Archbishop Jose Palma of Cebu has dismissed rumors that Visayan martyr Blessed Pedro Calungsod has been proclaimed a saint. The rumors spread through text messages on mobile phones as the Archdiocese of Cebu marked Calungsod’s feast day on April 2. The text messages are "false," the prelate said. "The theologians are reviewing the virtues [of Calungsod] and there is still the level of [review by] the cardinals. The last step, [is a review by] the Holy Father," Archbishop Palma said. Calungsod, a teenage Visayan was martyred in Guam in 1672 along with Spanish Jesuit priest now Blessed Diego Luis de San Vitores. The late Pope John Paul II beatified Calungsod on March 5, 2000. Archbishop Palma said he inquired about the status of the cause for the sainthood of Calungsod during his visit to Rome last month. He said the Officesof the Sacred Congregation for the Causes of Saints, told him and Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, archbishop emeritus of Cebu, that the documents on Calungsod are "number one" on the list. Archbishop Palma said those who want to know the latest news on the cause of Calungsod should ask Cardinal Vidal who headed the investigation committee for the cause of Calungsod's sainthood. The archbishop also said that although miracles are important, devotion is just as important. "Your devotion, how you show your love to Blessed Pedro Calungsod, will hasten his canonization process," Archbishop Palma said. He said that for a martyr to be declared a saint, one miracle is needed and a review of his virtues. PV13862.1648
