Over the course of the last few days, two important steps have been taken in the cause for beatification of Fr Pedro Arrupe (1907-1991), 28^th Superior General of the Society of Jesus.

On the 19^th of February last, after five years of work, the Historical Commission (formed by Gianni La Bella, Monica Borsari, Robert Danieluk, SJ, Massimo De Giuseppe and Carlo Luongo) was sworn-in on the work they had accomplished which allowed the Commission to submit their collected material to the ecclesiastical tribunal of the Vicariate of Rome. Together with the accompanying report, there are almost ten thousand pages of unpublished texts of Fr Arrupe and printed material relating to his life and his reputation for holiness.

On 29 February the members of the same tribunal visited the church of the Gesù in Rome, where Fr Arrupe’s tomb is located. The purpose of the visit was to fulfil the last of the requirements for a beatification process: the verification that the Servant of God is not being unduly worshipped. This can occur when the Servant of God is presented with outward signs that he is already publicly venerated as a saint (e.g. with the typical halo around his head) or is considered as such in liturgical celebrations. All other types of private devotion and the spontaneous spreading of his reputation as a saint are permitted. This is done by the court visiting his grave and verifying the result of its inspection. The “declaration of non-cult” attests that what is prescribed is being fulfilled in the case of Fr Arrupe.

These two conditions are combined with the interrogation of witnesses and the reading, by a team of theologians, of the subject's published works in order to verify that they are in accordance with the “faith and customs” of the Church. This work has been ongoing since the official start of the case on 5 February 2019. This will complete the objective of this diocesan phase of the process, which is the collection of information about the Servant of God, both through texts and oral statements.

Moving forward, what remains is for the tribunal to organise all materials and inspections concerning Fr Arrupe and prepare them for a public closing session at the seat of the Vicariate, St John Lateran. Though the date of the session is not yet known, it would normally take place within several few months’ time.

And afterwards? After the closure, all the materials are sealed and sent to the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, where they will be opened shortly afterwards and their contents will be checked to certify that the diocesan canonical process has been carried out correctly. This is the beginning of the so-called “Roman phase” of the cause, essentially devoted to the drafting of the Positio on the Servant of God by the Postulation General, ready to be examined and judged by the Church.