VATICAN CITY, FEB. 10, 2004 (Zenit.org).- Church cardinals are expected to render judgments next week that will open the way for six canonizations, including that of Gianna Beretta Molla, who died to save her unborn child.
The cardinals will meet here Feb. 19 for an ordinary public consistory in which they will render judgments on the miracles attributed to six people already beatified.
ZENIT learned from Vatican sources that some of the canonizations might take place as early as the spring.
These are the six who could be on their way to being canonized as saints:
— Gianna Beretta Molla. Doctor, wife, and mother of a family, and member of Catholic Action, she was born on Oct. 4, 1922, in Magenta, Italy, and died on April 28, 1962. In her fourth pregnancy, she decided to give up her life to save that of her unborn child.
— Luigi Orione (1872-1940), Italian priest and founder of the Little Work of Divine Providence and of the Congregation of the Little Sisters, Missionaries of Charity. His spiritual sons direct professional schools, homes for the elderly, missions, parishes, hospitals, homes for minors and troubled youth and for the homeless.
— Annibale Maria de Francia (1851-1927), Italian priest and founder of the Congregation of the Rogationist Fathers and of the Heart of Jesus and of the Religious Daughters of Divine Generosity. His charism is that of prayer and action for vocations.
— José Manyanet y Vives, founder of the Congregation of the Children of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, was born on Jan. 17, 1833, in Tremp, Spain, and died on Dec. 17, 1901, in San Andres de Palomar. He fostered family spirituality and promoted the construction of the church of the Holy Family in Barcelona, of architect Antoni Gaudí, whose own cause of beatification is in progress.
— Nimatullah Al-Hardini (Joseph Kassab), priest religious of the Lebanese Maronite Order. Born in Harine, Lebanon, in 1808, he died on Dec. 14, 1858, in Kfifan. In the silence of the monastery, he was dedicated to prayer, the teaching of theology, and manual labor. Charbel Maklouf was one of his students.
— Paola Elisabetta (Costanza) Cerioli, founder of the Institute of the Holy Family and of the Holy Family Congregation, was born on Jan. 28, 1816, in Soncino, Italy, and died on Dec. 24, 1865. A member of a wealthy and noble family, she became a widow when young. Having lost her four children, she dedicated herself to looking after poor children and youths from the countryside. She founded two congregations, one for the education of men and one for that of women.
