The Vatican’s Congregation for the Causes of Saints has approved the diocesan process for the cause of sainthood of the late Cebuano Archbishop Teofilo Camomot, who was known for his extreme generosity and love for the poor.
Angelo Cardinal Amato, the prefect of the congregation that oversees the complex process that leads to the canonization of saints, said the inquiries and affidavits of witnesses gathered by the Archdiocese of Cebu on the life, virtues and holiness of Camomot were valid and legitimate.
“This congregation, mindful of its official resolution after having carefully weighed the matter, answered affirmatively that there is evidence on the validity of the diocesan inquiry accomplished in the manner and for the purpose at hand,” said Amato in a letter dated November 9 to the Cebu Archdiocese.
Fr. Mhar Vincent Balili, the vice postulator of Camomot’s cause, said the local Church is extremely happy with the development, and hoped to begin the next step which is to prove that the late archbishop possessed heroic virtues that would give the latter the title “venerable.”
“We’re very happy that the congregation approved what we are doing. We were not asked to change anything nor add something to it. Everything is good,” Balili told Cebu Daily News.
He said the diocesan process includes gathering of documents and writings of Camomot, as well as the testimonies of witnesses who had personal encounters with the archbishop.
“The first stage involves the creation of a tribunal, the theological committee, and the historical committee. The tribunal gathered the testimonies of witnesses. The historical committee gathered all the writings which was analyzed by the theological committee,” he explained.
“We ended the diocesan process last March (2017), and we submitted it to Rome last April. We got the results this month. That means, it took seven months for the congregation to approve it,” he said.
“Seven months is very, very fast already. We’re very happy that the result came very fast, and at the same time, it will tell us that the cause for Archbishop Camomot’s sainthood is moving. This is really good news,” he added.
Balili is on top of the cause of sainthood for Camomot. He collaborates with the Rome-based postulator Fr. Samson Silloriquez.
The next part, he said, is the preparation of the Positio which summarizes the life and virtues of Camomot.
The Positio includes the biography of Camomot, the testimonies of witnesses and explanation why the late archbishop should be declared a saint of the Catholic Church.
When the Positio is finished, it will be submitted to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints in Rome. It will studied by theologians and then passed to the cardinal members of the congregation who in turn vote.
Their vote determines whether the cause shall continue or end. If the vote is affirmative, the recommendation of a Decree of Heroic Virtues is sent to the Pope.
Once the candidate’s heroic virtues have been recognized by the Pope, Camomot will be called “Venerable.”
“From there, we wait for one miracle so that he will become a blessed. And once he become a blessed, we will wait for another miracle to become a saint,” Balili said.