The Science of Sanctity
The Teaching of Bruno Lanteri
Introduction
“Why is it taking so long for Lanteri to be canonized a saint?” This question was raised among us as seminarians, while discussing the life and virtues of our beloved Founder. The region around Turin, Italy in the nineteenth century produced a great number of saints. Among these well-known are Don Bosco, Joseph Cottolengo, and Joseph Cafasso. In fact, there are over 150 persons from this region called Piedmont either canonized or beatified. At the source of this wellspring of sanctity there is this priest much less known, who undoubtably had substantial influence on those others. We believe that priest to be Bruno Lanteri.
But we were asking: Why is Lanteri still not called a saint? The canonical process is completed. All that is now needed is a miracle. So, if he is in Heaven, then why does he not intercede for someone for the needed miracle? One answer came back jokingly: “Because we are still not saints.” What caused us at first to laugh is most likely the true reason. First and foremost, he wants us to become saints, us who are consecrated to God through the hands of the Blessed Virgin Mary in order to carry out and continue the mission of his own life, which is none other than to help others to become saints. That means he will only then be glorified by Heaven here on earth when we his disciples take seriously his teaching and become saints ourselves, who then in turn by our lives and apostolate help all others to become saints. His teaching is the science of sanctity. Science must always prove itself to be science. Lanteri’s proof must first be found in our lives and works. Before Lanteri can be canonized we too must become saints. That is the miracle he wants to accomplish. To do that we must first take seriously his teaching, learning it, studying it, putting it into practice, living it, so that we can then teach and help others to do likewise.