Friday, 10th October 2014
By Chrishanthi Christopher
Canonization of Sri Lanka's very first saint
Sri Lanka is poised to get its first saint next year. Pope Francis last week nodded in favour of canonizing Fr. Joseph Vaz, a 16th century cleric who worked tirelessly for the revival of the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka.
Pope Francis during his visit to South Korea recently, beatified 124 Korean Martyrs and promised the Catholic faithful that he would give Asia more indigenous saints in the future. In keeping with his promise last week the pontiff announced his approval to canonize Blessed Joseph Vaz. The event is expected to take place during his visit to Sri Lanka in January 2015.
Pope Francis declared two of his predecessors, belonging to the 20th century church, as saints John Paul II and John XXIII whom he canonized as saints of the Roman Catholic in quite an unprecedented double-canonization mass at St Peter's Square, in April this year.
Requests for canonization
According to the Catholic Church in Sri Lanka there had been several requests from Asia to canonize the cleric since his death in 1711. The first request came from a Jesuit Bishop of Cochin, India a few years after Fr. Joseph Vaz's death. This was followed by a written request jointly India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka in 1954. It is known that the bishops of the three countries signed a document requesting Pope Pius XII to beatify him. The Vatican had been silent, but the case was taken up by Cardinal Benjamin Cooray of Sri Lanka yet again in 1976 requesting Pope Paul VI to canonize the cleric.
After a further petition to Pope John Paul II by the Bishops of Sri Lanka and the miracle required for beatification being approved by the Sacred Congregation for the Saints, Fr. Jospeh Vaz was finally beatified by Pope John Paul II on 21st January 1995 in an official ceremony held at Galle Face Green, Colombo.
The Vatican, last month gave its consent to canonize Blessed Joseph Vaz by waiving the requirement for a second miracle. It is required that to canonize a 'Blessed' there should be two miracles attributed to the saint. While international reports said that the Pope Francis has waived off the second miracle required as in the case of Pope John Paul II, and granted approval of the Ordinary Session of the Cardinals and Bishops for the canonization. The National Secretariat for the Cause of Canonization of Blessed Joseph Vaz maintains that the second miracle cited by the Catholic church was accepted by the Vatican.
Blessed Joseph Vaz, was born on 21 April 1651 in Benaulin, India and belonged to the Oratory of St. Philip Neri. He became an 'apostle' for Sri Lanka at a time when Catholics were suffering persecution at the hands of Calvinist Dutch rulers. He was also the founder of the Oratory of the Holy Cross of Miracles in Goa. The canonization is expected to take place at the Papal mass at the Galle Face green on 14th January 2015.
Virtuous life
Fr. Joseph Vaz together with his loyal servant, John, arrived in Sri Lanka in 1687. He was in disguise as a beggar and worked alone for nine years. He travelled on foot from village as a missionary to various parts of the island spreading Catholicism. Charitable; he gave alms to the needy irrespective of their religion. During the smallpox epidemic in 1697 in Kandy he nursed the sick when even the families of the sick had abandoned them. Such charitable acts brought more converts into the Christian faith. Also he followed a policy of tolerance, co-existence, friendliness and charity among the people. His simple and virtuous life was an edifying example to his followers.
He brought to Sri Lanka the Portugal tradition of drama, passion of Christ, carol, liturgical and para-liturgical singing, dancing and music that prevailed in his country during that era. He established missionary traditions and institutions which brought many non-Christians to Catholicism. His passion plays became very popular in the North, in the Wanni region and in Kandy, the central region. Ironically unlike the Dutch who were ruling the coastal districts, the rulers in Wanni and Kandy at that time had no antipathy towards Catholicism.
However the Oratorian Missionaries who saved the Sri Lankan Catholic church from extinction are no more in the island even though the mission is functioning in various parts of the world including London, Lisbon, Rome and Goa.
His early life
Joseph Vaz was born on 21st April 1651 to Christopher Vaz and Maria de Miranda in Goa, on the west coast of India. He was the third child out of six children. His parents were very devout Catholics. His father Christopher belonged to a prominent family of Sancoale, a town in South Goa. The day Joseph was born his father is said to have seen a star in the sky at mid-day and recorded in his diary that his son will become a great man one day.
Growing up, he showed remarkable traits uncommon in most other children. As a child Joseph often used to visit the Blessed Sacrament in a neighbouring Church without his parents' knowledge. Local tradition says that the doors of the Church opened automatically for him to enter and he would spend hours in front of the Blessed Sacrament. He was called 'the little saint' in his hometown and always recited the rosary on his way to school or church.
As a child, Joseph attended schools in Sancoale and Benaulim where he learnt Portuguese and Latin. He was a bright student and earned the respect of his teachers and fellow students. Subsequently his father sent him to Goa to study at the Jesuit College of St. Paul and thereafter to the Academy of St. Thomas Aquinas where he studied philosophy and theology in order to prepare for priesthood. While pursuing his studies there for six years, he stayed at the Collegiate Church of Our Lady of the Rosary.
Process for his recognition as a Saint
This process began a few years after his death by the Jesuit Bishop of Cochin, India. In 1954 Bishops of India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka signed a document for Pope Pius XII to beatify him and in 1976, Cardinal Benjamin Cooray of Sri Lanka petitioned Pope Paul VI.
After a further petition to Pope John Paul II by the Bishops of Sri Lanka and the miracle required for beatification being approved by the Sacred Congregation for the Saints, Fr. Jospeh Vaz was finally beatified by Pope John Paul II on 21st January 1995 in an official ceremony held at Galle Face Green, Colombo.
