St. Philip Post- Part Twelve
His Canonization
While the canonization process began incredibly quickly, with the first part starting in August of 1595, the devotion of the people of Rome to "their saint' was not to be held back by the slow movement of an official process. Pictures of "Saint Philip" or "Blessed Philip" were everywhere, and later some said that Philip was canonized 'the old-fashioned way', by popular acclamation rather than by official decree. Nevertheless the official canonization process continued. Hundreds of people came forward to testify about answers to prayer and miracles obtained through Philip's intercession. Finally, on March 12, 1622, Philip Neri, along with Ignatius Loyola, Francis Xavier, Isidore the Farmer, and Teresa of Avila, was declared a saint. The running joke among the folk of Rome was that the Holy Father had canonized "a saint, and four Spaniards."
St. Philip Neri was not a man to devise grandiose plans or far reaching schemes for reform. He simply did what he was called to do in the city where God had called him to be. Yet it is arguable that St. Philip, the gentle priest with the kindly words and the sunny sense of humor, was far more successful in reforming Rome than any stern preacher or rigorous legalist could possibly have been. So far reaching was his influence that more than two hundred years after his death, when an Englishman by the name of John Henry Newman, newly come to the Catholic faith and searching for a spiritual home for himself and his followers, asked Pope Pius IX
for the name of the holiest priest in Rome, it was St. Philip who came to the Holy Father's mind. St. Philip Neri is known as "the second Apostle of Rome", for as St.Peter (and St. Paul) first established the Faith in that city, St. Philip, through his own great love of God, helped to make the Faith live there again in the hearts of its people.
For more information, see the following sources:
St. Philip Neri - Fr. V.J. Matthews, C.O., TAN Books and Publishers
Apostle of Rome:St. Philip Neri 1515-1595 - Meriol Trevor, Macmillan
Philip Neri: The Fire of Joy - Fr. Paul Türks, C.O., Alba House
St. Philip Neri Quotes:
"The great thing is to become Saints."
"What we know of the virtues of the Saints is the least part of them."
"Never say, 'What great things the Saints do', but 'What great things God does in His Saints.' "
"Paradise, paradise ! "
His Canonization
While the canonization process began incredibly quickly, with the first part starting in August of 1595, the devotion of the people of Rome to "their saint' was not to be held back by the slow movement of an official process. Pictures of "Saint Philip" or "Blessed Philip" were everywhere, and later some said that Philip was canonized 'the old-fashioned way', by popular acclamation rather than by official decree. Nevertheless the official canonization process continued. Hundreds of people came forward to testify about answers to prayer and miracles obtained through Philip's intercession. Finally, on March 12, 1622, Philip Neri, along with Ignatius Loyola, Francis Xavier, Isidore the Farmer, and Teresa of Avila, was declared a saint. The running joke among the folk of Rome was that the Holy Father had canonized "a saint, and four Spaniards."
St. Philip Neri was not a man to devise grandiose plans or far reaching schemes for reform. He simply did what he was called to do in the city where God had called him to be. Yet it is arguable that St. Philip, the gentle priest with the kindly words and the sunny sense of humor, was far more successful in reforming Rome than any stern preacher or rigorous legalist could possibly have been. So far reaching was his influence that more than two hundred years after his death, when an Englishman by the name of John Henry Newman, newly come to the Catholic faith and searching for a spiritual home for himself and his followers, asked Pope Pius IX
for the name of the holiest priest in Rome, it was St. Philip who came to the Holy Father's mind. St. Philip Neri is known as "the second Apostle of Rome", for as St.Peter (and St. Paul) first established the Faith in that city, St. Philip, through his own great love of God, helped to make the Faith live there again in the hearts of its people.
For more information, see the following sources:
St. Philip Neri - Fr. V.J. Matthews, C.O., TAN Books and Publishers
Apostle of Rome:St. Philip Neri 1515-1595 - Meriol Trevor, Macmillan
Philip Neri: The Fire of Joy - Fr. Paul Türks, C.O., Alba House
St. Philip Neri Quotes:
"The great thing is to become Saints."
"What we know of the virtues of the Saints is the least part of them."
"Never say, 'What great things the Saints do', but 'What great things God does in His Saints.' "
"Paradise, paradise ! "
2 Comments:
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Many thanks for this. Do you think you could give me the reference for the anecdote about Bl Pius IX saying that St Philip was the Holiest priest in Rome please? I know this post was written several years ago, but I'd be grateful to find out.
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