Through beatifications and canonisations, recalled the Pope, the Church "renders thanks unto God for giving us His children who generously responded to God’s grace, honours and invokes them as intercessors", presenting them "to the imitation of all the devotees who are called, through baptism, to holiness, which is the target proposed at every stage of life". "The saints and the blessed, by confessing with their lives Christ, His person, His doctrine and by remaining extremely close to Him, are almost a living illustration of both aspects of the perfection of the divine Master", highlighted the Holy Father, according to whom, "the ecclesial and social importance of proposing ever-new models of holiness makes particularly precious the work of those who contribute to the treatment of the causes of beatification and canonisation". The "basic" task of the postulators, in particular, "must turn out to be unexceptionable, inspired by rectitude and imbued with perfect probity". According to the Pope, the postulators must possess "professional skills, great wisdom and honesty in helping the diocesan Bishops prepare formally and substantially exhaustive, objective and effective investigations", using evidence that "must be collected both when it is in favour and when it is against holiness and reputed holiness or martyrdom".
