Servant of God BENEDICT DASWA
Tzaneen, South Africa, Mar 16, 2012 / 04:18 am (CNA).- The cause for beatification and canonization of the South African-native Benedict Daswa, who was killed for his refusal to support witchcraft, has arrived in Rome.
Bishop Joao Rodriguez of South Africa's Tzaneen diocese said he hopes devotion to "this apostle of life" will spread and that people "will receive special graces" from Daswa's intercession, especially for "problematic family life relations and bondage to the occult and witchcraft."
Although his cause is still being investigated, Bishop Rodriguez told CNA March 14 that Catholics may express private devotion to Daswa and report any favors received through his intercession to the Diocese of Tzaneen.
Daswa's case was sent to the Vatican's Congregation for the Causes of Saints after he was declared "Servant of God" and diocesan-level inquiries were completed.
If approved, Daswa would be on his way to being declared blessed, making him one step away from becoming the first South African-born saint.
Consistently loyal to his profession of Christianity, Daswa refused to take part in anything related to witchcraft or the occult, which is still very much a part of the local culture.
His denouncement of witchcraft and the occult eventually led to his violent murder in 1990.
Benedict Daswa, born Samuel Daswa in 1946, belonged to the Jewish Lemba tribe in rural Limpopo in South Africa.
Up until the start of the official investigation into Daswa's life in 2005, the members of the Catholic community of the Nweli District gathered every All Soul's Day to pray at his grave.
Daswa grew up observing Jewish customs, but was baptized in the Church at the age of 17. He took the name Benedict after the sixth-century monk and Benedict Risimati, his catechist who instructed him on his faith as a teen. Daswa was confirmed shortly after his baptism.
After his confirmation, Daswa took a particular interest in teaching younger members of his community about Catholicism.
After a series of unusual thunderstorms and lighting strikes in the area, a group of local men suggested hiring a traditional healer to determine the cause. In order to do this, the men collected money from members of the community.
Daswa refused to give any money to the cause. Seeing this act of defiance as derogatory to their cultural beliefs, members of his community conspired to kill him.
While driving home from a visit to his sick sister-in-law, some men blocked Daswa's way with several tree logs. When he got out of his car to investigate, Daswa was violently attacked and beaten to death by men from his own community.
According to the diocesan investigation, when Daswa saw a man coming towards him with a club to deliver the final blow, he said, "God, into your hands, receive my spirit."
The Diocese of Tzaneen opened an inquiry into Daswa's death in 2005 completed it on July 2, 2009. The investigation, which was made public in 2010, resulted in more than 850 pages of testimony from reliable witness to the life and death of Daswa.
A copy of the investigation was sent to Archbishop Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. The documents were signed by Bishop of Tzaneen Hugh Slattery Sister Sally Duigan, diocesan chancellor Father Andre Bohas, and Promoter of Justice Eddie O'Neill.
Sally Duigan OLSH and Hugh Slattery MSC
Recent development:
On Wednesday 3 April 2013 the Roman Postulator for the cause,Fr Jean-Jules Chassem MSC, handed in copies of the Positio – book to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. The Positio – book will be studied first by the group of theologian consultors. We expect this study to be completed by the end of this year,God willing. If majority pass it, it goes to the prelates of the Congregation.If the prelates of the Congregation approve, the Prefect of the Congregation publishes the “Decretum Super Martyrio of the Servant of God ” and authorizes that the person be called Venerable.
The Prefect of the Congregation will then present the cause to the pope for the pope to decide on whether the Venerable martyr can be beatified or not.Finally the pope declares beatification at a special Mass in honour of the newly acclaimed “Blessed martyr.”
The process in the Congregation can be quite slow but we have an advantage because a miracle is not required for the beatification of a martyr. As soon as his martyrdom is approved by the Congregation then the door is open for the pope to declare him a martyr for beatification.
