In the long Roman Catholic Church tradition of elevating holy people to sainthood, there are still only two Filipino saints—the martyr Sts. Lorenzo Ruiz and Pedro Calungsod. Pope Francis’ recent bestowal of the Venerable title on the late Cebuano Archbishop Teofilo Camomot is welcome news for the faithful.
Being declared Venerable is just the first step. The next step is beatification in which the Venerable becomes Blessed, and the final step is canonization in which the Blessed becomes Saint.
If he’s elevated to sainthood somewhere in the future, Camomot would become the third Filipino to gain such status.
Two miracles attributed to Camomot are needed, one for beatification and the other for canonization. Searching for miracles is not an easy task, and it could take years to complete the final two steps for Archbishop Camomot’s cause for sainthood.
St. Pedro Calungsod died as a martyr of the faith in 1672. He became a saint 340 years after he was canonized in 2012 by Pope Benedict XVI.
Ruiz, the first Filipino martyr venerated in the Roman Catholic Church, died in 1637 and was canonized 350 years later in 1987 by Pope John Paul II.
Interestingly, it took only nine years for John Paull II to become a saint. After serving the Holy See for nearly 27 years and surviving an assassination attempt, the beloved pontiff died in 2005.
Camomot, known for his love for the poor, died in a vehicular accident in Sitio Magtalisay, Barangay Sangat in San Fernando town, Cebu on Sept. 27, 1988. The Carcar City native received the Venerable status 34 years after his death and 12 years after the process for his canonization began.
The Archdiocese of Cebu has urged the faithful to continue praying for the late prelate’s cause for sainthood. Seeing another Filipino becoming a saint is indeed a gift, a miracle for the nation.