Congregation delays decision to autumn

A decision could not be taken yesterday on whether to attribute a second miracle to the intercession of Blessed Gorg Preca because certain personnel were unable to attend the meeting of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints at the Vatican.

When contacted, the Rome-based postulator in the cause of Blessed Gorg, Mgr Charles Scicluna, said he now expected the decision to be taken in the autumn.

When asked if he was disappointed, Mgr Scicluna said: "I would have liked to see the end of it. But you have to give these things time... People don't realise how long this process can take and at times you have to exercise real patience.

"We were unlucky that it went to July because people start going away. They can't discuss it unless everyone is present and it did not make sense to request another meeting before the end of summer."

However, Mgr Scicluna said that yesterday's delay in no way affects the merits of the case, since it was purely for logistical reasons.

The Congregation was due to hear the conclusions of theological experts on whether the healing of a Maltese baby boy in 2001 was due to the intercession of the Blessed Gorg.

Doctors appointed by the Congregation have already confirmed that there is no medical explanation for the boy's recovery, and yesterday's meeting was expected to effectively remove the last major hurdle in the cause for Blessed Gorg's sainthood.

Once the Congregation decides on the second miracle, the cause of Dun Gorg - who was declared Blessed by Pope John Paul II in May, 2001 - will then go to the Ordinary Congregation of Cardinals who will weigh up all the arguments before handing it over to Pope Benedict XVI for a final decision.

The case was handed over to Rome in 2004 after the local diocesan process, presided over by Archbishop Joseph Mercieca, had completed its investigations into the possibility of a second miracle after a baby boy had inexplicably recovered from liver failure when a glove used in the exhumations of Blessed Gorg was placed on the child.

On February 3, 1964, Charles Zammit Endrich's detached retina healed after he placed a relic of Blessed Gorg under his pillow. The cause for his beatification was initiated in 1975; he was declared venerable in June, 2000, and Blessed in May, 2001.