Part Two: Of the Causes of Beatification of Servants of God and Canonization of the Blessed

§ 1. Causes of beatification of Servants of God and canonization of the Blessed are reserved to the judgment of the Holy See alone.

§ 2. According to the norm of can. 253, Sec. 3, only the Sacred Congregation of Rites is competent in these causes.

§ 3. Local Ordinaries, by their own right, can do only those things which in the canons that follow are expressly entrusted to them.

§ 1. Causes of this kind can proceed by a twofold way, namely either the ordinary way of non-cult or the extraordinary way of an excepted case or cult.

§ 2. One proceeds by the ordinary way when, before one comes to discussion concerning virtues, it is intended to be proved that no public cult was offered to the Servant of God or, if at some time it was offered by abuse, that it was removed; but by the extraordinary way when it is intended to be proved that some Servant of God is in possession of public and ecclesiastical cult.

§ 1. Causes of martyrs, whether they proceed by the ordinary way or by the extraordinary way, are not to be cumulated, but each one is to be treated individually, unless there is question of martyrs who suffered in the same persecution and in the same place.

§ 2. This must also be extended to the distinct processes and discussions which are prescribed to be made in these causes from the introduction of the cause up to the end.

In the canons which follow, by the name of Ordinary is not understood the Vicar General, unless he has had a special mandate.