The Pope has intervened in the case of Fr Hamel and waived the five-year waiting period that must follow the death of a potential saint and the opening of their cause. This is highly significant. It has been done before, but only in the most exceptional cases, namely those of St John Paul II and St Teresa of Calcutta. That it should be done for the Normandy priest murdered by jihadis earlier this summer places Fr Hamel on the same level of importance as Saints John Paul and Teresa.
I personally am all for a speedy canonisation. Indeed, I would go further than that, and would be pleased to see the Vatican issue a decree recognising that Fr Hamel is a saint, in that his sanctity is obvious, given that he was killed in odium fidei, in hatred of the faith. Those who suffer thus are traditionally seen as martyrs and saints; and let us remember that saints were once made, not by a process in the Vatican, but by popular acclaim.
