Pope clears seven candidates for sainthood and beatification

Pope Francis on Friday cleared an Italian layman for sainthood and another three from Mexico, Spain and a group martyred in Argentina were cleared for beatification.

Pope Francis on June 8 received in audience Cardinal Angelo Amato, the Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, during which he authorized the Congregation to promulgate four decrees.

A decree recognized a miracle attributed to the intercession of Italian layman, Blessed Nunzio Sulprizio.  He was born in Pescosansonesco (Italy) on 13 April 1817 and died in Naples (Italy) on 5 May 1836.  Blessed Sulprizio is now cleared for canonization, the date for which will be fixed later in a consistory of cardinals with the Pope.

Three other decrees were regarding beatification, which is a step away from final sainthood or canonization.

A miracle through the intercession of Venerable Servant of God, Maria Concepcion Cabrera de Armida was recognized.  The mother of a family who later became a widow was born in San Luis Potosí (Mexico) on 8 December 1862 and died in Mexico City (Mexico) on 3 March 1937.

Another decree recognized a miracle through the intercession of the Venerable Servant of God, Maria Guadalupe Ortiz de Landázuri y Fernández de Heredia.  The lay woman belonging to the Personal Prelature of the Holy Cross and of Opus Dei was born in Madrid (Spain) on 12 December 1916 and died in Pamplona (Spain) on 16 July 1975

Another decree recognized the martyrdom of the following Servants of God: Bishop Enrico Angelo Angelelli Carletti of La Rioja, diocesan priest Fr. Gabriel Giuseppe Ruggero Longueville, Fr. Carlos de Dio Murias of the Order of Friars Minor Conventual, and Wenceslao Pedernera, a layman and father of a family.  All four were killed for “the hatred of the faith” in 1976 during  the Dirty War of Argentina’s military dictatorship.