June 16, 2025, marks 288 years since the canonization of Saint Vincent de Paul—a momentous event celebrated in Rome in 1737 under the pontificate of Pope Clement XII. The following summary of his beatification and canonization process is based on Chapter LXVI of Le Grand Saint du Grand Siècle Monsieur Vincent, Volume 3, written by Pierre Coste.

I. The Early Impulse Toward Glorification: Early Veneration and Common Desire

From the moment of his funeral on November 23, 1660, at the Church of Saint-Germain-l’Auxerrois, Vincent de Paul was showered with praise that went beyond mere human admiration. The poet Loret, a chronicler of the time, wrote verses declaring that if he were Pope, he would canonize Vincent immediately[1]. This sentiment was not rare. Clergy such as Bishop Henri de Maupas du Tour saw in Vincent a man destined for sainthood.

The first serious steps toward his glorification were taken by his immediate successors, especially M. Alméras, who collaborated with Abelly on a systematic biography and gathered his writings and speeches. Yet, it wasn’t until the General Assembly of the Congregation of the Mission in 1697 that the decision was formally made to open the cause for beatification.

The Superior General, M. Pierron, sent a circular on October 26 of that year, asking the Vincentians and the Daughters of Charity to discreetly collect testimonies and evidence that might help the cause. The instructions were clear: act “quietly and without display,” knowing how priceless firsthand testimonies were—especially since 37 years had already passed since Vincent’s death.

II. The Local Process in Paris and the Provinces

The initial canonical process began in Paris in January 1705 under the jurisdiction of Cardinal de Noailles, Archbishop of the Diocese. The tribunal included two doctors of theology and the official postulator, Missionary priest M. de Cès. The first solemn session was held on January 5, and the first witnesses took the oath on February 10.

In total, 299 people gave testimony. These included 40 priests from the Congregation of the Mission, 49 Daughters of Charity, 16 Visitandines, a Lady of Charity, representatives from religious communities founded or aided by Vincent (such as the Daughters of Providence and the Cross), as well as laypeople, doctors, and farmers. Even a young boy from the Foundlings’ Hospice testified, bearing witness to the real and lasting impact of Vincent’s charity[2].

To accommodate elderly or ill witnesses who lived far from Paris, delegated judges were sent out—including Jean Genest, a doctor and abbot. He gathered testimonies from various dioceses: Valpuiseaux, Étampes, Chartres, Verdun, Meaux, among others. His efforts provided a diverse range of perspectives on Vincent’s life and virtues.

The inquiry in the Diocese of Verdun was particularly notable. During a great famine, Vincent had generously supported many women’s convents. Testimonies were gathered from four Carmelites, seven Poor Clares, and five Sisters of Saint-Maur. Though fewer male religious testified, the wide variety of voices affirmed a holiness recognized across all levels of Church and society.

III. The Non Cultus Process and Liturgical Norms

One key requirement for beatification is proving that the candidate had not received public veneration beyond what the Church permits before formal recognition. Thus, a “non cultus” process was conducted to show that honors given to Vincent stayed within the Church’s bounds.

Eleven witnesses—all with daily access to the church and house of Saint-Lazare, where Vincent had lived and was buried—were called. Among them were seminary superiors and parish priests.

The tribunal carefully inspected Vincent’s tomb, sacristy, and personal room. They found many personal items: a hat and cap wrapped in paper, hairshirts, pilgrim’s staffs, worn sandals, humble shirts, a breviary, a diurnal, and even his heart preserved in a silver reliquary, along with other organs removed during the initial embalming[3].

Despite these relics, there was no evidence of illicit liturgical worship: no public prayers, Masses in his name, or images presented for public veneration. Cardinal de Noailles confidently affirmed that canonical norms had not been violated.

IV. The Roman Phase and Objections from the Promoter of the Faith

After the local processes were complete, all documentation was sent to Rome for examination by the Sacred Congregation of Rites. M. de Cès delivered the 4,000-page file to the Holy See in 1706.

Pope Clement XI granted a special exemption, allowing the process to proceed without waiting the usual ten years. However, progress was slowed by the death of the Secretary of Rites and political tensions from the War of Spanish Succession.

During this time, the new postulator, M. Couty, gathered further support—submitting over 50 letters of endorsement from bishops and civil authorities to the Pope. Clement XI responded enthusiastically: “A platter full of letters! What a beautiful testimony of universal esteem!”[4].

When the case officially opened in 1709, the Promoter of the Faith—also known as the “Devil’s Advocate”—raised concerns. Chief among them was Vincent’s supposed closeness to the Abbot of Saint-Cyran, a controversial figure linked to Jansenism. An anonymous pamphlet, likely written by Barcos (Saint-Cyran’s nephew), claimed that Vincent had protected the Abbot instead of denouncing him as a heretic.

This assertion was based on an anonymous libel, of Jansenist origin, attributed to Barcos, Saint-Cyran’s nephew. The Promoter, who was none other than Prosper Lambertini, the future Pope Benedict XIV, used this text to raise doubts about Vincent de Paul’s doctrinal orthodoxy.

However, M. Couty managed to refute these accusations. He showed that the relationship between Vincent and the abbot of Saint-Cyran took place at a time when the latter’s heretical positions were not yet manifest or condemned by the Church. He also emphasized that Vincent had firmly combated Jansenism once its errors became clear. The libel used was, moreover, biased and worthless because it was anonymous and lacked solid evidence.

The Promoter did not insist, and the objection was dismissed. This consolidated the defense of Vincent’s doctrinal orthodoxy, a crucial step in declaring the heroicity of his virtues.

V. Process Validations and Further Investigations in Paris

During this stage, Rome also had to confirm the formal validity of the processes conducted in France. Of the numerous sub-processes sent, thirty were rejected for lacking certain essential formalities. However, the eight most important were approved, including the main process in Paris and the non cultu process.

Next, the so-called in genere process was opened in Paris, the purpose of which was to verify that Vincent’s reputation for holiness remained intact since the closure of the ordinary process. This trial was presided over by Cardinal de Noailles and accompanied by two auxiliary bishops. Fourteen witnesses testified, including Cardinal d’Estrées and the Bishop of Clermont. All agreed that the beatification would meet with no resistance except from declared Jansenists[6].

This was followed by the in specie ne pereant probationes process, aimed at gathering testimony from elderly witnesses whose death could prevent their future participation. More than 60 people testified during this phase, most of them religious superiors, Daughters of Charity, and members of the Confraternities of Charity.

Finally, the in specie process on the virtues and miracles was opened. This included an inspection of Vincent de Paul’s body in the presence of Cardinal de Noailles, doctors, and members of the tribunal. The body, after 51 years of burial, was found to be surprisingly well preserved. The testimony of Attorney General Dusaray was moving: “His hands, arms, and face remain intact; his cassock, damp but intact, looked as if it had just been woven. The doctors confirmed that such preservation could not be explained by natural causes.”[7].

This discovery was interpreted as yet another sign of the grace and holiness that had accompanied Vincent even after his death.

VI. Declaring Heroic Virtues and Theological Debates

The most crucial phase was declaring that Vincent had lived the theological and cardinal virtues to a heroic degree. Three successive congregations were required: the antepreparatory, preparatory, and general congregation (the last presided by the Pope).

The ante-preparatory congregation took place on January 22, 1715, under the direction of the cardinal rapporteur and the Promoter of the Faith, Prosper Lambertini. At this point, the devil’s advocate presented his most elaborate objections. He focused on aspects such as:

• Vincent’s alleged sympathies for the abbot of Saint-Cyran.
• An old conflict with the Benedictines of Saint-Méen, where scandalous incidents had allegedly occurred.
• The apparent ease with which Vincent had left the parishes of Clichy and Châtillon.
• The fact that he had been ordained a deacon and priest before the canonical age without full documentation.
• His refusal to receive Viaticum publicly before his death, among other things.

Lambertini also mentioned, although without much argumentative force, the alchemical experiences Vincent had allegedly had in his youth during his captivity in Barbary, insinuating links with illicit practices.[8]

The postulator, M. Couty, defended the cause with skill and precision. He recalled that Vincent had been a friend of Saint-Cyran before the condemnation of Jansenism and that he had always remained faithful to the teachings of the Church. Regarding conflicts with religious figures, he showed that these had been disciplinary issues that had already been resolved. On the ordinations, he explained that local practices of the time and subsequent approval by Rome validated them. And as for Viaticum, it was shown that Vincent received it privately for reasons of health and humility, not irreverence.

The theologians consulted concluded that there was nothing to prevent the declaration of the heroicity of his virtues.

The preparatory congregation was postponed for almost ten years due to several factors: the death of the cardinal relator, the death of Clement XI, the brief pontificate of Innocent XIII, and the difficulties in Rome caused by pressure from the Jansenist party, which found support even in Cardinal de Noailles.

VII. The declaration of heroic virtues and the beatification of Vincent de Paul

Finally, in 1727, the newly elected Pope, Benedict XIII, firmly took up the cause. At the general congregation of September 16 of that year, all the cardinals present unanimously recognized that Vincent de Paul had practiced virtues to a heroic degree. The publication of the official decree was then authorized.

Next, the miracles required for beatification were examined. A total of 21 cases were presented, of which eight were selected for discussion. These included cures of blindness, paralysis, chronic hemorrhages, and ulcerations. After medical examinations and theological deliberations, the Pope confirmed the authenticity of four miracles: the cures of Claude-Joseph Compoin, Marie-Anne Lhullier, Alexandre-Philippe Le Grand, and Sister Mathurine Guérin.[9]

With these requirements fulfilled, Pope Benedict XIII signed the brief of beatification on August 13, 1729. A solemn ceremony was held in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, attended by cardinals, ambassadors, and thousands of faithful. Large tapestries and paintings depicting the new Blessed, both in his works of charity and in his triumphal entry into heaven, were displayed.

In France, the beatification was greeted with jubilation. The Church of Saint-Lazare in Paris was the center of celebrations that included processions, a solemn triduum, and the public exposition of the Blessed’s body. However, it was noted that since the coffin was first opened in 1712, the body had begun to decompose, probably due to water infiltration after two floods that affected the crypt.

The remains were considered relics, and some parts, such as phalanges and ribs, were separated to be sent to Rome and other locations. The solemnity with which Vincent’s body was treated reflects the deep respect that his figure had already inspired long before the official recognition of his holiness.

VIII. Canonization and Its Spiritual Impact

After the 1729 beatification, many in the Congregation of the Mission and throughout the Church hoped for Vincent’s canonization. Although shorter, this process still required two new post-beatification miracles. Initially hesitant due to the costs, Superior General M. Bonnet was eventually encouraged by new miraculous healings and support from Pope Clement XII.

Of seven proposed miracles, two were accepted: the healing of Sister Marie-Thérèse de Saint-Basile, a gravely ill Benedictine, and Catherine Jean, a paralyzed woman with uncontrollable tremors. These were medically examined and linked specifically to prayers offered to Blessed Vincent de Paul[10].

In January 1736, Promoter of the Faith M. Valenti voiced strong objections, questioning the spontaneity of one nun’s testimony. But Pope Clement XII, unconvinced, called Valenti and the cardinal secretary into a private audience and declared: “It is clear from the first and third.” With that, the canonization was assured.

The papal authorization (decretum tuto) was signed on August 10, 1736. Preparations began for the grand ceremony, held in Rome on June 16, 1737—feast of the Holy Trinity.

Saint Vincent de Paul’s canonization was celebrated with full papal splendor. The Basilica of Saint John Lateran was adorned with tapestries, silver trumpets, solemn choirs, and Pope Clement XII himself sang the Mass. During the Litany of the Saints, Vincent was proclaimed and added to the canon.

In Paris, Saint-Lazare hosted an eight-day celebration from October 15 to 23, 1737, with daily sermons, solemn Masses, and participation from clergy, nobility, and even the Queen of Spain. The original postulator, M. Vivant, who had initiated the cause in 1705, read the bull of canonization aloud.

IX. A Living Holiness in History

Saint Vincent de Paul’s canonization was a visible confirmation of what many already felt in their hearts: that here was a man who gave himself totally to the poor, the sick, and the abandoned. The Church’s recognition echoed what the people had long believed.

This process—from 1697 to 1737—was also a struggle against ideological opposition from Jansenism, which sought to tarnish Vincent’s image. Yet neither theological attacks nor political games could suppress the power of his witness.

In his organized charity, faithful obedience to the Church, and missionary zeal, Vincent became a beacon of living holiness for generations.

Even today, his life continues to challenge both believers and non-believers, reminding us that true reform—of the Church and of the world—begins with love made real and humble fidelity to the Gospel.

Footnotes:

[1] Loret, La Muse historique, November 27, 1660, p. 187.

[2] Archives of the Mission, testimony collected in the Ordinary’s proceedings, 1705.

[3] Non cultu proceedings, Archives of the Mission, f° 107–114.

[4] M. Couty, Relation de ce que j’ay fait pour la Béatification…, Archives of the Mission.

[5] See Couty’s defense in Relation de ce que j’ay fait…, ms. cited.

[6] Archives of the Mission, testimonies from the in genere trial, 1710.

[7] Dusaray, testimony collected in the process in specie, February 1712.

[8] Ante-preparatory Congregation on virtues, 1715. Archive of the Congregation of Rites.

[9] General Congregation on miracles, July 1729.

[10] Positio super dubio an et de quibus miraculis constet post indultam beatificationem, Rome, 1735.