“The purpose is to collect information, any type of information, that would prove whether he practiced the evangelical virtues in a heroic way or not,” Fr. Bellagamba, 82, told CISA.
The process will be long and delicate, bringing under scrutiny every detail of Cardinal Otunga’s life.
“Suppose someone comes and says his experience of the Cardinal was very negative, say he was a selfish person; then we have to go into it and be able to show that either the person is biased or the person has some ill feelings against the cardinal for whatever reason (he didn’t accept his son or daughter in one of the Catholic schools, etc). If we are able to demonstrate that the deposition is biased, the process continues; if not, you have to do more research and really resolve that issue before you continue,” Fr Bellagamba said.
A key member of the beatification commission is the so-called devil’s advocate. “He represents the opposition point of view, namely, all the things that will hold the process unless the other members are able to explain why that happened,” Fr Bellagamba explained.
At the end of the diocesan phase, the archbishop of Nairobi shall deliver a ruling on the suitability of Cardinal Otunga for beatification, based on the findings of the commission. If the result is positive, the archdiocese will send all the documentation to Rome.
“This is the second phase. There they go over the documentation again, seeing if the negative depositions have been properly resolved. Then they have to ascertain that a miracle has been experienced by somebody through the intercession of this person. After that, the person will be beatified, declared Blessed, and he or she can be venerated publicly in the church: the picture can be affixed on the wall, mass can be celebrated in his honour, etc.”
Fr Bellagamba could not say exactly how long the process might take, but noted that “it takes several years at the diocesan level.”
Born in central Italy, Fr. Bellagamba first worked in Kenya 1958-63 but came to know Cardinal Otunga well from 1984-1994 while teaching at CUEA where the cardinal was chancellor.
Fr. Bellagamba, who served as the Vice General Superior of the Consolata Missionaries in Rome from 1999 to 2005 and now works in formation at Allamano House, the Consolata theological seminary in Nairobi, said Cardinal Otunga had “a great sense of the Divine; a great sense of the Supernatural.”
“His prayer life was exceptional. His gentleness, kindness, was very, very attractive. He would take time to talk to you.”
“He was so simple - not simplistic, because he was shrewd - but he was simple in the sense that he was not double-faced. What he believed, what he thought, he said.”
