the Church can only be credible if fully engaged in the world and attentive to what happens in people’s real lives, as well as to the forces that influence politics and public opinion. In many ways, he anticipated the famous phrase of the late Pope Francis: “Reality is superior to the idea.” His reading of the signs of our times led him to the conclusion that it was useless to address issues such as abortion, capital punishment, nuclear proliferation, use of military force, or anything else separately. He realized that this approach was motivated in large part by the fact that such issues were already divisive in themselves. But he was also convinced that an all-encompassing commitment to respect for life as a true principle connecting these issues would benefit them all. In his words: “The purpose of proposing a consistent ethic of life is to argue that success on any one of the issues threatening life requires a concern for the broader attitude in society about respect for human life.… The viability of the principle depends upon the consistency of its application.” Second, the cardinal was convinced that the comprehensiveness of the Church's social doctrine made it distinctly capable of guiding the definition of such issues in the public arena. As a case in point, he asked how it was possible that only Catholic bishops strongly opposed both abortion and the nuclear war policies of the United States. It was the completeness of the doctrine, that is, its consistency, that distinguished the Church. Consequently, the social doctrine of the Church could not be confined to one of the political categories that characterize American public life. Yet this is precisely why the consistent ethic of life has attracted criticism. It affirms that the doctrine of the Church cannot be shaped according to our political divisions nor should it be diminished by minimizing the importance of its fundamental social teachings, even to approximate important political objectives. Along the same lines, Pope Leo recently observed that one cannot define oneself as a defender of Life if one opposes abortion but at the same time is in favour of the death penalty or does not oppose the inhuman treatment meted out to immigrants. Finally, the Cardinal was convinced that the Church can count on a unique position to incentivize the promotion of the common good, through a redefinition of public policies. The way we cultivate faith, pastoral life, the ministries of health care and education: all demonstrate the completeness of the social doctrine of the Church. So much so that Cardinal Bernardin readily admitted that he chose a Catholic university to introduce his approach of coherent ethics of life, as he appreciated the particular role that Catholic universities have in shaping public debate.
They don't want to regard Bernadine as a saint for being holy. They want him to be declared a saint for having the, 'Right ideas'
