The Vatican, the governing body of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, has set up a commission to investigate whether King Boudewijn can be beatified. Pope Francis is eager to see the late king of Belgians beatified because of the stance he took on abortion in 1990. King Boudewijn mixed up his role as Belgium’s head of state and his personal views and refused to sign abortion legislation that removed abortion from the penal code. The king was declared unable to rule for 36 hours allowing the cabinet to give the law ascent without the need for the king’s signature.
Vatican establishes commission to investigate possible beatification of King Boudewijn
Colin Clapson
Published:
In April 1990 and because of his personal conscience King Boudewijn refused to sign a bill to remove abortion from the penal code. He asked the Belgian government to find a solution that took account of his personal reservations. ‘For me, as a (Roman Catholic) believer, my faith is totally incompatible with what you want. So don't insist. It is no,’ the king told then deputy prime minister Willy Claes. He said he was even prepared to abdicate and this is more or less what happened for 36 hours, when the government took over the king’s role in order to allow the bill to become law.
‘He is a saint’
When Pope Francis, the head of the world’s Roman Catholics, visited Belgium in September, he applauded King Boudewijn for his opposition to the abortion law. Visiting the Laken crypt where King Boudewijn and Queen Fabiola are buried, he spoke of ‘the king's courage not to sign a deadly law’.
During mass at the King Boudewijn Stadium, the pope went a step further indicating that the beatification process will start in Rome. It came as somewhat of a surprise to both Belgium’s bishops and the royal palace, who were not informed.
‘The king was a brave man refusing to sign a murderous law and resigning instead. It takes courage to do that. In doing so, he sent a message. He did so because he is a saint. He is a saint, and the procedure to beatify him is under way’ Pope Francis said.
Next step in the process
So, a new step has now been taken in the process towards the beatification of King Boudewijn. The Congregatio de Causis Sanctorum, the department for beatification and canonisation, appointed a commission of experts to conduct research.
What is going to happen next?
There are 3 steps in the current procedure:
First, a candidate for beatification must have made an exceptional and obviously positive mark. If that is recognised in Rome, the person is given the title ‘venerable’.
The next step is ‘beatification’. This is only possible if someone died as a martyr or if a miracle can be attributed to them. That miracle must be confirmed by witnesses. Through the future saint’s intervention, for instance, a sick person, who could not be cured medically, may be cured permanently. If the pope recognises this intervention, the future saint can be beatified.
If two miracles are attributed to someone, that person can officially be declared a ‘saint’ or, in other words, they are ‘canonised’ by the pope.