The possibility that Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI could be declared blessed before the canonical minimum of five years after his death has gained strength following the dissemination of a possible miracle attributed to his intercession. According to an exclusive report by the Colombian Catholic portal Razón+Fe, later picked up by the Italian newspaper Il Giornale, the Vatican is already seriously evaluating this case, which could pave the way for the beatification of the German theologian, who died on December 31, 2022.
The alleged miracle: the healing of a young American
The event in question occurred in 2012, when Benedict XVI was still pope. Peter Srsich, a 19-year-old from Colorado (USA), suffered from Hodgkin’s lymphoma so advanced that it was compressing his heart. Through the Make a Wish association, which fulfills dreams for children with serious illnesses, Peter asked to meet the Pope in Rome. During an audience, Ratzinger placed his right hand on the young man’s chest, a gesture witnesses describe as a special blessing. From that moment on, Peter’s health improved considerably, to the point that today, more than a decade later, he serves as a priest, ordained in 2021. Although the Church is always cautious about such cases, the medically inexplicable recovery has been presented as a possible miracle.
Momentum from the Pope Emeritus’s circle
Monsignor Georg Gaenswein, who was Benedict XVI’s personal secretary for twenty years and is currently apostolic nuncio to the Baltic countries, has publicly expressed his desire for the beatification process to begin as soon as possible. In statements to the German Catholic television K-TV, Gaenswein said: «I hope that the beatification process begins as soon as possible, although the Church is a wise and prudent mother. In these recognitions, much more so.» However, the canonical path is rigorous: beatification requires the approval of a miracle attributed to the candidate’s intercession, and canonization requires a second miracle. The process begins with the declaration of Servant of God, followed by Venerable, and culminates in beatification and, eventually, sainthood.
Expert opinion and ecclesial context
Theologian and biographer of Benedict XVI, Elio Guerriero, told this outlet that, beyond miracles, what would be truly relevant is the recognition of Benedict XVI as a Doctor of the Church, due to his profound theological work and his ability to anticipate the challenges of modernity. «He was a great scholar, a theologian with enormous skill in understanding the times, anticipating them. Sometimes he was not understood, but we are talking about a master of the faith,» Guerriero said. Meanwhile, Professor Danilo Zardin of the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Rome highlighted that Ratzinger «showed that one can have a living union with the history of the Church. He was a conservative who rescued the past to give it life in the modern world.»
A costly process not without controversy
The canonization of a pope is not an exceptional event in recent history: since 1954, Pius X, John XXIII, John Paul II, and Paul VI have been canonized, while John Paul I was beatified in September 2022. However, the process involves considerable expense. According to information published by Il Fatto Quotidiano in 2013, each canonization cause can amount to 750,000 euros, which includes fees for doctors, theologians, and bishops who study and judge heroic virtues and miracles. This cost is only within reach of wealthy religious congregations, which has drawn criticism about the commercialization of the process. Now, Pope Leo XIV has the authority to decide whether to open a formal investigation into the case of Peter Srsich or to shelve it, amid the financial tensions facing the Vatican.
Original source: (published on January 26, 2026)
Photo: Mateus Campos Felipe on Unsplash
