Maiorem hac dilectionem

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Coat of arms of Pope Francis

Maiorem hac dilectionem ( German : a greater love than this) is the title of a motu proprio of Pope Francis . It was promulgated on July 11, 2017 . It deals with "the giving of life as a heroic act on the way to beatification and canonization". The Pope goes back to the Gospel of John ( Joh 15,13  EU ), which says: “There is no greater love than when one gives his life for his friends.” The Motu proprio was made on the recommendation of the Congregation for the Blessed and Issue canonization processes .

formalities

With the papal letter, changes are made to the canonization procedure as promulgated by Pope John Paul II in the Apostolic Constitution " Divinus perfectionis magister " of January 25, 1983 and the attached implementing provisions of February 7, 1983 . A total of four determinations are modified. With the changes, additional options for carrying out the canonicalization process are incorporated. The letter consists of an introduction, six articles and a final part; it was dated July 11, 2017 and, by papal instruction, was not promulgated in the Acta Apostolicae Sedis (AAS) but - in Italian - in the L'Osservatore Romano . Additional publication is to take place later in the AAS. Francis set the Effective Date July 12, 2017; From a legal point of view, it is a " universal church law that possibly invalidates conflicting legal norms ... The new additions are valid for the Latin and Oriental legal system".

Main features

As a new criterion for a beatification and canonization, the "giving one's life for another person" is included. Now, in addition to martyrdom and heroic virtue, there is the fact that the Christian has given his life to other people in free will and out of love for God . This is true even if the victim has not suffered martyrdom.

Table of contents

So far, there have been two paths to beatification: one through the recognition of Christian virtue and miracles at the intercession of the person concerned, the other through martyrdom. The renewals are understood as “third, some also say fourth way” to beatification. Now people can also be beatified who fulfill the act of "bestowal". The sacrifice of one's own life represents a new way of beatification and canonization; it differs from martyrdom and the heroic degree of virtue (Art. 1). The criteria of the “fourth way” are: voluntariness and own will, motivation through love of neighbor , inevitability and short-term and in connection with the devotion of one's own life, Christian virtue must have been lived, the Christian must have the call of holiness and it must follow following death a miracle (Art. 2). The other articles deal with the implementing provisions (Art. 3 - 5).

rating

It was the rector of the Pontifical Lateran University, Enrico dal Covolo , who in June 2016 brought the subject of the "giving of life" to the Congress of the Congregation for Canonization. The expert explained that there were difficulties in the beatification proceedings that had already taken place, which led the Pope to write his motu proprio. Pope Francis saw the necessary amendment in the knowledge of the difficulties that had emerged in some of the beatification processes . It has happened several times that processes that were initially supposed to provide evidence of martyrdom had to be set up again during the ongoing proceedings: “You then had to switch to a process to prove the heroic degree of virtue, which is very different because you actually couldn't Really recognize whether it was a question of one or the other fact, that is, a virtuous life or martyrdom. " A striking example is the process of beatification and canonization of Father Maximilian Kolbe , who was beatified for his virtuous life, but was then canonized for martyrdom. “It is obvious that there were procedural difficulties here, so to speak. This third way makes it possible to solve many ambiguous cases, because here, for example, one does not need a persecutor, one does not need the odium fidei, i.e. the hatred of faith, and above all effusio sanguinis, i.e. violent death, is not necessary, which is the basis for that is martyrdom. ”. Another example was the canonization of Damian de Veusters , who died while working against leprosy on the Hawaiian island of Molukka'i . In direct connection with the gift of self, there must be an early death, which was accepted out of love for God and neighbor, says Dal Cavolo. This is indispensable for the beatification process: "This could be argued, for example, in some cases of voluntarily accepted death, when help was provided for those suffering from the plague, that is, when one's own life was risked for the benefit of one's neighbor."

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Maiorem hac dilectionem nemo habet ut animam suam ponat quis pro amicis suis. On: Académie de chant grégorien [1]
  2. ^ Apostolic letter motu proprio from Pope Francis "Maiorem hac dilectionem" from July 11, 2017, to: chancellery-church law [2] , accessed August 17, 2017
  3. ↑ Roberto de Mattei on the new motu proprio "Majorem hac dilectionem". Roberto de Mattei comments on Corrispondenza Romana on the new motu proprio for canonization and beatification "Maiorem hac dilectionem" and its consequences. In: In the dinghy Petri - full strength for faith and church. July 20, 2017. Retrieved August 17, 2017 .
  4. ↑ Motu Propriu "Maiorem hac dilectionem": An expert explains, Vatican Radio, July 12, 2017 [3]
  5. ↑ Motu Propriu "Maiorem hac dilectionem": An expert explains [4]
  6. ↑ Motu Propriu "Maiorem hac dilectionem": An expert explains [5]
  7. ↑ Roland Juchem, New Path to Beatification and Canonization - Blessed is he who gives his life for the other, diocesan press publishing group, July 19, 2017, accessed on August 17, 2017 [6]
  8. ↑ Motu Propriu "Maiorem hac dilectionem": An expert explains [7]