Positio

And so once all that material is gathered, establishing his life and the argument for his virtue, then the Roman faith then will take all that information.

and produce a document called a Positio.

Positio is kind of like a biography and a doctoral thesis whereby you argue the case for his heroic virtue and in Willie's case also the sacrifice of his life and that will then be brought for a group of historians called historical consultors and they will examine it from the historical side to see if everything stands up And if they're happy, they will pass it on to the theological consultors.

And they will examine the argument.

Does he tick the boxes for heroic virtue? Do we have the signs? that he was a saint, and that there is devotion to him, and this cause should proceed.

And if they are happy with that, then the Positio and all their reports, they both produce reports themselves, are sent to the cardinals, the bishops, who sit on the dicastery for the cause of saints, and they will examine all the evidence as well.

And if they are happy with it, then it will go to the Pope, and he will make the final decision.

So you're the postulator, so essentially the person who has to present the case, and I'm sure as an investigator you have to be open to gathering all evidence and not just that which supports the outcome you hope for.

I always like to brag on, uh, my Uncommon Good co-host, uh, Dr.

Bud Mahr, who was a part of the Positio team that wrote in and convinced the Pope to give that rubber stamp of approval saying that John Henry Newman is a doctor of the church.

So one of those interesting local connections to happenings in the church life in Rome and for years to come.

But John Henry Newman being, um, elemental in many converts' life.

So it's scratchy and it's uncomfortable, and it's something that, um, I mean, you read about it a lot in medieval times, but you don't hear about it too much here.

But there was a, um, um, a man who was interviewed for Sheen's Positio.

The, uh, Positio is the doctri- document that is provided to the Vatican to, for them to look at to see if he is worthy of even starting a cause for his canonization.

So, [clears throat] he was very popular, as you say.

He made lots and lots of money.

Yeah.

I think when you study the testimonies that were given of Fulton Sheen, his holiness, and again in the Positio, which is the position paper presented to the Vatican, there are hundreds of letters of recommendation that speak to Sheen's sanctity.

You never, ever hear a story about that speaks ill of him as his moral character.

He was a very holy man.