Pope Leo XIV advances several individuals toward sainthood, including an Italian who was a father of a family and another who offered his life for the faith, as well as a Spanish religious who served the Church throughout the 20th century.
Vatican News Pope Leo XIV received Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, in the Vatican on Monday morning and authorized the Dicastery to promulgate several decrees advancing six individuals toward sainthood. The Pope recognized the offering of life of Servant of God Ludovico Altieri, Bishop of Albano, Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church, born on 17 July 1805 in Rome, Italy, who died on 11 August 1867 in the Italian hill town of Albano Laziale. The Holy Father also recognized the following heroic virtues of four religious and an Italian layperson who was a father of a family: - Servant of God Edward Joseph Flanagan, diocesan priest, Founder of Boys Town, born on 13 July 1886 in Ballymoe, Ireland, and died on 15 May 1948 in Berlin, Germany; - Servant of God Henri Caffarel, diocesan priest, Founder of the Association “Teams of Our Lady” (Équipes Notre-Dame) and of the Secular Institute “Fraternity of Our Lady of the Resurrection”, born on 30 July 1903 in Lyon, France, who died on 18 September 1996 in Beauvais; - Servant of God Stanisława Samulowska (born Barbara), professed religious of the Company of the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul, born on 30 January 1865 in Woryty in present-day Poland, who died on 6 December 1950 in Guatemala City, Guatemala; - Servant of God María of Bethlehem of the Heart of Jesus Romero Algarín (born María Dolores), professed religious of the Congregation of the Handmaids of the Divine Heart, born on 7 October 1916 in Seville, Spain, who died on 12 November 1977 in Sanlúcar la Mayor; - Servant of God Giuseppe Castagnetti, lay faithful and father of a family, born on 15 March 1909 in Montebaranzone, Italy, and died there on 22 June 1965. With the decrees on heroic virtues, the respective candidates receive the title Venerable Servant of God, or simply Venerable.