Pasig Bishop Mylo Hubert Vergara has announced that the formal inquiry into the cause of sainthood of lay catechist "Ka Luring" may proceed following the receipt of a letter of approval from the Vatican's Congregation for the Causes of Saints.

"The apostolic nuncio, Abp. Charles Brown and his secretary, Msgr. Giuseppe Trentadue handed me the ‘nihil obstat’ from Rome for the cause of beatification and canonization of Servant of God Laurena ‘Ka Luring’ Franco," Vergara posted on his social media account.

The 'nihil obstat' was issued by Cardinal Marcello Cardinal Semeraro, Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.

The communication was the reply to Vergara's letter to the Dicastery of Saints inquiring "whether there is anything on the part of the Holy See that prevents the Cause of Beatification and Canonization of the Servant of God LAUREANA FRANCO usually called as “Ka Luring”, a lay faithful, who died in the year of Our Lord 2011."

"Having examined the matter, I am pleased to inform Your Excellency that on the part of the Holy See, there is nothing that stands against the Cause of Beatification and Canonization of the abovementioned Servant of God LAUREANA “Ka Luring” FRANCO from being carried out, observing the "Norms to be observed in the Inquiries made by the Bishops in the Causes of Saints", issued by the same Dicastery on February 7, 1983," said Cardinal Semeraro.

The letter from the Dicastery of Saints was handed to Bishop Vergara by the representative of Pope Francis in the Philippines, Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Charles Brown and his secretary, Msgr. Giuseppe Trentadue.

"The nihil obstat, which means “nothing obstructs” or “nothing stands in the way,” allows the diocese to proceed with an inquiry into Franco’s heroic virtues, one of the first steps that could lead to beatification and eventual sainthood," according to the report on the matter by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) News.

Information and prayers

The candidate to sainthood, Laureana Franco - who was popularly known as "Ka Luring" - was the eldest of eight children, studied in various catechetical centers and formation houses before teaching catechism to students of public schools.

She worked as a telephone switchboard operator and clerk at the Villamor Airbase of the Philippine Air Force from 1963 to 1969.

But she left her work to become a full-time catechist.

Ka Luring received several awards including the Papal Award - Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice - from the late Saint Pope John Paul II in December 1990. In 2002 she was given the Mother Teresa of Calcutta Award.

She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and passed away on Oct. 17, 2011.

It can be recalled that it was in February 2024 that Bishop Vergara announced the start of the process for the cause of sainthood of "Ka Luring" and called on the public to participate in the "in the tedious process of bringing to light the life and heroic virtues of a legendary catechist to Sainthood."

The faithful were called to provide information, whether personal or private, with photocopied authenticated documents or letters on the life and works of Ka Luring to the Office of the Chancellor at the Sta. Clara de Montefalco Compound, Caniogan, Pasig City.

The postulator of the cause is Erickson S. Javier, the Doctor of Ministry from the Diocese of Pasig, according to the Edict, which was signed by Chancellor Fr. Joeffrey Brian V. Catuiran, JCL.

Bishop Vergara also requested "for your unceasing prayers as we do the next steps required by the dicastery." — BAP, GMA Integrated News