The recognition of a saint

Beatification and canonization are the official process that the Catholic Church uses to recognize men and women who have lived lives of outstanding holiness. The Church offers such people as examples for all Christians to imitate when it proclaims them saints or blesseds. It officially recognizes the saint or blessed as someone whose life was inspired by the grace of God and the spirit of the Gospel.

The Society of Jesus has about 20 Jesuits waiting for the Church to name them either blessed or saint. Jose de Anchieta is one of them. His cause is promoted by Father César Augusto dos Santos, a Brazilian Jesuit based in São Paulo.

Blessed José Anchieta SJ	Father César Augusto dos Santos SJ

"My task is to make Anchieta known as a friend of people and of God, and as a man of virtue to be followed by all," he says from his office near Paulista Avenue, in the heart of São Paulo's financial district.

Santos has been working for several years on the process of canonization of Anchieta. When asked by a journalist why the Society of Jesus is putting so much effort in order "to make a saint," he answered: "The canonization is part of a broader work of evangelisation. I'm not only spreading Anchieta's life and teachings, but also the values of our Christian faith."

Anchieta was born in the Canary islands and educated in Portugal. In 1553, a few years after joining the recently founded Society of Jesus, he was sent to the newly discovered Brazil to do his regency. He was 20 years old at the time. Despite being weakened by tuberculosis, Anchieta found the strength to free himself from his European background and to absorb the Brazilian indigenous culture.

According to Santos, there are many reasons why Anchieta became known as the "Apostle of Brasil." He expressed solidarity with the Indians in his catechising activity and in his defense of them. Secondly, he tried to preserve the country's territory, in the very beginning of colonization. He is also noteworthy for his cultural activities, especially the foundation of colleges that were the first centers to spread European culture in Brasil, and for his writings, which make him the true founder of Brazilian literature.

"Anchieta is clearly an example of a man trying to imitate the way Jesus stepped outside of his divinity and embodied our humanity", adds Santos.

Eventually, conflicts between the Portuguese colonialists and Indian tribes forced Anchieta to offer himself as a hostage for five months as peace negotiations took place. Impressed by the Jesuit's courage and bravery, the Indians presented him with their most beautiful and seductive girls. To resist temptation, Anchieta invoked the Virgin Mary and wrote his famous "Poem do Virgin" on the sand of the beach where he was kept prisoner. With its 6,000 verses, the poem is considered by scholars an essay on Marian theology.

Anchieta had an intimate relationship with nature. Reports from the past mention his power to stop the rain or to make a flock of birds fly over a group of Indians to protect them from the heat of the sun, while they were in class outdoors. There are countless miracles attributed to him, like the cure of physical disabilities and terminal diseases.

There are two types of cases--recent and ancient--that can apply to canonization. The recent cases present many eye witnesses, usually people who came in contact with the candidate and therefore can report on his/her life, qualities and activities. The ancient cases are those without eye witnesses and have to be examined by the Catholic Church through historical documents. In both cases, though, it is important that the Holy See is provided with the evidence of a fact proving the "fame of sanctity" of the candidate.

José de Anchieta belongs to the category of the ancient cases. He was proclaimed a blessed by Pope John Paul II in 1980.

"The difference between a blessed and a saint", Santos explains, "is that the first can only be honored only in certain regions, while the latter is allowed to be venerated all over the world."

Once the life and works of Anchieta are widely spread, Santos hopes that people of faith will begin to invoke his help and intersection in the hardships of life.

"A miracle would be the greatest fruit of all as an answer to petitions that neither science nor nature could fulfil," he said.

And a miracle is precisely what is missing to complete Anchieta's process of canonization. The Holy See accepts as a miracle only supernatural events such as the sudden and irreversible cure of a serious disease. Once a deed of this magnitude is certified, Anchieta's case will be taken to the General Congregation for the Cause of the Saints, in the Vatican, to the final approval of the Pope.