Procedure for the canonization of Queen Isabella of Castile

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Statue of the Servant of God Isabella I of Castile in the Capilla Real in Granada

At the request of the Archdiocese of Valladolid , the Congregation for the Causes of Saints in Rome initiated a process for the canonization of Queen Isabella of Castile . The process has been suspended since 1990. Thereafter there have been repeated efforts on the part of the Spanish Bishops' Conference to take up the process again and conclude with the canonization.

Course of the proceedings

In 1957, the Archbishop of Valladolid José García y Goldaraz , the bishop of the diocese in which Queen Isabella died in 1504, contacted the Cardinal Prefect of the Congregation of Rites , the former papal nuncio in Spain Gaetano Cicognani , to obtain the declaration of harmlessness (lat . nihil obstat) for the local procedure. In the spring of 1958, the Archbishop of Valladolid solemnly issued a decree opening the case and setting up a history committee. The canon Vicente Rodríguez Valencia, archivist of the archdiocese, became the local postulator appointed. Another collaborator was Luis Suárez Fernández, then professor of history at the University of Valladolid and later president of the Brotherhood del Valle de los Caídos .

During the following information process, up to 1972, 27 volumes with copies of 3,600 documents were compiled from the approximately 100,000 documents viewed in the various archives in Spain, Rome and the secret archives of the Vatican . Four volumes contain letters from the Queen, 20 information on her life and virtues, and three on her reputation as a saint. There is also a table of contents and a volume with the assessment of the documents by the history committee of the tribunal.

With the presentation of the materials (the positio) the progress of the canonization was transferred to Rome. On March 30, 1974, the Congregation for the Causes of Saints determined that the materials submitted met the requirements for examination for canonization. With this Queen Isabella was declared a servant of God .

On November 6, 1990, the positio was confirmed to be reliable, complete, and suitable for a balanced decision on the virtues and reputation of Isabella's holiness. From this point on, the proceedings were at a standstill.

On April 4, 1991, the then Archbishop of Valladolid informed the Spanish bishops of the state of the proceedings in a letter. The question was dealt with again at a subsequent bishops' meeting.

In February 1993 the then chairman of the Spanish Bishops' Conference, Cardinal Ángel Suquía , again asked the Pope on behalf of the Spanish episcopate to speed up the process. In addition, 22,000 letters of petition were written to the Vatican from institutions and individuals, many from America and the Philippines. In May 1993 the then local postulator of the case in Valladolid, Anastasio Gutiérrez, received a letter from the Papal Secretariat of State that the circumstances indicated that it was necessary to examine some aspects of the problem more closely, which required an appropriate period of study and further reflection.

In a letter to Pope John Paul II in May 1997 , Archbishop José Delicado Baeza humbly asked the Holy Father for information about the considerations and the reasons why the trial was suspended. In July, State Secretariat official Giovanni Battista Re replied that there were various reasons for postponing the decision in this process. The reasons were not given. Further inquiries in 2001 by the chairman of the Spanish Bishops' Conference, Cardinal Antonio María Rouco Varela , remained unsuccessful.

In 2014, Cardinal Rouco Varela published a book aimed at promoting the process of beatification of Isabella. This book reports, among other things, new miracles or confirmed benefits to people in different countries.

Result of the procedure so far

Before the Congregation for the Causes of Saints began the process, it was determined that the conditions were in place for the process to begin. Isabella had been worshiped since the 16th century. In large parts of the population of Spain, but also in North and South America, there was a general popular belief that Isabella had led a virtuous life as a wife, mother and regent (fama sanctitatis).

The Spanish Bishops' Conference repeatedly emphasized that the canonization process has a pastoral or missionary significance for the Church.

Isabella is said to have the authorship of two miracles. The cases have not yet been officially reviewed by the Medical Commission of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. One case is Roy Yearling from Michigan (USA). He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in October 1998 . The doctors saw no prospect of a cure. They rejected computed tomography as a waste of time because the patient would die in a short time. His wife and family prayed every day and asked Isabella for help. After a while, Roy Yearling recovered and was finally cured. Another case of a miracle attributed to Isabella's intercession is the healing of a Spanish priest who suffered from a cerebral haemorrhage. His friends and acquaintances had a mass read near the grave of Isabellas in Granada. In the same hour the patient was able to breathe independently again, woke up from the coma and soon recovered from his illness.

Objections to canonization

Even if the Congregation for the Causes of Saints has not given any reasons for the suspension of the process, various acts of Isabella are mentioned in the public discussion which, according to the proponents of canonization, cast the Queen and Spain as a whole in a wrong light ( Leyenda negra ). The advocates of canonization, especially the representatives of the Archdiocese of Valladolid, argued against these reservations in various publications. It was pointed out in particular that Isabella's activity at that time should not be based on today's standards (e.g. the Universal Declaration of Human Rights ), but on the then valid legal and moral concepts as well as the individual decisions and instructions of the Pope as the basis for the assessment.

Marriage with a fake dispensation

The marriage of Isabella and Ferdinand in 1469 was only possible with a papal dispensation because of their close relatives (second cousin and cousin) . That was not available in 1469. There was only one forged document. As an argument against this allegation made to Isabella, it is put forward that the Archbishop of Toledo Francisco Jiménez de Cisneros read the forged document, knowing that it was a forgery, during the wedding ceremony and the Apostolic Nuncio present agreed and had promised, seek a valid dispensation. Such a bull was issued on December 2nd, 1471 by Pope Sixtus IV .

Unlawful takeover of the Crown of Castile

Isabella's proclamation as Queen of Castile has been viewed as illegal by various members of the Castilian nobility, King Alfonso V of Portugal and especially Joan of Castile . According to the will of John II , the legitimate descendants of Henry IV should come first in the line of succession. Since the marriage between Henry IV and his second wife Johanna of Portugal had been declared null and void due to a lack of dispensation , the daughter Johanna was not a “legitimate” descendant. In the treaty of Toros de Guisando of September 1468, Heinrich recognized this fact and installed Isabella in place of Johanna as his successor. When the treaty was concluded, the Archbishop of Toledo Francisco Jiménez de Cisneros and the Archbishop of Seville Alonso de Fonseca y Ulloa were present alongside many members of the high Castilian nobility. They notarized the contract. Isabella's proclamation as Queen of Castile was therefore not illegal from an ecclesiastical point of view.

Abuse of the Inquisition as a state organ

The actually ecclesiastical institution of the Inquisition , as it existed in other countries, was set up by the Catholic Kings in Spain as a state institution. The Spanish Inquisition was an organ of canon law and the Grand Inquisitor proposed by the Crown was appointed by the Pope, but all other members of the "Consejo de la Suprema y General Inquisición" were appointed by the monarchs. The Consejo was organized like other government and administrative agencies. Some critics saw this as an indication that the Catholic Monarchs were abusing the facility for state-political purposes. This is countered by the fact that the Pope had approved the Spanish Inquisition precisely in the form of a state authority and that the kings, despite the approval of Pope Sixtus IV already given on November 1, 1478 , refrained from appointing inquisitors for two years because they still do so hoped to find other ways of solving the problems with the converts.

Colonization of America

The colonization of the Canary Islands , for which Isabella is responsible , and especially large parts of America, is viewed by critics as less than virtuous behavior. Here, the advocates of Isabella's canonization indicate that the actions of the Castilians in America under Isabella were primarily about the evangelization of the Gentiles. The queen had ordered that (baptized) natives should be treated as normal subjects of the Crown of Castile and not be enslaved. There were also individual orders from the Queen to release enslaved persons immediately and without severance payments from their former owners. The undesirable developments z. B. the encomienda and other forms of quasi-slavery were not intended or approved by Isabella.

Expulsion of the Jews from Castile

The Alhambra edict issued by her in 1492 is put forward as an argument against the canonization of Isabella . Isabella was responsible for the expulsion of the Jews from Castile and all injustices associated with it. The question arises whether a measure that was not only welcomed by the Pope, but also particularly praised in later honors, can be assessed negatively when judging the virtue of Isabella's life.

The expulsion is occasionally justified by the fact that the Jews in Castile were legally foreigners who only received the status of normal citizens through baptism. The Jews who had not been baptized - the foreigners - had their residence permit withdrawn because of the bad influence they exerted on their former co-religionists. There were similar expulsions in England in 1290 under King Edward I and in France in 1306 under King Philip IV , they were not a Spanish peculiarity.

Another argument against canonization relating to the Alhambra Edict is the finding that canonization would make ecumenical dialogue between the Catholic Church and Judaism more difficult. This is countered by the fact that ecumenical dialogue should not prevent the church from pursuing its institutional obligations and its own tasks and goals.

Supporters of the process

The cause of canonization was or is supported not only by the Spanish Bishops' Assembly, but also by other important organizations and personalities. These include Opus Dei , Miles Iesus (Soldiers of Jesus), the Knights of Columbus , the Cardinal of Santo Domingo Nicolás de Jesús López Rodríguez , the Venezuelan Cardinal Rosalio José Castillo Lara and the Colombian Cardinals Alfonso López Trujillo and Daríoyos Castrillón .

Keeping the process of canonization going for Isabella has cost around 100 million euros so far. A large part of this was donated by the Mexican of Spanish origin Pablo Díaz, who died in 1972. His heirs, the Fernandez family, continue to provide the funds needed to keep the case going. Pablo Díaz was the founder of one of the world's largest breweries, the Grupo Modelo .

Public effect

Coat of arms of the Catholic Kings
Coat of arms of the Spanish state between 1938 and 1945

During the dictatorship of Francisco Franco , the queen became a symbol of civil and ecclesiastical rights . This resulted in a certain reluctance on the part of Franco's opponents to worship the queen. The Spanish national coat of arms during the time of Franquism (and until 1981) was approximated to the common coat of arms of the Catholic Kings. This was to establish a historical reference to the time of the unification of the kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula to form a united, large, free Spain.

A great deal of literature has appeared on the subject of the canonization of Queen Isabella. Even books that do not have the subject of canonization directly in the title often refer in their content to the material viewed and selected by the local committee. This is especially true of texts by Vicente Rodríguez Valencia, the local postulator, and Luis Suárez Fernández.

The Comisión para la Causa de Canonización de Isabel la Católica at the Archdiocese of Valladolid gives a number of z. T. scientific books out. In addition, since 2006, 35 issues of the “Boletín electrónico” have appeared on its website.

The International Committee for the Canonization of Isabella (Comité Internacional para la Canonización de Isabel la Cátolica) issued the bilingual magazine between 1996 and 2007, entitled “Isabel” and subtitled “International Magazine of the Venerable Servant of God” (Revista Internacional de la Sierva de Dios / International Magazine of the Servant of God). The magazine was published every two months in English and Spanish. Articles in the style of saints' legends were distributed here that made no scientific claim.

literature

  • Giuseppe Nardi: Isabella I “the Catholic” - Did Cardinal Lustiger prevent her beatification? In: Katholisches.info - magazine for church and culture . 2014 ( [6] [accessed September 10, 2015]).
  • Vicente Rodríguez Valencia: Síntesis biográfica . Ed .: Arzobispado de Valladolid (=  Perfil moral de Isabel la Católica. Volume 1 ). Instituto de Historia Eclesiástica Isabel la Católica, Valladolid 1974, p. 95 (Spanish, [7] [accessed September 3, 2015]).
  • Vicente Rodríguez Valencia: Perfil moral . Ed .: Arzobispado de Valladolid (=  Perfil moral de Isabel la Católica. Volume 2 ). Instituto de Historia Eclesiástica Isabel la Católica, Valladolid 1974, p. 29 (Spanish, [8] [accessed September 3, 2015]).
  • Vicente Rodríguez Valencia: El alma de la Reina en la opinión . Ed .: Arzobispado de Valladolid (=  Perfil moral de Isabel la Católica. Volume 3 ). Instituto de Historia Eclesiástica Isabel la Católica, Valladolid 1974, p. 15 (Spanish, [9] [accessed September 3, 2015]).

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Braulio Rodríguez Plaza: Notas sobre el proceso de beatificación de Isabel la Católica. (PDF) July 2006, accessed October 10, 2015 (Spanish).
  2. ↑ Causa de Beatificación -Cronología. Comisión Isabel la Católica, accessed October 11, 2015 (Spanish).
  3. ↑ Causa de Beatificación -Cronología. Comisión Isabel la Católica, accessed October 11, 2015 (Spanish).
  4. ↑ Braulio Rodríguez Plaza: Notas sobre el proceso de beatificación de Isabel la Católica. (PDF) July 2006, accessed October 10, 2015 (Spanish).
  5. ↑ Causa de Beatificación -Cronología. Comisión Isabel la Católica, accessed October 11, 2015 (Spanish).
  6. ↑ Braulio Rodríguez Plaza: Notas sobre el proceso de beatificación de Isabel la Católica. (PDF) July 2006, accessed October 10, 2015 (Spanish).
  7. ↑ Causa de Beatificación -Cronología. Comisión Isabel la Católica, accessed October 11, 2015 (Spanish).
  8. ↑ Isabel la Católica “hace sonrojar aún hoy a nuestros gobernantes” ocultos en “democracia, derechos humanos y pacifismo”. Periódico digital progresista, March 15, 2014, accessed October 11, 2015 (Spanish).
  9. ↑ La curación milagrosa de un cáncer reabre el proceso de beatificación de la reina Isabel la Católica. (PDF) In: Religión en Libertad. Fundación Nueva Evangelización para el siglo XXI, March 20, 2014, accessed October 11, 2015 (Spanish).
  10. ↑ Vicente Rodríguez Valencia, Luis Suárez Fernández: El matrimonio de Isabel la Católica . Ed .: Arzobispado de Valladolid. Instituto de Historia Eclesiástica Isabel la Católica, Valladolid 1960 (Spanish, [1] [accessed September 3, 2015]).
  11. ↑ Vicente Vara Sanz: ¿Usurpadora del Reino? (PDF) October 12, 2007, accessed October 10, 2015 (Spanish).
  12. ^ José Antonio Escudero López: La Inquisición española . In: Francisco J. Mateos Ascacibar, Felipe Lorenzana de la Puente (ed.): Jornada de historia de Llerena . Junta de Extremadura, Dirección General de Ordenación, Renovación y Centros, Llerena 2001, ISBN 84-95251-59-0 , p. 15–46 (Spanish, [2] [accessed October 17, 2015]).
  13. ↑ José Javier Esparza: El descubrimiento de America, una gran empresa política. (PDF) March 2008, accessed October 10, 2015 (Spanish).
  14. ↑ José Javier Esparza: La expulsión de los Judíos. (PDF) February 15, 2008, accessed October 10, 2015 (Spanish).
  15. ↑ José Javier Esparza: La expulsión de los Judíos. (PDF) February 15, 2008, accessed October 10, 2015 (Spanish).
  16. ↑ Giuseppe Nardi: Isabella I “the Catholic” - Did Cardinal Lustiger prevent her beatification? In: Katholisches.info - magazine for church and culture . 2014 ( [3] [accessed September 10, 2015]).
  17. ^ Pablo Fonseca: Isabel, una católica singular. In: Revista dominical. La Nación SA, 2003, accessed October 11, 2015 (Spanish).
  18. ^ Pablo Fonseca: Isabel, una católica singular. In: Revista dominical. La Nación SA, 2003, accessed October 11, 2015 (Spanish).
  19. ↑ [4]
  20. ↑ [5]