Ordinance of Beatification
The venerable servants of God Francisco and
Jacinta Marto were born in Aljustrel, village of Fátima's parish, in the diocese Leiria-Fátima.
Francisco is born on the 11th of March 1910. In his humble family, they learned how to know and
to praise God and Virgin Maria. In the year of 1917, while they pastured their flock, together
with the cousin, Lúcia dos Santos, had the singular grace of seeing several times the Sacred
Mother of God, in Cova da Iria. Ever since, the servants of God didn't have other desire than
to do everything in God's will and to contribute for the salvation of the souls and for peace
in the world, for the prayer and penitence. In a short time they reached an extraordinary
Christian perfection. Francisco passed away on April 4, 1919 and Jacinta on February 20, 1920.
Their beatification causes and canonization
began in the year of 1952. The Sovereign Pontiff João Paulo II, on May 13, 1989, comfirmed
that both children exercised in a heroic way the theological, cardinals and similar virtues.
With the aim to the beatification, The Postulation submitted to the exam of the Congregation
of the Cause of Saints a presumably miraculous cure, attributed to his intercession. The case
refers to Maria Emília Santos, Portuguese, of which in 1946, when she was sixteen years old
began to suffer of rheumatic fevers, affecting slightly her legs. Two years later she had
stronger pains in the legs, losing her movements. Being suspected of the presence of a process
inflammatory spinal-vertebra,probably of a tuberculosis nature, she was submitted to a surgical
intervention to the spine, but without success, because she couldn't walk, due to the strong
pains in the inferior members. An the University of Coimbra she was submitted to a second
intervention. The situation became even worse, having appeared a paraplegia of the inferior
members. Maria Emília was extended on a hard bed, only being able to move the head and the
hands. In 1978 she went to Leiria's hospital for a feverish syndrome, not knowing its proper
cause. She remained six years without knowing a precise diagnosis. Due to the inability of
science, after twenty-two years of immobility, the patient relied with trust and faith on
the Divine aid, through God's servants - Francisco and Jacinta Marto. On the 25 of March
of 1987, the patient unexpectedly felt heat on her feet and was able to sit down, which
had been impossible for a long time. On February 29, 1989, she got up and gave the first
spontaneously steps without pain, as well as walking freely only with the help of a stick.
About the cure, considered miraculous, the Curia of Leiria instructed, in 1997, a diocesan
inquiry whose juridical validity was recognized by the Congregation of the Causes of Saints,
by the ordinance of November 21 of the same year. The Medical School of Dicastério, in the
session of January 28, 1999, declared unanimously that the cure was fast, complete, durable
and scientifically inexplicable. On May 7 of the same year, a Peculiar meeting of the
Consultant Theologians took place and on the 22th of following June the Ordinary Session
of the Cardinal Priests and Bishops, being the Mighty of Cansa the most Eminent Cardeal
André Maria Descur. In both encounters, either from the Consultants or from the Cardinals
and Bishops, there was no doubt that it was a divine miracle. Finally, carefully made the
relationship of all these facts to the Sovereign Pontiff João Paulo II by the subscript
Mayor, His Holiness, accepting the votes of the Congregation of the Cause of Saints,
ordered that the ordinance of the referred miraculous cure was promulgated.
Having been accomplished what was said above,
summoned today the subscript Mayor, The mighty Cardinal of the Cause, and myself the
secretary Bishop of the Congregation, and all the others used to being summon and in
his presence, the Devout Priest declared: "It is known as a miracle performed by God,
by the intercession of God's servants Francisco Marto boy, and Jacinta Marto, girl,
that is, the fast , complete and durable cure of Maria Emília Santos' paraplegia due
to probable myelitis transverse with the duration of about 22 years, with the absence
of psychic pathology".
His Holiness also wanted this ordinance
to be made public and transcribed in the official reports of the Congregation for the
Cause of Santos.
Given in Rome, on the 28 of June of
the year of the Lord in 1999.
José Saraiva Martins
Titular archbishop of Tubumica - Perfect
Eduardo Nowak
Titular archbishop of Luni - Secretary |
