THE
CONGREGATION FOR THE CAUSES OF SAINTS
Beatification and Canonization of
the Servant of God
BASILE-ANTOINE MARIE MOREAU
Priest and Founder of
The Congregation of Religious Men and
Women of Holy Cross
(1799 -1873)
DECRETUM SUPER VIRTUTIBUS
"Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust
and will not be afraid" (Is. 12:2)
The servant
of God, Basile Antoine Marie Moreau, with no confidence in merely human means, placed his trust
in God and found in Him the strength to
face countless difficulties and overcame severe hardship. In the aftermath of the French Revolution, he effectively devoted himself
to the spiritual renewal of the Church through parish missions, the Christian education of
youth, and various other works of charity.
In order to ensure the stability and
the continuity of his works, he founded a new religious family with two branches, one for men, the other for women, known as
the Congregation of Holy Cross.
This true
witness to Christ was born on February 11, 1799 in the village
of Laigné-en-Belin (Sarthe,
France) to a family of merchants. He was taught Christian morals by his family and the
catechism by his parish priest, who also taught him the basics of literature. He entered the local College of
Château-Gontier and later, the Seminary at
He
was ordained a priest on August 12, 1821 and, in order
to continue his
formation, he was sent by his bishop to the
Seminary of Saint-Sulpice in
The work founded by the Servant of God to
spread the Gospel in rural regions and foreign missions, and to provide a Christian education for youth in need of
material and spiritual assistance, developed rapidly, extending
to
Indeed, some
members of the Institute, to which he had completely dedicated himself, accused him unjustly of mismanagement, even alleging tyrannical
control. For this reason, he thought it
best to resign as Superior
General. His decision
was rejected by the Holy See at first, but was later accepted.
He endured these sufferings with remarkable serenity, finding consolation
through his
faith in Christ, who
enlightened his path. He firmly
believed in the truth of Revelation and in his
preaching, he constantly proclaimed these truths to the people of God. He nourished
his own spirituality through the Eucharist and through bis devotion to the Blessed
Virgin Mary and to
He lived in the sight of
God and turned his thoughts and works towards Him. The love of Christ motivated him
to become prolific in his apostolic activity and to undertake ibis work
for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.
Both by the example of his life and his writings, he made every effort to exhort others to avoid
every kind of sin. A man of tireless
activity, he accepted innumerable sacrifices
for the good of others, in whom he beheld the face of the Divine Redeemer.
Some of the members of his Congregation, through negligence, were the cause of serions economic problems; yet, he acted with such a sense of prudence and justice that he protected both the good reputation of the Institute as well as the legitimate rights of its creditors. He was faithful to the laws of the Church and to the Rule of the Institute, which he founded. He admirably mastered his somewhat impetuous nature. He led a simple and austere life, willingly adding acts of penance to those already prescribed by Church discipline. With patience and the deepest spirit of humility, he endured innumerable adversities and illnesses. During a time in which Gallicanism was rampant, he remained faithful to the Holy Sec. He persevered in following the advice of his spiritual director and was detached from material goods as well as being a model of chastity.
In the last years of his life,
he continued his apostolic work as a substitute priest. He died in
With his
reputation for sanctity spreading,
the bishop of Le Mans started to
work on his
cause for beatification,
initiating the information gathering
stage between
the years 1947-1950. Following the Decree for the Introduction of the Cause, dated May 2, 1955, the Apostolic Process was undertaken from 1955-1957. The Congregation of Rites, in a decree published October 23, 1959, recognized the legal validity
of these
canonical investigations. After the meeting of
the Historical Advisors, which occurred on December 6, 1994, the usual study was made
to see if the Servant of God had practiced the virtues to an heroic degree. On January
31, 2003, the Special Meeting
of the Theological Advisors gave
a unanimous response to the question under study. The cardinals and bishops present at the ordinary session on March 18, 2003, after having heard the report of the Postulator for the Cause, His Excellency Émile Eids, Titular Bishop of Sarepta
of the Maronites, declared that the Servant of God, Basile Antoine Marie Moreau, had practiced the theological virtues,
along with the related cardinal virtues, to an heroic degree.
After the
presentation of the complete
report by the undersigned Cardinal
Prefect to the
Sovereign Pontiff, John Paul II, His
Holiness received the request of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. He approved
it and ordered the proclamation of the Decree on the heroic virtues of the Servant
of God.
In the presence of the undersigned
Cardinal Prefect, along with the Postulator of the Cause, and before me, the Secretary Archbishop of the Congregation
and those duly convened, the Holy
Father then solemnly declared: We declare that Father Basile Antoine Marie Moreau, Priest, Founder of the men and women religions of
the Congregation of Holy Cross, practiced
the theological virtues of Faith, Hope, and Love towards God and neighbor, as well as the related cardinal virtues of
Prudence, Justice, Temperance, and
fortitude, to an heroic degree.
The Sovereign Pontiff ordered that the Decree to
this effect be made public and placed among the Acts of the Congregation for the
Causes of Saints.
Given at
Joseph Cardinal Saraiva Martins, Prefect
Edouard Nowak, Titular Archbishop of Luna, Secretary.