The Catholic Church has recognized a miracle attributed to the intercession of an Argentine layman born in France, as well as the martyrdom of eleven Spaniards, who will soon be beatified, the Holy See Press Office announced on December 18, 2025. Three other Catholics, an Indian priest, an Italian Franciscan, and an Italian nun, are now “venerable.”
A father of 9, president of Catholic Action, and target of Argentina's dictator, he will be beatified after the recognition of a miracle.
On Thursday, Pope Francis received Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, and approved five decrees advancing the cause of canonization of several baptized persons.
The first decree concerns a miracle attributed to the intercession of the Argentine layman and father Henry Ernest Shaw (1921–1962). He was born in Paris in 1921, but his parents left France in 1923 to move to Argentina. An officer in the navy and then a business leader, this businessman founded an association for Christian leaders in the 1950s.
A father of nine children and committed Christian, he was president of Catholic Action in Argentina. He was the target of anti-Catholic pressure from the Peronists. He died of cancer in 1962 after fighting to prevent a massive layoff plan in his company. It was Cardinal Bergoglio, the future Pope Francis, who opened his cause in 2001, during the pontificate of John Paul II.
The miraculous healing attributed to his intercession is that of little Matías, who, at the age of 5 in 2021, suffered severe skull and brain injuries after being kicked by a horse on a farm near Buenos Aires. As his condition worsened despite surgery, his father prayed to Henry Ernest Shaw. To the surprise of the doctors, the boy recovered inexplicably and now leads a normal life. This recognition of a “miracle” paves the way for the venerable's beatification.
11 more Spanish martyrs
Rome also recognized the martyrdom of a Spanish seminarian, Ignacio Aláez Vaquero, along with 10 other priests, seminarians, and lay people who were killed for their faith between 1936 and 1937 in the province of Madrid. Like many other victims of the Spanish Civil War, their cause was opened in 2009.
This recognition paves the way for their upcoming beatification.
3 new venerables, including Indian priest
Three other decrees concern the “heroic virtues” of three baptized persons, the first step in the canonization process attesting that they lived human and Christian virtues in an exemplary manner. Next, a miracle must be recognized for these new “venerables” to be beatified.
The first on the list is Father Joseph Panjikaran (1888-1949). This Indian diocesan priest, who held three doctorates, dedicated his life to the poorest members of the “caste” system, creating a hospital in the Kerala region and founding a religious community to serve the sick, the Medical Sisters of St. Joseph.
The name of the Italian Franciscan Berardo Atonna (1843–1917) also appears among the new decrees. Ordained a priest in Naples in a historical context marked by strong tensions between the Church and the State, he accompanied many of the faithful as a spiritual director and encouraged the foundation of numerous female religious congregations. He was also a renowned preacher.
Finally, the Congregation for the Causes of Saints recognized the heroic virtues of Sister Domenica Caterina dello Spirito Santo—baptized Teresa Solari (1822–1908). The Italian woman, who lived in Liguria, demonstrated her faith despite a difficult childhood and youth. Although she remained illiterate, she founded the Congregation of the Sisters of the Little House of Divine Providence, which would later be attached to the Dominican Order.
