Vatican Closer To Naming Japanese Samurai A Saint
By UCA News
Pope Francis advanced the sainthood causes of 10 men and women, including the martyrdom of Justo Takayama Ukon, a 17th-century Japanese samurai who died shortly after he was exiled to the Philippines for being Catholic, Catholic News Service reported.
Takayama was said to have abandoned his status to dedicate himself to his Christian faith.
During a meeting Jan. 21 with Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for Saints’ Causes, the pope also signed a decree recognizing a miracle attributed to Blessed Jose Sanchez del Rio, a 14-year-old Mexican boy martyred for refusing to renounce his faith during the Cristero War of the 1920s.
The miracle in the cause of Blessed Sanchez prepares the way for his canonization. Final approval, and a date or dates for the ceremonies, will be at a consistory with Pope Francis and cardinals in Rome.
