Pope uses “equipollent beatification” to recognize 12th-century founder

With a Motu proprio called Fide Incensus, published on May 18, 2024, and bearing a signature of the same day from St. John Lateran (though Pope Francis was on a pastoral visit to Verona), the Argentine Pontiff grants an “equipollent beatification” of the 12th-century French religious Guy of Montpellier (1160-1209).

With the “equipollent” canonization or beatification (sometimes called “equivalent”), the recognition of a person as “blessed” or “saint” is done by a simple decree of the pope without the regular, lengthy process.

See more on this process here.

With the document, the Pope granted orders, congregations, and communities linked to the charism of Santo Spirito in Sassia a liturgical feast for Brother Guy de Montpellier (1160-1208), who founded the order of the Hospitallers of the Holy Spirit and the Confraternity of the Holy Spirit.

In this text, in Latin and translated into English and Italian, the Pope responds to a request made a few months ago by a delegation of Holy Spirit nuns who were received in private audience, and to whom he had verbally promised to authorize this feast, according to our information.

Born in the second half of the 12th century into the wealthy Montpellier family, Guy de Montpellier founded a house-hospital for the poorest of the poor, “entrusting this work of mercy to the Holy Spirit,” recalls the Argentine pontiff.

Guy then formed a community, “whose members were men and women, laypeople and ecclesiastics,” making himself known to Lotario dei Segni, the future Pope Innocent III (1198-1216), who would support the development of this community through one of the first acts of his pontificate, the bull Hiis precipue of April 22, 1198, in which he asked all bishops to support the initiatives.

The following day, the hospital in Montpellier “came under the direct jurisdiction of the Holy See and the Supreme Pontiff confirmed the monastic rule prepared by Guy for his community,” recalls Pope Francis.

Pontifical support brought about a rapid development, with the creation of 10 other houses in the south of France and two in Rome.

Close to the Vatican, it was entrusted with the care of the parish of Sancta Maria in Saxia and the adjoining domus hospitalis: Today, this is the parish of Santo Spirito in Sassia, which in recent years has become a center for devotion to Divine Mercy according to the spirituality of St. Faustina Kowalska, and the Santo Spirito hospital, still under the jurisdiction of the Holy See. The site became the general house of the Order of the Holy Spirit with the Inter opera pietatis bull of 1204.

The early years of the community’s development were devoted to caring for abandoned children and single mothers. The death of Guy de Montpellier gave Pope Innocent III the occasion to issue a new bull, Defuncto Romae, in which he recalled the importance of the works of mercy accomplished by the deceased and the need to continue them after his death.

His memory has been cultivated by his spiritual family, but the figure of Guy de Montpellier, who had not been beatified, is little known beyond their communities.

Pope Francis remedies this relative oblivion with this Motu proprio, which recalls that the work of the now-Blessed still bears “many good fruits today, thanks to the religious communities who tirelessly help the poor.”

He says:

The example of Guy de Montpellier, an absolutely unique man in his humble spiritual life, obedience and service to the poor, has always attracted and inspired. We believe, therefore, that the moment has come in which he should be presented in a special way to the Church of God, to whom he continues to speak through his faith and works of mercy. […]

We, with sure knowledge, considering the excellent merits of Guy de Montpellier, hitherto present in the Church, of Our own free will, for the good of souls, have decided to grant a special sign of grace.

Therefore, by Our Apostolic authority, We inscribe in the catalogue of the Blessed Guy de Montpellier, whose memory, with the Liturgy of the Hours and the Eucharistic Celebration to be held on 7 February, 

This date will be an “obligatory memorial for orders, congregations, and institutes of Santo Spirito in Sassia, as well as for institutes inspired by Guido’s charism,” says the Pontiff.

This type of Motu proprio indicating an equipollent beatification is rare. Pope Francis has declared a number of equipollent canonizations during his pontificate. On December 17, 2013, he included one of St. Ignatius of Loyola’s first companions, Pierre Favre, in the calendar of saints.

Benedict XVI used the same recognition for St. Hildegard of Bingen, who is also recognized as a doctor of the Church. 

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