The Brazilian Isabel Cristina, from Barbacena (MG) and who died in 1982, was beatified this Saturday morning (10) in the city where she was born. The celebration was attended by around 10,000 people, according to the local press. For today’s afternoon (11) a Thanksgiving mass is scheduled for the beatification at the Archdiocesan Sanctuary of Nossa Senhora da Piedade, in Barbacena. After the mass, the remains of Blessed Isabel Cristina will be transferred to the Chapel of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, in the center of the city.
The process took eight years to complete. It consisted of collecting testimonies, gathering documents and translating them into Italian. Pope Francis made the recognition through decree in October 2020. The pandemic, however, delayed the celebration.
Canonization vs beatification
Canonization represents a churchwide recognition of sainthood. Thus, the Catholic Church as an institution, from the Vatican to churches scattered throughout the world, recognize and worship that person as a saint.
On the other hand, when a person is beatified, it means recognition, at the request of a specific diocese or ecclesiastical institution, of the sanctity of that person’s life. And thus, the public cult of his honor is authorized within the limits of that institution and its community. This recognition attests that she had a life based on Christian teachings to a degree of excellence.
But, in addition, the beata, or blessed, must have operated a miracle, usually a cure, something proven by the Catholic Church after a series of investigations. However, there is another way to achieve beatification without proving a miracle. This form is the declaration of martyrdom. And so public worship in honor of that person is permitted within that institution.
Martyrdom is classified by the Catholic faith as “death voluntarily accepted because of the Christian faith or because of the exercise of another virtue related to the faith”. This was precisely the case of Isabel Cristina.
The girl, 20 years old at the time, was murdered by a man inside her house. The man had gone to set up a wardrobe in Isabel’s apartment and tried to rape her. She resisted and he hit her over the head with a chair. Then he tied her up and tore her clothes. The girl continued to resist the rape and he killed her with 15 stab wounds.
Before this episode, Isabel studied, dated and had fun, but had a life of prayer, faith and planned to be a pediatrician to help needy children. According to testimonies collected by the church, she was a sensitive girl with the poorest, elderly and children.
At the ceremony held yesterday, the archdiocesan bishop of Mariana (MG), Dom Airton, read the request made to Pope Francis for the registration of Isabel Cristina as the newest blessed of the Catholic Church. The proclamation of the beatification was signed by the Pope.
“Through our apostolic authority, we demonstrate that the venerable servant of God Isabel Christina, faithful laywoman, martyr, joyful witness of charity, evangelizes for the sick for the sake of Christ, to the shedding of her blood, defended her virginity and dignity, be invoked from now on with the name of Blessed Isabel Cristina and may be celebrated on September 1st, the day she was born into heaven,” wrote the Holy Father.
