Pope Francis approved a decree recognizing the heroic virtues of two women. It's the first official step in their beatification process.
The first is Maria Cristina Cella Mocellin, a mother from Italy. She passed away in 1995 when she was 26 years old.
When she was pregnant, she was diagnosed with cancer, but she refused to undergo chemotherapy to avoid harming the baby.
Her story is like that of Chiara Corbella, who passed away when she was 28 years old under very similar circumstances. Corbella is currently on the way to beatification.
The other new Venerable is Enrica Beltrame Quattrocchi, the daughter of a couple who was beatified in 2001 by John Paul II.
She died in 2012, at 98 years old. She lived a simple life full of financial problems. She dedicated her life to serving others through volunteer work. She was a professor, and in her final years, she helped couples going through hard times.
On the list of new venerables, the Pope has included Croatian Placido Cortese, who died at the hands of the Gestapo, who tortured him for helping people persecuted by the Nazis.
Javier Romero
TR: CT
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