Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-04-04
APPLICATION FOR sAINTHooD.

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| APPLICATION FOR sAINTHooD.
Mr. William u, Curtis, In the Chicago
Record-H Herald, says that two Ameri-
cans are now under consideration for
canonzaton as saints" in the Rom
an church One is Elizabeth Seton,
The daughter OF n famous New YORK
physician, When che retired from the
world, young widow, she devoted her
life to the organization and extension
Of what Is known as the Black Order Of
Sisters Of Charity, the most numerous
and familiar Catholic sisterhood In the
United States who teach and nurse and
conduct schools hospitals, asYlums and
other phlanthropic institutions. The
application Tor her canonlzatIon was
made BY Very Rev +, s. McHale, presi-
dent Of Niagara University, who has
laid before the congregation OF rules at
Rome evidence to show that Mother
Seton was not only person Of eminent
piety and virtue, that her life and la
bors contributed largely TO the welfare
aud the happiness OF the world, but tnat
by her direct intercession several mira
Giles were performed.
The other il Father Neumann. who
was bishop in Philadelphia during the
early part Of the last century, He or
ganized the Brotherhood Of Redemp.
florists In this country and the Sisters Of
81 Francis In 1854 he was invited 10
Rome as the representative Of the
American church to be present at the
definition Of the dogma of the immacu-
late conception. He is Taid TO have been
a man Of remarkable piety and a pro-
found lheologlan and also an eminent
scientist and o llnguist, He wrote sew
eral books on botany and other branches
Of natural history. could speak. read
and write twelve different languages,
and his memory was so extraordinary
that he was able to settle any theo-
logical question in dispute by quoting
passages from the fathers without ref
erence 70 the books. He organized llfty
new churches and established more
than 100 schools. The Redemptorist
Brothers have applied for his canon
izatlon and have submitted evidence to
show that he possessed In the highest
degree the three theological graces
faith, hope and charity and the four
cardinal virtues, prudence, justice,
courage and temperance.
In the Catholic church the proceedings
by which anyone ia exalted to the dig
nifty Of a saint" are both long and ex-
penslye In later years the Vatican has
shown Itself very adverse to such pro-
oeedIngs, and the ceremony Is almost
obsolete When application for such
honors Is made man OF learning and
ability is selected to oppose the petit
ton. He is known as advocatus dlaboli
1.-The devils attorney"--and his BUSH
ness Is TO search for all the adverse
evidence he can find, and at the "trial'
present this to the court He has ten
years 20 do IL In. Some times the can
didate has 10 pass through several
"lrials' opposed by a different adyo-
cous dlaholl and n all these tests are
satisfactorily passed, he becomes
venerable" and the name is inscribed
among the honorable members of the
church Il Is necessary. however, that
a hundred years should elapse between
the death Of saint" and the record
ing Of his or her. name on the calendar
Of Saints" What is known as "beatl-
neatIon' frequently precedes canoniza-
ton. II gives TO the candidate a slight
~ inferior status than canonlzation. A
beat.ded person Is recommended for
or veneration. while the ven
Grafton Of saint" is rather obligatory
To one tamlhar with the way in which
the term saint" Is applied in the
Scriptures and by the Church by divine
an these ceremonies appear
very strange The saints Of the Most
High are not a class to be selected ac-
cording to human evidence. They are
q class who have made covenants with
their God. to keep His commandments
and who are faithful TO these ooven-
ants. When the Lord applies to them
the name saints, which. by the way
some people regard as presumption on
the part Of the Church. He does SO be-
cause lie views them as they will be
In a more Perfected state than the pres
emit It Is given with reference to po-
ientiallty rather than actually As
yet His Saints may In many respects be
frall and ering; but as long as they
are under HIS care, they are steadily
Advancing toward perfection.