Chapter II: Of Witnesses and Experts

In processes of beatification, all the Christian faithful, with the prescription of can. 2027, Sec. 2, n. 1 preserved, are held, though not called, to bring to the knowledge of the Church those things which seem to them to make against the virtue or miracles or martyrdom of the Servant of God.

As witnesses to be called first by the promoter of the faith, even if not introduced by the postulator, are all those who had familiarity or customary association with the Servant of God.

§ 1. All those of whom in can. 2023, 2024, unless they already knew themselves to have been introduced as witnesses, must give letters to their proper Ordinary, in which they briefly explain whether they had customary association with the Servant of God, or know some particular fact to be disclosed and what that is; but the Ordinary is to take care that these letters be transmitted to the promoter of the faith.

§ 2. Religious men or women are to transmit letters of this kind, closed with a seal, immediately and directly to the Ordinary or promoter of the faith, or hand them to the confessor, who is to take care that they are brought as soon as possible to the Ordinary or promoter of the faith.

§ 3. The illiterate are to explain the matter to the parish priest, who is to report it to the Ordinary or promoter of the faith.

Religious Superiors are held by grave obligation of taking care that all subjects who ought to do so approach to depose, whom nevertheless they are to impel neither directly nor indirectly to testify in one sense rather than in another.

§ 1. Blood relatives, affines, familiars, and also heretics and infidels are admitted as witnesses.

§ 2. The following cannot be admitted:

1° The confessor according to the norm of can. 1757, Sec. 3, n. 2.

2° The postulator, advocate, or procurator in the cause, while holding the office; but if they have entirely given up the office, they are admitted, but can furnish only support.

3° Those who at some time have discharged the office of judge in the cause.

§ 1. Physicians from the treatment, whoever they may be, when there is question of miracles, are to be introduced as witnesses.

§ 2. But if they have refused to present themselves to the tribunal, the judge is to take care that at least they prepare a written and sworn report concerning the illness and its course, to be inserted in the acts, or that their opinion be received through an intermediary person, then to be subjected to examination.

Witnesses in their testimony must render the cause of their own knowledge concerning those things which they assert; otherwise their testimony is to be made of no account.

To prove the fame of sanctity or martyrdom of a Servant of God who belonged to some religion, at least half the witnesses must be outsiders.

When the work of experts is necessary:

1° Let the experts be at least two, of whom one is unknown to the other, with the prescription of n. 4 preserved.

2° Let them be deputed by the tribunal through the greater part of the votes, after the promoter of the faith has been heard, or, if they must furnish their work before the Sacred Congregation, by the Cardinal Ponens, after the Promoter General of the Faith has been heard; but those who have discharged the office of witness in the cause must always be excluded.

3° Let the postulator not be made more certain who the experts are who have been designated; and let the experts themselves keep secret concerning their designation.

4° Let the experts individually come separately to the expert examination, unless for a just cause the judge, with the promoter of the faith assenting, permits them to institute the expert examination together.

5° Let the individuals hand in the report of the expert examination prepared by themselves in writing; but afterward let them be interrogated separately, even if they prepared the expert examination together.