Church investigations into the lives of Henry and Inez Casolani have been completed, with a bid for the couple to be beatified and canonised now in the Vatican’s hands.

The diocesan inquiries were launched in 2015 following reports of miraculous healings attributable to the couple. They are the first lay couple in Maltese history to be considered for the holy process.

Inez Casolani was born in Cospicua in 1915, with Henry Casolani born two years later in Valletta. The couple married in 1944 and had one daughter, who became a nun.

Henry is said to have healed from a serious eye condition through the intercession of Adeodata Pisani, a Maltese nun beatified in 2001. Inez recovered from a severe fever through a holy relic of St George Preca, Malta’s first saint.

Inez Casolani died in 1992 while Henry passed away in 1999. In ensuing years, the Church received reports that a premature baby who was given no chance of surviving had grown into a healthy boy following prayers to the couple. 

The canonisation process for both started in 2015 following a request to the archbishop by Canon Etienne Sciberras, who presented a list of 180 witnesses to testify as well as declarations by 60 people who had already died.

That process has now been concluded – 80 years since the couple was wed.

Testimony and declarations collected and examined in the ensuing years by Fr Josef Sciberras OSA and a Metropolitan Tribunal will now be sent to the Holy See, where a special Church commission focused on sainthood will examine the evidence.

In Catholic procedures, there are three steps to sainthood: a candidate is first declared ‘venerable’, then ‘blessed’ and finally ‘saint’.

Archbishop Charles Sciclina said the Casolani couple was an example of fidelity and love for all married couples.

“May the Lord choose them as witnesses of his love, examples of fidelity, humility and sainthood without fanfare,” he said.