These days, we are celebrating the feast of Easter—the commemoration of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We experience with elemental force that our faith is an Easter faith: joyful and full of hope.
During this celebration, we have been struck by the news of the death of our Pope Francis, which has deeply moved all of us. In recent months, we have prayed much for his health, asking that he might bear the burden of illness with great spirit—and as he himself expressed on many occasions—that he might turn his suffering to the good of the Church. Now, as our Church expresses gratitude for his person and the gifts we received through him, we mourn, prepare for his funeral, and continue in prayer.
For this reason—and in accordance with the rules in effect during such a time—it is not possible to celebrate liturgical events connected to the person of the Pope. Therefore, the beatification ceremony of Magdolna Mária Bódi will not take place on the previously announced date of April 26. It will be postponed to a later time.
It is important to understand that the death of the Pope does not affect the fact of the beatification nor the validity of the decree. Following the election of the new Pope, the planned beatification ceremony—under similar circumstances—can be held at a new date, which we hope will be in the near future.
I would like to thank everyone, especially the ten thousand people who registered for the beatification celebration. I am grateful to all who prepared with enthusiastic service for the beatification of Magdolna Mária Bódi. I continue to count on this enthusiasm. As soon as a new date is set, we will announce it accordingly. The work of preparation will still require this professional knowledge, experience, and the dedication of volunteers. We will continue to prepare.
We prepare because we have declared the 80th Year of Magdolna Mária Bódi. We wish to celebrate the events connected to her life. We want to honor her faith, her Christ-like virtues, and we also hope to grow further in a pastoral sense. We will continue to support parish communities, Catholic educational institutions, and family groups in organizing spiritual days. Catechetical materials related to her beatification will remain available on the official website, where we will also provide accurate and up-to-date information.
As children of the Church, we receive the decision of God’s providence with a willing and obedient heart, and we await the opportunity He will provide for the new celebration. For God never takes away—He always gives. And Magdolna Mária Bódi continues to encourage us:
“Let us pray with courage, and the matter will resolve itself.”
We are ready to do just that: to pray for the grace to receive these gifts and to be part of the miracle, which Magdi once expressed this way:
“I promise that the seed sown in the ground will yield a harvest many times over.”
We await the manifestation of this abundant harvest.
Until then, we pray for the soul of our Pope Francis, for the wisdom of the cardinals who will elect his successor, and for our new Holy Father. We also pray that, when the time comes, we may celebrate the beatification with the joyful spirit of Easter.
God bless you all!