Cause for Sainthood

At the funeral of Father Andrea Santoro, Cardinal Camillo Ruini announced that a Cause for sainthood would be opened for the slain priest. Italian priest Andrea Santoro, 59, was shot twice in the entrance of the Santa Maria Catholic Church in the northern city of Trabzon. The gunman shouted "God is great" as he fired his pistol. It is perceived that his murder was in response to Danish cartoons that insulted Mohammed.

Cardinal Ruini, the vicar for the Rome diocese, had presided over the funeral of the slain priest and received loud applause during his homily when he mentioned that he expected the eventual beatification. (as quoted by Catholic Exchange)

"In the process of beatification and canonization that I hope will be opened, we must fully respect all the laws and schedules of the Church," the cardinal said. "But today, I am persuaded that all the elements of Christian martyrdom are present in the sacrifice of Father Andrea."

Cardinal Josà Saraiva Martins, the prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints was more cautious in his comments as reported by Catholic Exchange

The prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints had been more cautious in his response to questions about the possible beatification of Father Santoro. In remarks to the Italian daily La Reppublica, Cardinal Josà Saraiva Martins said that he would wait to "really see how things turn out" before discussing the opening of a cause for beatification. He did note, however, that with the death of the Italian priest, "the Church is once again colored in red, the color of the blood of martyrs."

Speculation Alert... I suspect that the slain priests cannonization will go through, though it will take longer than many would like. Primarily, many will oppose his beatification for political reasons, such as a fear of offending Muslims. However, eventually, God willing, he will be recognized as a saint.