The Cause of Beatification
A formal petition has been presented to introduce the Cause of the beatification and canonization of Fr. Constantine Joseph Beschi, SJ, professed priest of the Society of Jesus.
On behalf of the General Postulator of the Society of Jesus, the Vice-Postulator requested the Archbishop of Pondicherry–Cuddalore to introduce the Cause in the diocese, in conformity with the Apostolic Constitution Divinus Perfectionis Magister and the Normae Servandae. Competency for the inquiry was transferred from the Bishop of Kottapuram — in whose territory Beschi died and was buried at Ambalakaadu — to the Archbishop of Pondicherry–Cuddalore.
Fame of Sanctity
Even three centuries after his entry into the Tamil region, the reputation of his sanctity, apostolic zeal and pastoral commitment is gratefully remembered by thousands of devotees, especially during the annual festivals of the shrines he served. Pilgrims venerate his statues and portraits with candlelight, flowers and garlands, and many address him for favours of healing and family needs; there are even social-media claims of medical miracles through his intercession.
Why the Cause was Delayed
The Suppression of the Society of Jesus in 1773, soon after Beschi’s death, halted the flow of missionaries and the memory of him. The Jesuit college at Ambalakaadu, where his remains are believed to lie, was razed by Tippu Sultan around 1790; only in the 1980s was a memorial and small museum erected there. The distance between his burial place and his Tamil mission fields, rite and colonial conflicts, and the very brilliance of his literary fame — which overshadowed his spiritual depth — all contributed to the delay.
Why the Cause Matters for India
His sanctity can deepen Christian faith and charity; his creative pastoral method offers paradigms for inculturation and inter-religious dialogue; his universalizing of ethical values — translating the Tirukkural into Latin, giving St. Joseph to the Tamil world in the Tempaavani — speaks to a global humanity. His dignified Christian identity in the public square, and his synodal walking with all people of goodwill, can inspire today’s Church.
Matters Not So Favourable
Honesty belongs to a cause. A note at Ambalakaadu calls him fractis viribus — “a man of broken strength.” Superiors’ reports praised his genius while noting that his judgement and prudence matured with experience; some thought him less gifted as an administrator and over-fond of building and of influential company. A man ahead of his time, his inculturation and ecumenical dialogue were at times misunderstood.