A decree of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Dicipline of the Sacraments, 21 May 1999, provides as follows.
"As far as Blesseds who are neither written in the Roman Martyrology nor enjoy a public cult decreed by the Apostolic See or confirmed by it, the Decree of the Sacred Congregation of Rites of 28 April 1914 is in force; according to which, if in particular places from immemorial custom certain Blesseds are honoured with a public and religious cult, it is permitted to keep them in a particular Calendar, with an asterisk or some other sign placed by his name. By this notation, therefore, it is signified that an explicit decree is lacking by which they are declared formally to be blessed."
Ah, the blessedness of an asterisk. Asterisk me, Father, for I have sinned.
I add a paragraph from a recent paper (Studies in Religion and the Enlightenment 1, no 2) by the Revd Dr Andrew Starkie of the Ordinariate.
"The House of Stuart spent several decades of the eighteenth century and considerable resources pursuing the beatification of James II without success. In more recent years one offspring of that dynasty has, however, been beatified. On 25 January 2014 the pope recognized Blessed Maria Cristina of Savoy (1812-36) among the Blessed. She was a direct descendaent of James II's sister, Henrietta. Her feast day, 31 January, falls the day after the Anglican commemoration of Charles I."
Have I got this right ... she was a daughter of Victor Emmanuel I, de jure King of England, Scotland, France, Ireland, and Sardinia. She was mother of the last de facto King of the Two Sicilies (No; don't you mention Garibaldi to me). As we face 'exiting' the European Union in sixty hours' time, I find these legitimist and pan-European musings quite comforting. Perhaps Blessed Maria Christina will be adopted as Patroness of a New Catholic Europe Movement? Axia, axia!!
I will print her Collect on the 31st, Brexit Day, her feast day.
I will publish that post at 6 in the morning for all those clergy who may wish to transcribe and use that Collect.
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2 comments:
"No; don't you mention Garibaldi to me"
Wouldn't dream of it. Viva 'O Rrè!
Bl. Charles Stuart doesn't need an asterisk. He is quite definitely "written in the Roman Martyrology" – multiple times, indeed! The decree doesn't stipulate the context in which his name needs to be thus "written".
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