Having sought to know the will of God by prayer the Pope confides his judgment to the secretary of the Congregation.
In a new general assembly the question is considered whether the Beatification may pro ceed without further delay. In the event of an affirmative decision the Pope appoints a day for the ceremony, and orders a brief to be prepared setting forth the Apostolic sentence.
The Beatification takes place in Saint Peter's with ceremonies appropriate to the oc casion. Proof of at least two miracles is neces sary in the case of Beatification, and before proceeding to Canonization it must be proved that at least two more miracles were wrought through the intercession of the "Blessed" per son.
So strict is the examination of these mira cles, that according to an Italian proverb, "It is next to a miracle to get a miracle proved in Rome.' Torove the truth of miracles worked after Beatification, the same formality and rigorous conditions are required as are neces sary in the case of miracles before Beatifica tion.
The three congregations or assemblies which were required before Beatification are again convoked and after mature deliberation if everything is favorable to the Cause, declare for it. A decree is drawn up by the direction of the Pope expressing that decision. Canon
ization then takes place in Saint Peter's.
Most solemn ceremonies mark the event and never does the venerable Basilica with its thou sands of worshippers look so grand and in spiring as when the Pope declares and ordains that the servant of God in question shall be in scribed in the register of the Saints ("Canon Sanctorum') and that his (or her) memory shall be celebrated on a given day in every church.
Consult the celebrated treatise of Pope Benedict XIV, (De Servorum Dei Beatifica tione et Beatorum Canonizatione> (1734-38), the standard work on the subject; a portion of it has been translated under the title 'Heroic Virtue' (3 vols., 1856) ; also Addis and Arnold, 'The Catholic Dictionary' (1893) ; Aichner, 'Compendium Juris Ecclesiastic') (1900) ; Baart,