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Following the death of Pope Francis on April 21, 2025, the Vatican has announced a suspension of all upcoming beatification ceremonies. The decision was communicated by the Holy See Press Office on April 22, stating that no new beatifications will proceed until the election of the next pope.
The announcement came after a meeting of the cardinals in a general congregation, a preparatory gathering held before a papal conclave.
During this period of sede vacante — when the papal seat is vacant — many non-essential liturgical and administrative functions are paused, including ceremonies that would typically be presided over by Vatican officials on behalf of the pope.
Three beatifications scheduled for the coming weeks are now on hold. Mária Magdolna Bódi, a Hungarian laywoman killed in 1945 while defending girls from Soviet soldiers, was to be beatified on April 26. On May 3, the beatification of Ukrainian Greek Catholic priest Pietro Paolo Oros, executed under Soviet persecution in 1953, was due to take place. In France, the ceremony for Camille Costa de Beauregard — a 19th-century priest known for his work in education and local politics — was planned for May 17 in Chambéry.
While the pope does not personally preside over beatifications, his approval is required for them to proceed. Under ordinary circumstances, the prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints leads the ceremony in the place where the future Blessed lived or ministered, which marks a major step in the canonization process.
The delay highlights how changes in papal leadership can temporarily affect Vatican functions. Once a new pope is elected, he will decide whether and when to reschedule the ceremonies.
Beatification is a formal declaration by the Catholic Church that a person lived a life of heroic virtue or died as a martyr and is now in heaven. It permits limited public veneration, usually within a specific region or religious order. It is distinct from canonization, which extends that veneration to the universal Church.
