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Before beatification, miracles must stand trial

Robert Delaney of The Michigan Catholic
Published August 17, 2007

Detroit – Before a miracle can be submitted to the Vatican Congregation for the Causes of Saints in support of Ven. Solanus Casey's beatification, it must first stand trial in the Archdiocese of Detroit.

And that trial can only be held if certain supporting documents and testimony can be made available for presentation.

Assuming the purported miracle took place within the Archdiocese of Detroit, the three key players in such a trial are already named – Msgr. Ricardo Bass would function as the judge, Capuchin Bro. Leo Wollenweber would be Ven. Solanus' attorney, and Fr. Kenneth Kaucheck would be the prosecutor trying to punch holes in the case.

Officially, Msgr. Bass, pastor of Prince of Peace Parish in West Bloomfield Township, is episcopal delegate; Bro. Wollenweber is vice postulator of the cause; and Fr. Kaucheck, pastor of Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish in Grosse Pointe Woods, is promoter of justice.

"The promoter of justice used to be called the 'devil's advocate,' but they don't use that term anymore," Bro. Wollenweber explains.

They handled the one case that has made it that far in the process so far, and they will reprise their roles should another case make it to trial in the relatively near future. Bro. Wollenweber, who worked with Ven. Solanus back in the 1940s, has been vice postulator of his cause for sainthood since 1974; Msgr. Bass and Fr. Kaucheck were appointed by Cardinal Adam Maida.

Other functionaries — notaries who are familiar with every step of the official process and would co-sign the documents, and secretaries to act as stenographers — would be appointed for the trial.

Should the purported miracle proposed for consideration be a healing that took place in another diocese, then the only constant would be Bro. Wollenweber — the bishop of that diocese would have to appoint an episcopal delegate and promoter of justice.

During his ministry, Capuchin Fr. Solanus Casey (1870-1957) achieved a reputation for holiness and for astonishing healings resulting from his prayers. After his death, more healings were attributed to his intercession. A cause for his sainthood was opened in 1966, and in 1995 Pope John Paul II declared him venerable — and worthy of private devotion.

Since then, supporters of his cause have hoped one of those astonishing healings would be certified as miraculous by the Vatican, so that Ven. Solanus' cause could take the next step — beatification, which would declare him blessed and worthy of public devotion.

A July 23-31 novena for his beatification was held in Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, New York and Wisconsin.

But none of the amazing stories of healings having taken place soon after the humble Capuchin friar prayed with a person are of any use in this process — it has to be a miracle from after his death.

Then, if he is beatified, yet another miracle — one that occurred after his beatification — would have to be certified for him to be canonized; that is, declared a saint.

Before a trial can be held, the evidence for a possible miracle must be considered and a case prepared by the vice postulator, who then forwards it to the Capuchin's postulator general for sainthood causes in Rome.

He would then review the case and advise Bro. Wollenweber what kinds of documents and testimony would be required to present that case to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.

Bro. Wollenweber, in consultation with Fr. Kaucheck and Msgr. Bass, would begin the process of acquiring documents and lining up witnesses who could provide the needed testimony.

"You might have any number of witnesses, who might include family members and medical personnel. It's very much like a court case," Bro. Wollenweber says.

"You have to show through the documentation and the testimony from the doctors what the diagnosis was, what tests were done and the results of those tests, and that the healing was something that was beyond any medical intervention," he explains.

The testimony from the family members — and from the person who received the healing, if he or she is still living — must show that the person or relatives were praying to Fr. Solanus for his intercession, and that the healing came soon thereafter, Bro. Wollenweber continues.

Only if it looks like all of those requirements could be met will a trial be scheduled.

Msgr. Bass points out that the medical professionals asked to testify include not only ones involved in the case, but also objective medical experts.

"They need to say, with some degree of authority, that the healing was immediate, instantaneous and permanent," he says.

And Msgr. Bass adds that the beneficiary of the favor or that person's relatives need to testify that the person prayed only for the intercession of Fr. Solanus, "not, say, Solanus and Vincent de Paul."

Typically meeting one day a week, such a trial would probably take at least two months. The one held six years ago took nearly six months, Fr. Kaucheck recalls.

The purpose of the trial would be to see whether the case can stand up to the challenges of the promoter of justice.

If the case still seems solid after the trial, it is forwarded to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, which then appoints three more medical experts to review the evidence and testimony, as well as three theologians, Msgr. Bass explains.

If, after their review and the congregation's own consideration of the case, the congregation is convinced, the case would be presented to the Holy Father with a recommendation that he accept it. If he does, then Ven. Solanus would become Blessed Solanus.

"When the Church decides that someone is blessed or a saint, it is the result of a long investigative process, and the Church is very certain of the decision," Bro. Wollenbweber explains.

Fr. Kaucheck's appointment as promoter of justice puts him a position similar to that of a defense attorney who must offer the most vigorous possible defense of a client he knows to be villain – only in reverse: He must try to knock down the case being offered in support of Ven. Solanus' beatification, even though he believes in the cause itself.

"I can't believe it's taken us this long. Everybody knows he's in heaven. Everybody knows he's a saint. We just haven't gotten the right miracle yet," Fr. Kaucheck says.