BULA “Beátus Andréas”, SOBRE LA MISA PROPIA DEL BEATO ANDRÉS DE RINN

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Se examina y se defiende el punto, si sea oportuno el canonizar a los niños asesinados en odio de Cristo antes de llegar al uso de razón; se hacen más observaciones en torno al martirio sufrido por tales niños, y al culto público concedido a ellos en la Iglesia, y principalmente sobre el martirio y el culto del Beato Andrés Rinnense, cuya causa de canonización fue el motivo de escribir la presente Letra. Original en Bulario de Benedicto XIV, tomo IV. Malinas 1827, págs 26-85. Con aprobación eclesiástica.
 
A nuestro amado hijo Benedicto Veterani, abogado del Santo Consistorio y Promótor Fídei.

Amado hijo, saludo y bendición apostólica.

1. Petición del Monasterio de Wilten para la concesión de una Misa individual [en su nombre] y su Oficio propio, en honor del Beato Andrés de Rinn
El Beato Andrés de la región de la aldea de Rinn en la diócesis de Brixen, fue muerto en la forma más crudelísima antes de completar su terecer año de vida en el año 1462 por los judíos en odio a la Fe Cristiana. Su veneración pública comenzó pocos años después de su martirio, cuando sus restos fueron elevados en el año 1475, y específicamente, a un lugar en la pared, elevado del suelo, en la iglesia de la mencionada ciudad, la cual está consagrada a Dios, en honor de San Andrés Apóstol. Pero dado que la inclinación piadosa de la gente, junto con las noticias de los efectos de los milagros han crecido allí cada vez más, y en particular, las reliquias del niño han sido tratadas con constante e ininterrumpida reverencia pública con el conocimiento y aprobación de los obispos del área, todo esto ha suscitado en años recientes que nuestro venerable hermano, el Obispo de Brixen, y nuestro amado hijo, el Abad del monasterio de Wilten, peticionaran por una aprobación de la Santa Sede para y Oficio propios con sus correspondientes lecciones, para ser leídas en honor del Bienaventurado niño en el día de su martirio, el 12 de Julio, por el clero secular y los regulares de uno y otro sexo en la ciudad y la diócesis de Brixen.

Pero el 27 de Septiembre del año 1751, Nos respondimos a esta petición, que un juicio concerniente a la reputación del martirio y de los actos milagrosos como también a la veneración, desde tiempo inmemorial, debe primeramente llevarse a cabo por el Obispo del lugar, por lo cual hemos orado por una confirmación legalmente válida, antes de conceder el permiso para su propia Misa y Oficio.
  
2. Deseo de los peticionarios para la concesión de su propia Misa y Oficio sin procedimientos prolongados y onerosos
Esta carta que Nos respondimos no ha encontrado mucho favor ante ti. Nos ha sido señalado que la realización de todo lo que está prescrito en esta carta requeriría mucho tiempo, mucho trabajo, y altas expensas, puesto que de hecho ahora en Brixen están siendo conducidos bajo auspicios del Obispo local dos juicios. Y Nosotros mismos, por supuesto, [fue también señalado] habíamos tratado con varios ejemplos en Nuestra obra De Canonizatióne, Libro cuarto, Parte 2ª, capítulo V, de la cual claramente emerge que ahora y entonces Misas y Oficios individuales en honor de una persona beatificada han sido concedidos solamente sobre la base de lo que autores importantes han escrito sobre él y lo que ha sido publicado concerniente a su veneración pública, sin ningún tipo de procedimientos llevados a cabo por el Obispo local concernientes a la reputación de sus virtudes, el martirio, los actos milagrosos, o la producción de una historia de veneración desde tiempo inmemorial, habiendo tenido que proceder. That [would be] on this account, because a trial of this sort would then absolutely have to be foreseen, if anyone desired to pursue this matter further, beyond the granting of his own Mass and his own Office, and to advance to the formal canonization, but not if one, after the permission for his own Mass and his own Office had been attained, did not have anything in mind concerning a formal canonization, but wished to be satisfied with what had been achieved.

We have decided on this, to abandon the path prescribed by Us and to follow another [path], which We Ourselves have shown and have confirmed with many examples as above (in Our book) in Chapter 5.

3. Benedicto XIV nombra los autores que han escrito sobre el Beato Andrés de Rinn
The name of the Blessed Andreas is not unknown to Us, and his martyrdom as well, because We of course have read what the well-known Bollandists have written concerning him in Volume 3, under the date 12 July, and because We also Ourselves have brought him into consideration in Our above-named work De Canonisatione, Book 3, Chapter 15, Nr. 6. But before We confirmed the petition brought [to Us], is has been necessary for Us to go through the handwritten history concerning this blood-witness, which has been composed by Hyppolyt Guarinoni in German and translated into Latin by Father Norbert, the Abbot of Wilten, and also to examine the acts of the martyr and the documents concerning the public veneration and the wealth of knowledge, which have been collected by much effort and rendered into print in the year 1745 by Father Hadrian Kembter, as well as the letter of defense concerning the martyrdom of the Blessed Simon of Trent, which was printed in Trent in the year 1747, and where, in chapter 5, the martyrdom and the veneration of the Blessed Andreas is treated in detail. Although this work was published by its scholarly author without his name because of modesty, it is nonetheless recognizable as a work of Father Benedict Cavallesio. The well-known Flaminius Cornelius, member of the Senate of Venice, testifies to this in detail, in his work Die Verehrung des hl. Martyrer kindes Simon von Trent [The Veneration of the Holy Martyr Simon of Trent], page 4, where he does not neglect to give the praise due to the above-named deserving man of the order [i.e., religious order].

S.4. El permiso papal concedido para su propia Misa y Oficio para el niño beatificado, como también una indulgencia plenaria en el día anual de su martirio
Moreover, We learned that a trial concerning the cult of the same Blessed Andreas has been carried out previously under the auspices of the local Bishop, and We thereupon requested a certified copy. And thus at least extra-judicial proof for the duration of this public veneration has existed and the relevant records have been delivered to Us. We have now weighed everything exactly and then, by means of the Congregation of Rites and upon request of [Our] venerable brother, the Bishop of Brixen, as well as of [Our] beloved son, the General Superior of the Premonstration order and of the Abbot of the monastery of Wilten, on 15 December 1752, we have granted a Mass in his name and an Office in his name with special lessons, for reading by the world clergy and by members of the orders of both sexes, according to the rite of a duplex-feast in the city and in the whole bishopric of Brixen. We have also not neglected to Ourselves exercise care in the examination and selection of the Mass texts and the corresponding lessons and to review everything with [Our] beloved son, Ludwig Valenti, formerly Promotor Fidei and presently Assessor in the Holy Office.

And besides, We have conformed to the requests of the aforenamed Bishop of Brixen and of the rest of those likewise mentioned, and on 15 January granted a plenary indulgence to all those who, after Confession and reception of Holy Communion on the 12th of July of any year, visit the church in Rinn (the daughter church at Judenstein is meant), in which the relics of the Blessed Andreas rest.

S.5. El permiso para el culto del Beato Andrés procede en conformidad con el del culto del Beato Simón de Trento
In all these criteria, We have held the example before our eyes of Our predecessor Sixtus V. In the year 1485 (it must be correctly read as 1475) the Blessed boy Simon of Trent was most horribly murdered before the completion of his third year of life by Jews, out of hatred toward those who believe in Christ. This inhuman crime produced so many and such grave consequences, and the Jews availed themselves of so may and such practiced artifaces in order to escape [their] deserved punishment and to divert the righteous anger of the Christian faithful from themselves, that Sixtus IV could not fail to intervene in this affair himself, in that he forbade that the public veneration which had been shown to the Blessed Simon continue to be rendered to him, until it was completely clear that he was butchered by Jews out of hatred against the believers in Christ. We have reported concerning the Papal brief of Sixtus IV in Our work De Canonisatione, Book 1, Chapter 14, Nr. 4.

Then, however, all became clear. Under consultation of the evidence, the act of murder together with its motivation was proven, and it is also certain that the murderers were Jews, which emerges from the documents of the proceedings, which today are still preserved in the secret archives in Engelsburg. As We have shown in Our work De Canonisatione, Book 3, Chapter 15, Nr. 6, Pope Sixtus IV by a Papal brief thereupon approved the Mass celebration and the Office in his [Simon’s] name, to be read on the fixed day in the city and the entire bishopric of Trent, to the honor of the Blessed Simon, and (the Pope) moreover granted a plenary indulgence to all those who, having had the Sacrament of Confession and Communion, visit the church in which his relics are venerated on his day of the year.

The Papal brief of Sixtus V is contained on page 207 in the above-named letter of defense concerning the martyrdom of the Blessed Simon, which was printed in the year 1747 at Trent. The learned author does not neglect in this to refute everything which Wagenseil and Basnagi have raised as objections against the martyrdom of the innocent boy. Flaminius Cornelius, Lord of the Senate of Venice, in his work Die Verehrung des hl. Knaben Simon von Trent [The Veneration of the Holy boy Simon of Trent], which was printed in the year 1743 at Venice, does the same with equal power and scholarship.

Between that, however, which We have granted Ourselves for the veneration of the Blessed Andreas, and what Our predecessors have decreed concerning the veneration of the Blessed Simon, is the single distiction, of this, that namely, at the behest of Pope Gregory XIII, the name of the Blessed Simon has been accepted into the Roman Martyrology, to which We have referred already in Our work De Canonisatione Sanctorum, Book 1, Chapter 14, Nr. 4. But We have not wished to decree this in respect to the Blessed Andreas, in order not to damage later determinations (what is meant here are those of Urban VIII, who ruled approximately 50 years after Gregory XIII), which say that in the Roman Martyrology only the names of those who have been canonized should be entered, and that the names of those who were enrolled in the number of the Blessed are to be left out, be it that this enrollment occurred by means of a solemn beatification, or be it that it occurred by means of an actual (aequipollent) beatification. For this, see Our work De Canonisatione Sanctorum, Book 4, Chapter 18, Nr. 9, etc.

S.6. The Subsequent Desire of the Wilten Monastery for the Canonization of Blessed Andreas of Rinn
If the religious (the members of te choir of the Wilten convent) had been satisfied, as they had assured [us], with receiving only the Office and the Mass in [Andreas’] name, and if further, they had not shown an interest in pursuing the Causa itself up to a formal canonization, We would not have had to undertake the dictation of this letter, and We would have spared you the trouble of reading through the same and considering it. But because they now have in mind the formal canonization and have succeeded in getting the most influential Catholic princes (what is meant here, are the substantial members of the House of Hapsburg) to fiercely insist upon it, it seems to Us necessary, after Our reflecting upon it, to set forth Our judgement in this letter concerning the recent petition, as is proper for everything and in accord with regulations.

S.7. Required investigations with respect to a planned canonization of the Blessed Child Andreas of Rinn
Naturally, We have no complaint about those who have received from Us permission for an [individual] Mass [for Andreas] and Office in accordance with the reasons set forth above, if the same [people], although they (originally) had stated their intention of not proceeding further, are now changing their opinion. We gladly take upon Ourselves these new labors in consideration of the repeated exertions of the religious (of the monastery of Wilten). We are, moreover, convinced that: As often as these [religious] desire to hurry to a formal canonization, in accordance with the care which you are accustomed [in having] from Us, We will not neglect you but rather expand the commission which is being conducted in status and terminus [that is, in its authority and duration], as we have stated in Our work De Canonisatione, Book 2, Chapter 38, Nr. 13, and also strive for proof in accordance with [canon] law, insofar as it is shown that this case is not contained in the decretals of Urban VIII, with which, by the way, the postulatores would like to be in agreement, in that they will refer to Our authentic indult [a temporary privilege granted to a person by the Roman Catholic Church] of the Mass and the Office, as we also have remarked in the previously cited work, Book 2, Chapter 42, Nr. 3.

And We likewise apprise you of the fact that (We) are examining whether, in the newly begun apostolic trial [The process of canonization within the Roman Catholic Church has tradtionally included a trial in which proponents and opponents of canonization make their best arguments and examine all evidence concerning the life of the candidate; the opponents were represented by a canon lawyer often refererred to as “the Devil’s advocate”; even in cases in which the candidate had no serious detractors, every genuine effort was made to scrupulous challenge the case of the proponents, in the interest of arriving at the truth], along with the martyrdom of the Blessed Andreas, the motives of the latter are also proven; further, after [it has been determined that] there is not sufficient [proof] for a solemn canonization, (We will examine) both which facts on the one side and which apparent facts on the other side exist for the granting of the [individual] Mass and the Office, as We ourselves have set forth in Our work De Canonisatione, Book 1, Chapter 32, Nr. 6-17, and Chapter 42, Nr. 9.

It is further to be evaluated from the standards of serious criticism, whether the historians who report about the martyrdom conform to the necessary conditions of furnishing proof for the solemn canonization in the Court. (We have) spoken concerning these (above named) conditions in detail in Our work De Canonisatione, Book 3, Chapter 7, and in the following chapter, because an all the greater lack of assiduity prevails with the historians when it is the case of the simple granting of the public rite, especially of the cult [The word “cult” in this context, and as understood in canon usage, has nothing to do with it current connotation of an esoteric, fanatic religious group; rather, it refers to the ‘following’ enjoyed by a particular saint, beatified person, or candidate for the same, along with the beliefs of concerning that candidate held by those followers] within a particular diocese, as when it is a matter of a legitimately prescribed cult, which has also has been spread throughout the entire Church, which We Ourselves have stated in (Our work) Book 4, Part 2, Chapter 10, Nr. 26.

And finally, still to be considered moreover, aside from the martyrdom and its motivation, is the appearance of signs and miracles, which have occurred after the permission for the public cult, which is likewise to be cited according to the Papal brief issued by Us for the granting of the office and of the Mass. But here, two signs or miracles do not suffice, rather four must be produced in accordance with the requirements. Since there is, in particular, with respect to the martyrdom of the Blessed Andreas of Rinn, and in respect to the motivation of the latter, no proof as support, that is to say eyewitnesses, nevertheless there is to some extent, as a helpful substitute for this, witnesses who had heard this being told. With respect to the kind of datum, two signs or miracles are therefore not sufficient, in agreement with the general determinations (iuxta generale decretum) [in connection with the general decretal] which We issued on the 23rd of April 1741 and which have been printed in Our work De Canonisatione in Book 3, Chapter 3, Nr. 25, which now entirely conform exactly to the requirement of the Congregation on Rites.

Q. 8. Estamos seguros, que con tu atención y diligencia bien conocida de Nos, nada de ello se tralascerá de cuando poco antes habíamos dicho. Esto, que a Nos permanece preocupación, si es, que la causa del Beato Andrés niño, asesinado por los judios en odio a la fe, es la primera, que, después de la reserva de las causas de Canonización a la Santa Sede, se pretende introducir, no ya para obtener el permiso del Culto público restringido a una Diócesis, o la Beatificación formal o equivalente, sino para obtener un culto público preceptuado, y extendido a la Iglesia Universal, mediante una Canonización expresa y formal. Nos hemos tratado esto en el capítulo XIV, num. 5 de nuestro primer libro, y en el numeral 6 del cap. XV del libro tercero, y habíamos advertido, que, sucediendo el caso, era necesario abrir los ojos; tratándose de cosa nueva, nunca antes practicada por la Santa Sede después de la reserva a ella hecha de las causas de Canonización, como anteriormente se dijo.

S.13. Casos de martirio de niños que han sido registrados por los autores
The annals of the Church and other Church memoirs agree with these: Under (the Emperor) Decius or Valerian there occurred the well-known martyrdom of St. Cyrill, who was in the first year of his life. His acts were reported by the Bollandists in Volume 7, for 29 May, and (likewise) in the Acta Martyrum [Acts of the Martyrs] by Ruinart, (and in particular) in the Amsterdam edition on page 246.

In the annals of Cardinal Baronius, two child brothers are mentioned in the year of Christ 311, whose bodies were buried in a church at Nicomedia, which was because of this called the Martyrium Infantium (Martyrdom of the Children).

And in the (same) work, page 57, etc., for the year of Christ 522 are recorded the acts of martyrdom of a certain woman and her son, who had not yet passed his 5th year of life.

From the Bollandists for the date 24 March, we are told -- aside from what has been mentioned concerning the blessed boy Simon of Trent -- that in the Diocese of Cologne, a boy Johannchen [i.e., little Johnny] is venerated, who was killed by the Hebrews out of hatred against the (Christian) faith.

Baillet reports for the same 24th of March, that in Paris a certain boy Richard (Riccardus) is venerated as a martyr.

And likewise, in England another boy with the name William (Villelmus) is honored. This boy was murdered by the Jews out of hatred against the (Christian) faith.

In the 18th volume of the work of Father Theophil Raynoud, and in particular in the work that is entitled De Martyrio per pestem [Concerning Martyrdom by means of destruction], in Part 2, Chapter 2, Nr. 7, one reads that in the time of King Ferdinand in Spain a three-year-old boy was killed by Jews out of hatred against Christ in the district of Guardia near Toledo, that veneration is shown him and that he is called the innocent child of Guardia for obvious reasons.

And the same is attested of two other two-year-old twin boys in Sardinia, who bore the names Cessilius and Camerinus.

And further, in the aforementioned apologetic [this derivative of the word “apology” is used in the alternate meaning of that word as “an exposition in support or defense of.”] treatise concerning the martyrdom of the Blessed Simon of Trent, there is mentioned on page 242, a little three-year-old girl by the name of Ursula who was murdered in the cruellest manner by Jews out of hatred of Christ, approximeately in the year 1442 in Lienz, a small but old town in the County of Tyrol, located in the Pustertal [Puster Valley] toward Kärnten,. In the year 1609 an older monument at the church of this place was replaced by a new one. This (newer one) was chiselled after [the likeness of] the older one and one can read, incribed on the same, the story of that horrible atrocity.

And on page 264, etc., is mentioned a boy Laurentius, whom the Jews killed in 1485 when he was 5 years of age, out of hatred toward the faith, and this boy has been regarded and venerated as a martyr since his martyrdom and up to the present day in Marostica in the region of Vicenza and in areas not far from there.

S.21. Martyr-children held to be blessed according to a formal or equipollent beatification

The last classes are comprised of those children robbed of life due to hatred toward Jesus Christ, whose cult is practiced on the basis of a formal or equipollent beatification. This (beatification) can then finally be succeeded by canonization, as is (otherwise) usual, in the case that nothing stands against it.

It was further said above, that the Popes have always made their authority accepted at canonizations, even in cases of a canonization which originates with a cult introduced in one diocese, which then crosses into another diocese and finally is extended throughout the whole church.

But now We add that the prescription was introduced and firmly decided by Alexander III, in accordance with which it is a matter for the Roman Pontiff to grant or approve a cult at a certain place and in individual dioceses. The foundations and reasons for this constitution are to be found in Our (work), Book 1, chapter 10, Nr. 3, etc.; and it might be added that it is not only in the special manner a matter for the Pope, as it always was, to introduce by his prescriptions a cult into the whole Church, be it a cult of martyrs, or a cult of confessors, under which [prescriptions], as has often been said, canonization is to be understood. It is also (a matter for the Pope) to grant by means of (his) permission, that in some city or diocese, or in certain other places, a religious cult is demonstrated to some servant of God which is entirely clearly such a one [cult] through his martyrdom or through (his) confession. Therein consists the beatification.

But two blessed children are to be numbered among this latter class, who were killed out of hatred toward the faith: Simon of Trent, who was tortured in 1475, and Andreas of the village of Rinn, who suffered martyrdom in 1462, with whose case we are now dealing. For it can be said of both with certainty, that they have attained a beatification from the Holy See, if not formally, at least to be sure equipollently, insofar as everything which was necessary to consider concerning the martyrdom and its cause, and concerning the news of the signs and miracles, has been produced and thoroughly discussed (so that it) has arrived at the approval of an Office and Mass for the particular location.

And if, nevertheless, as we have further said above, at the behest of Pope Gregory XIII, the name of the Blessed Simon has been added to the Roman Martyrology, it can however not be inferred that because of this the latter has been canonized. It is held in particular as an extremely more certain and to some degree (universally) more accepted principle, that in the Martyrology the names of those are given and their celebrated acts are proclaimed, (for the reason) that the faithful (not only) are encouraged to their imitation, but also encouraged to their veneration, but always under the protection of the direction of the Church; and indeed in such a way, that the cult to which the faithful are supposed to be encouraged, insofar as it relates to one already canonized, be a prescribed and public one; but that it, insofar as it relates to those who have been beatified, is public, but has been allowed, according to the indult of the beatification, in a limited manner only to certain persons and for certain locations. But it should be allowed privately with respect to other (persons and places), which have not been included by the indult (of the beatification). We have expressly treated how the practice, tested and maturely weighed and composed in these words, is accustomed to being handled by the Holy See, in Our work, De Canonisatione, Book 4, Part 2, Chapter 19, Nr. 6.

S.22. A Trial regarding a Causa can be stopped for special reasons

If, nonetheless, the Blessed Simon attained the honor of the Blessed long before the Blessed Andreas, there is no one who pursued his canonization. And as concerns the request for a canonization of the Blessed Andreas, which is now being urged, there is much to take into consideration after the (attained) beatification. The entire investigation revolves about whether this wish should be granted. For it is a not unusual situation, that the course (of a trial) concerning some Causa is stopped for just and grave reasons and (thus) the path to canonization is blocked, although a beatification has preceded it, as so many Causae make evident, in which Office and Mass have been granted after a formal or equipollent beatification, but where there is no one and furthermore will be no one, who aims at a solemn canonization.

S.23. Church blood-witnesses are genuine martyrs, but not in will and works, rather in works alone

And thus We now, for a small number (of such children martyrs) proceed to the reasons which are not limited to the Causa of the Blessed Andreas, but to some extent touch upon all Causae of the children whom the hatred against the Christian faith has snatched away, and at an age, to be sure, when they were not able to distinguish between good and evil, although these (also) are martyrs, but not in Will and Works, but in Works alone, to use the words of St. Bernhard. It could in particular appear proper to anyone, if one decided upon one distinct cult of the Blessed for the martyred children under the conditions given. But he will have doubts whether it be fitting to proceed further, so that the cult be extended throughout the whole Church according the manner of prescribed law, which is, of course, the main feature of canonization, at which [event] what is necessary for a transition from beatification to a canonization should not be respected in any way.

S.29. The Causa of the Blessed Andreas of Rinn is to be examined, whether it can be approved for a canonization trial
Whatever we have said here can also be found in Our work De Canonisatione, Book 1, Chapter 14, and Book 3, Chapter 15, Nr. 2, etc. It still remains to (exactly) explore and to examine everything, as to whether it is a matter of allowing the Causa of the Blessed Andreas to proceed further, or whether it would be more expeditious that this [Causa] remain at the same status which it now possesses, which entirely corresponds to (the status) in which the Causa of the Blessed Simon exists.

And because it is not out of the question that others express similar desires, they will be (to a certain extent) parts of your effort and of the wise assessment of the rest, whom We shall apprise of what is to be taken into consideration when a case of this kind occurs, as indeed it appears common with respect to a child who has been killed in Holy Week by Jews out of contempt toward Christ. The murders of the Blessed Simon and Blessed Andreas in particular are such (cases), but so too are (the murders) of many which are listed by the authors.

It might perhaps appear to someone that it is proper, whenever there is admittance to the Causa of children killed in this manner, that these murders, which are well-known to the people, have been condemned by all and also punished by the authorities, must be loudly proclaimed in the world).

Moreover, it seems best, whenever there is a case of martyrs “not by Will and Works, but by Works alone,” that a larger number of signs and miracles than is otherwise required, be established, in order to obtain a formal canonization.

We close this, Our letter, by imparting to you Our apostolic blessing, beloved son.

Dado en Roma, junto a Santa María la Mayor, el 22 de Febrero de 1755, año décimo quinto de Nuestro Pontificado. PAPA BENEDICTO XIV.
  
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