Today, 7 April marks the two hundred and eighty-first anniversary of the beatification of the Venerable Servant of God Camillo de Lellis. The beatification is ratified with a brief ‘In virtutibus’ by Pope Benedict XIV, Prospero Lambertini. This document consists of five sections.

The first ‘Proemium’, motivates the need to illustrate to the faithful the works of Camillus as an example to be imitated.

The second “Cultus Servi Dei est promovendus” denotes how Camillus, at first a sinner, begins and travels his journey of repentance and redemption through which he completes the course of all virtues and receives the gift of immortal bliss, thus motivating the promotion of his cult.

The third section bearing ‘Votum Sacrae Ritum Congregationis‘ reports the vote of the Congregation, after the usual discussions on the diocesan acts, and on both theological and moral virtues on a heroic level, through which the then Servant of God Camillus was decreed ‘blessed’.

In the fourth section “Supplicationes, preces et vota ut Servus Dei Beatus declaretur, quibus Papa annuit” Pope Benedict XIV, acknowledging the pleas of the Ministers of the Infirm and the prayers of many others, shared the decisions of the apostolic authority and validated the vow.

The fifth and final section ‘Clausulae et dies‘ ratifies the nihil obstat for the declaration of the beatitude of the Venerable Servant of God Camillus de Lellis and formalises the date of said brief on 7 April 1742.

Brief of Pope Benedict XIV concerning the beatification of Camillus de Lellis
Rome, April 7, 1742 AGMI2321

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