The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1920-08-05
COSTS FORTUNE
TO BE A SAINT
Price Has Been Reduced From
Former Years, But it Still
is Too High for Most
People.
by Camille Cianfarra, United Press
STAFF Correspondent

tIBy Camille Cianfarra, United Press
STAFF Correspondent
ROME. July o. tBy maiL)-"How
much does it cost to become saint q
! 1.-THE question is hard to answer"
said a preiate formerly connected
with the vatican excheQuer. as the
cost OF a canonizatio1 is the most
difficult TO figure In details, first be-
cause the items large and small 70
be taken into account are many: and
second. because the cost OF qualifying
for a place on the affairs of the Cath
Ole church varies from saint TO sai7t.
and is chiefly based on the financial
resources and wealth of the saints
relatives, or those of the religious
order demanding his caronizat;on.
Today. the prelate continued,
~the expenses connected with can
Ionization are not as heavy as they
used to be- In the fourth. fifth and
sixth centuries. the congregation Ct
rites which has charge Of the work.
used 10 render bills that ran into mil
lions.
AS is known, in past centuries the
different monastic orders WED with
one another in presenting to the
church candidates for beatifc zion
first and canonization afterwards The
importance, prestige and renown OF
an order was based not on the sery-
ices it rendered to the church or to
mankind, but on the number OF saints
it had given to the church The
same was true for communities of
Catholic countries The canonizatiol
of saint greatly increased the fame
of his native town or city. ard often
a. III -r-fI Ia roy
tation.
.-Padua, for instance, which has
neither an artistic nor exceptionally
historical claim to fame, is a house
hold word because she was the cradle
OF St Anthony, and because within
her walls the saint used to perform
thirteen miracles day. and that for
many years.
According to documents existing
in the archives OF the vatican, there
are monastic orders that begger fer
scores Of years in order to defray the
expenses of canonization- The
small city of Paola, the birthplace Of
St. Francis. went nearly bankrupt TO
raise her son to the honors Of the
altar. The presents made To the then
Pontif Leo <, the munihcent patron
OF arts of the Renaissance, alone
were valued at $4,000.
Benedict XIV. in his effort TO de
mocratize the church, and give the
poor candidates a chance, greatly
reduced the expenses. but low as they
are now. they still average from s4o.-
600 to $4,000.
The canonization OF Jean dare
has cost considerably more The life
of the saint presented to the pope
cost 1900 francs, and her portraits.
10000 What the cost is of the other
oil portraits which had TO be pre-
scented to the cardinal proposing the
canonization TO the auditor, the sec
rotary Of the congregation OF rites
and the saints lawyers. is not known.
The price of the papal bull is nearly
500: the presents TO those partici-
pating in the various ceremonies, are
valued at 5000, while the personnel
of St Peters, archpriests. canons and
attendants-received nearly 5000.
The translation Of documents into
Latin-and there are thousands Of
pages OF them-cost cents a page.
and what the fee was of the medical
experts and the several lawyers de- +,
Tending the saint against the attacks !
of the church prosecutor is not known |
to the public.
1T is interesting 20 add" the pre-
late concluded, that many who |
aspired to title Of saints went no |