From an Inconvenient Bishop to the Incovenient Decision to Recognize Him as a Martyr

Abstract

The title suggests that this article will continue on the subject addressed 10 years ago. The previous article was On a bishop who is inconvenient to those in power in Argentina—both the State and the Church. Despite the changes that have taken place in both spheres (the collapse of the military dictatorship after the 1983 elections, and changes in the episcopate and the judicial inquiry and elucidation of the circumstances of the murder of Bishop Angelelli), some people are denying Pope Francis’ decision to recognise the martyrdom of the bishop and his collaborators (June 8, 2018). They see this beatification as inconvenient.

The author of the presented study challenges these arguments, both from the canon-law perspective and in light of canonization practice. Due to the passage of time (the martyrs died in the Diocese of La Rioja in 1976) and the geographical separation (South America), he first provides their short biographies. Due to numerous untrue data and overinterpretations disseminated by the media as to the course of the beatification processes at the diocesan phase, the also tries to bring order to the basic facts.