Australia will have its first Roman Catholic saint after Pope Benedict approved a decree recognising a second miracle attributed to the intercession of Mother Mary MacKillop.
The approval means Blessed Mary is likely to be formally declared a saint at a canonisation ceremony next year.
Blessed Mary (1842-1909), who founded the Sisters of Saint Joseph, is revered by Catholics for her work, especially with needy children, former female prisoners and prostitutes.
She was beatified by pope John Paul II in 1995.
The miracle approved on Saturday involved the healing of a person who had cancer and was cured after praying to Blessed Mary.
Sister Anne Derwin from the Sisters of Saint Joseph says many have been inspired by Blessed Mary's work in education and with the poor.
"It's not only the sisters, but many other people, men and women, who love the way Mary MacKillop lived her life," she said.
"They try and live in that spirit too, and do great things for people."
Sister Derwin says the Pope's decision is a significant event for the church in Australia.
"Mary herself wouldn't have expected this sort of limelight, but it makes us feel excited that the gift she was given for the church, for the world, is being recognised as valuable," Sister Derwin said.
"And that was a gift to focus on those most in need in our society."
Mary MacKillop was born in Melbourne, worked throughout South Australia and died in North Sydney.
She co-founded the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart in 1866 but was excommunicated from the Church at one stage for allegedly disobeying authorities.
However she continued to spend her life caring for those less fortunate.
Venerable John Paul II
Meanwhile, the late pope, John Paul II, has also moved closer to sainthood, as his successor approved a decree recognising that he had lived the Christian faith heroically.
The Vatican said Pope Benedict had signed the "heroic virtues" decree, a key step in the procedure by which the Church recognises its saints, after a recommendation by a Vatican panel of experts.
The late pope will now have the title "venerable".
The following step will now be the recognition of a miracle attributed to John Paul II, who died in 2005.
That is expected to happen early next year, meaning the late pope can be beatified, the final step before sainthood.
In John Paul II's case, the miracle under consideration - and subject to another papal decree - involves a French nun who was cured of Parkinson's disease in 2005.
Vatican watchers expect Benedict to approve the beatification, which could be celebrated next year, either on the April 2 anniversary of his death or in October on the anniversary of the start of John Paul II's papacy in 1978.
Pope Benedict also declared controversial wartime pontiff Pius XII venerable, putting him on the road to beatification despite controversy over his role during World War II, when many historians say he remained passive while Nazi Germany killed millions of Jews.
The beatification of Father Jerzy Popieluszko, the "Solidarity chaplain" who was murdered by the Polish secret service in 1984, has also been approved.
The decree places the charismatic priest, a staunch anti-communist who laced his sermons with political messages, on the path to sainthood.
Because he is considered a martyr, Father Popieluszko's beatification dossier did not require evidence of a miracle.
Read more...
