Pope Leo XIV recognized the heroic virtues of Father Júlio Maria De Lombaerde, a Belgian religious man who arrived in Brazil on a mission and settled in Minas Gerais, where he founded congregations, schools, newspapers, hospitals and hostels. With this, the priest becomes recognized as “venerable”, one of the most important steps on the path towards beatification.
Father Júlio was born in Belgium and arrived in Brazil in 1913. He worked for 16 years in the North and Northeast regions and another 16 years in Minas Gerais. He died in a car accident on December 24, 1944, in Alto Jequitibá, at the age of 66.
With the decision of Pope Leo XIV, published by Vatican News, the official Vatican portal, he receives the title of “venerable”, which represents one of the stages in the process of recognition of .
Now, the next step is the recognition of a miracle attributed to his intercession, which could lead to beatification, at which point he will be called Blessed. Later, a new miracle could lead to canonization, when the Church will officially recognize him as a Saint.
Regarding the recognition of heroic virtues, according to the Instituto Padre Júlio Maria de Lombaerdebased in Manhumirim, Minas Gerais, the process represents the recognition that the person heroically lived virtues such as faith, hope, charity, justice, prudence, temperance and fortitude, in addition to the evangelical councils of poverty, obedience and chastity.
In the city of Manhumirimwhere he carried out much of his work, the priest arrived on March 24, 1928.
In the municipality, he initiated the founding of the Congregation of the Missionaries of Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament and the Sacramentine Sisters of Our Lady.
Furthermore, he founded the newspaper “O Lutador”, schools, hospitals, employers and hostels for the elderly.
*Under AR supervision.
