In the past 16 years, 50 new saints—a record—have been canonized by Pope Pius XI, who has notably speeded up the process, which formerly took from 25 years to several centuries. One candidacy for sainthood which has moved rapidly is that of Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini, an Italian-born U. S. citizen who founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, died in Chicago in 1917 (TIME, Nov. 8, et ante—). Last month the Sacred Congregation of Rites decreed that Mother Cabrini be beatified and called "Blessed" in St. Peter's in Rome next November—the last step before full sainthood. Two miracles, performed since her death and by her intervention, have already been attested. If subsequently two more miracles are performed, Mother Cabrini may well become the first U. S. citizen-saint.
In every beatification there is a "Devil's Advocate." Last week the Devil's Advocate in Mother Cabrini's case arrived in Manhattan. He was Monsignor Salvatore Natucci of the Sacred Congregation of Rites. It is his duty to cross-examine witnesses, scrutinize evidence with pious skepticism, advance every possible argument against beatification or canonization.
Last week Devil's Advocate Natucci journeyed to a Manhattan Catholic high school named for Mother Cabrini. In a coffin in the chapel-crypt lay her body, removed there from a cemetery five years ago after being identified and reported "well-preserved" — an aid but not an essential to beatification. Last week Monsignor Natucci, his entourage and a few necessary witnesses beheld a second exhumation of Mother Cabrini. At some secret later time, the Devil's Advocate was to sever from the body a limb (which limb would not be revealed) — a "first-class" relic which he would take to Rome for use in the beatification ceremonies.*
*First-class relics are parts of the body; second-class, clothing which the saint wore; third-class, anything the saint used or touched. Where relics are known to exist, any church, religious community or pious person may apply for one, usually obtaining a second-class relic.