What happens to the POSITIO on Benedict Daswa?

The Diocese of Tzaneen is in the process of finalizing the Positio which is a collection of documents related to all the different aspects of the Cause.A sufficient number of copies will be published for the members of the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints. One copy, called the copia publica,will be kept in the archives of the diocese. This work is being done by a priest Fr Lucio de Stefano MSC who is residing in Rome.He is woking on the Positio under the relator Fr Kijas OFM Conv. from the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints.

Once this is done the next steps will be as follows:

1. The Positio is presented to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.

2. A group of theologians will scrutinize the evidence and documentation. If majority pass it, it goes to the prelates of the Congregation.

3. If the prelates of the Congregation approve, the Prefect of the Congregation publishes the "Decretum Super Martyrio of the Servant of God " and authorizes that the person be called Venerable.

4. The Prefect of the Congregation will then present the cause to the pope for the pope to decide on whether the Venerable martyr can be beatified or not.
5. Finally the pope declares beatification at a special Mass in honour of the newly acclaimed "Blessed martyr."

The process in the Congregation can be quite slow but we have an advantage because a miracle is not required for the beatification of a martyr. As soon as his martyrdom is approved by the Congregation then the door is open for the pope to declare him a martyr for beatification.