Pope Francis approved the cannonisation of Blessed Joseph Vaz as Saint

Pope Francis on 17 September 2014 approved the cannonisation of Blessed Joseph Vaz as Saint. Pope approved the vote by the Ordinary Session of Cardinals and Bishops in favor of canonization of the Indian-born priest and decided to summon a Consistory shortly.

The sainthood will be given to Blessed Joseph Vaz, also called the Apostle of Sri Lanka during Pope Francis' visit to the Sri Lanka in January 2015.
 
In order to bestow sainthood on Joseph Vaz, Pope Francis bent the rules once again and dispensed with a second miracle, a requirement for canonization. The Pope had used the same process he used to canonize St. John XXIII without a second miracle attributed to his intercession.

He is the first Goan to be named a saint and will be the third saint from India. St Alphonsa was the first to be cannoised as saint from India. The second was Blessed Kuriakose who will be canonized in November 2014.

Cause for Canonnisation of Blessed Joseph Vaz

A Diocesan Inquiry of a miracle attributed to Vaz took place in the month of October 2013. In November 2013, Patriarch Filipe Neri Ferrao stated that the cause for Vaz's canonnisation had reached a crucial stage. On the 17 September 2014, His Holiness Pope Francis approved the decision of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, to canonise Blessed Joseph Vaz.

About Joseph Vaz

Vaz is a 17th-century Goan missionary. Blessed Vaz is the patron of the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman.

Vaz was born in Benaulim in 1651. He chose to work in Sri Lanka amid persecution of Catholics by Dutch colonial rulers, who were Calvinists.