https://uacmoments.blogspot.com Extracts from the Papal Letter of John XXIII for the Canonization of Vincent Pallotti, Confessor
This Saint (...) worked unceasingly in this city [of Rome], in the living hope that Catholics above all would recognise their own dignity as Christians, preserving their faith intact; that [other Christians] would return to the one fold of the Catholic Church under the guidance of one Shepherd; finally, that [non Christians] as yet unenlightened by the light of the Gospel would, through the omnipotent grace of God, submit to the law of Christ. He dedicated himself with every means possible to the education of children and young people; to the formation and spiritual direction of seminarians and of priests; to the care of soldiers, of the poor, of the sick, of prisoners and of those condemned to death; to the ministry of preaching; to the worship of God, also in external and solemn form, sometimes restoring the sacred ceremonies to their original splendour.
It pleases us to remember that, in order to complete these virtually innumerable activities, he united not only the work of priests, as is natural, but also that of lay people, men and women; so much so that he was rightly called precursor of what today is Catholic Action.
Vincent Pallotti was born in Rome on April 21, 1795, and was regenerated in the sacred waters of Baptism in the basilica of San Lorenzo in Damaso the following day (...). Over the years, he perceived clearly that he was called to the priesthood. The unjust laws of the time, however, forbade young men to enter the seminary, and Saint Vincent too was forced to remain at home. Here, however, he waited diligently to prepare for the priesthood in study, prayer and penance. He was ordained priest on May 10, 1818 and, filled as he was with zeal for others, he immediately became the apostle of Rome, making his own the motto of St. Paul: the love of Christ urges us on (2 Co 5: 14). And above all, in order to provide a good education for the young, he opened numerous schools which they could attend after work during the evening, also learning the first elements Christian doctrine. Caring particularly about young men called to priesthood, he accepted the role of spiritual director of the Roman Seminary and of confessor in the Scottish, Greek, English and Irish ecclesiastical colleges as well as that of Propaganda Fide (...). He alleviated the miseries of the poor in every way, to the point of depriving himself several times of his own bed and coat in order to help them. His concern for the sick reached the pointed of heroism when, in 1837, cholera broke out in Rome.
It was his custom to preach in the squares (...). After such sermons, he usually went into some church and got people to pray, while he heard confessions at length, sometimes late into the night. But (...) God wanted him for a very particular type of activity. Therefore, he conceived a plan in his heart to bring Christians above all to a more pure and active faith, in order then to lead all [non Christians] to conversion. For this purpose he founded the [Union] of Catholic Apostolate in 1835. All, directly or indirectly, must collaborate in achieving the goals of the [Union]; which are, to recall the words of the founder himself: “the increase, defence and spreading of charity and of the Catholic faith, under the special protection of the Immaculate Mother of God, Queen of Apostles, according to the directives of the Supreme Pontiff”.
Very many, taking up the invitation of Pallotti, gave their names to the [Union]. He promoted (...) an Octave, from the day of the Feast of the Epiphany itself , during which (...) different functions in different oriental Catholic rites were celebrated and talks given in different languages: a real manifestation of the unity and universality of the Roman Church.
Something else worthy of mention: Vincent Pallotti, with the aim of cultivating the spirit of piety in priests, invited them to special weekly meetings, during which not only secular and religious priests, but also bishops and prelates, parish priests, theologians, Consultors of the Sacred Congregations, listened attentively to the reading and explanation of passages from Sacred Scripture, and discussed theological and liturgical questions. He also had the gift of performing miracles, such as healing even the very seriously ill, converting sinners, freeing the possessed from demons, predicting the future for himself and others; he sometimes even had the gift of bilocation. His truly exceptional priestly prudence, fortitude and dignity were demonstrated especially when, in the middle of the 19th century, political disturbances broke out in Rome during which various priests were persecuted and killed, and he himself was repeatedly hunted in order to be killed.
On January 15th 1850, he suddenly fell ill. He seemed to pick up quickly but, to the amazement of all, he didn’t want to leave his bed. Instead, he asked for Viaticum and Extreme Unction and, after having given his children his final exhortations, he died peacefully on the day which he himself foresaw, the 22nd of that same month.
Very soon after his death, since his fame for holiness was on everyone’s lips, the opportunity to confer on him the title of Blessed began to be thought about. Therefore, after the usual canonical processes, the Supreme Pontiff signed the decree for the introduction of his Cause: it was January 13, 1887 (…). The virtues of Vincent Pallotti (…) were declared heroic by Pius XI with the decree of January 21, 1932. The rite [of beatification, led by Pius XII,] took place with great solemnity in the basilica of St. Peter’s on January 22, 1950, exactly one hundred years after his death. Then, because of the very many other miracles obtained through the intercession of the Blessed, the Cause for his canonisation was resumed; in particular, the canonical processes for the examination of two specific healings were instituted (…). On April 6, [1962] (...) we declared to be certain, without a shadow of a doubt, the healing of Angelo Balzarani from a carbuncular pustule [a dark itchy abscess or skin ulcer] together with grave toxaemia [blood poisoning], and that of Fr. Adalbert Turowski, Rector General of the Society of the Catholic Apostolate, from a very serious postoperative toxic-infectious syndrome, compounded by heart failure.
Having invoked the abundance of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, in our quality as supreme teacher of the universal Church, we pronounce the following words: In honour of the Most Holy and indivisible Trinity, for the exaltation of the Catholic faith and for the increase of the Christian religion, with the authority of Our Lord Jesus Christ, of the blessed Apostles Peter and Paul and Our Own: after having pondered over the matter at length and repeatedly invoked divine help; having heard the views of Cardinals, Patriarchs, Archbishops and Bishops resident in Rome; we declare and define that the blessed Vincent Pallotti is a Saint, and we enter him in the register of saints, arranging for his memory to be devoutly venerated every year on the day of the anniversary of his death, the twenty second of January. In the name of the Fa†ther and of the S†on and of the Holy†Spirit. So may it be.
Written in Rome, at the tomb of Saint Peter, on the twentieth of January nineteen sixty three, in the fifth year of Our Pontificate ”.
I, JOHN, Bishop of the Catholic Church
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