Egidio Malacarne

In 1921, in obedience to his superiors, Father Egidio Malacarne accepted the office of Postulator General of the Passionist Congregation. He would exercise this delicate function for more than thirty years, until 1952. In ecclesiastical language, the postulator is the one who instructs and presents the causes of beatification and canonization before the Holy See. Father Egidio proved himself to be of exceptional competence and rigor. Esteemed by his peers of other religious orders and by the Roman Curia as one of the best postulators of his time, he became a guide and a master for new postulators. It is to his hard work and fervor that we owe in particular the canonization of Saint Vincent-Maria Strambi (Passionista bishop), the canonization of Saint Gemma Galgani, and the defense of the cause of Blessed Dominic Barberi (Domenico Barberi), whose plea was received with unanimous and warm applause at the Vatican. He also initiated numerous other beatification processes for members of the Passionist family. Alongside his legal and administrative duties, Father Egidio was a prolific writer with a clear style. He wrote numerous works of hagiography, homiletics, and spirituality, contributing greatly to making known the lives of the holy figures of his order.

Father Egidio Malacarne did not content himself with studying the lives of the saints; he strove to imitate them heroically. His contemporaries called him "the holy friend of the saints." Throughout his life, he appeared to those around him as a reflection of the goodness and smile of God.

He passed away piously in Rome on November 29, 1953, at the age of 76. Initially buried in Rome, his body was transferred on April 23, 1967, to the church of Cesta (Santuario della Madonna della Pace, in Copparo, Ferrara), his native region, where he now rests.

The cause for the beatification of Father Egidio Malacarne was opened after his death in order to examine the heroic nature of his virtues.

On March 26, 1999, Pope John Paul II signed the decree recognizing the heroic nature of his virtues, officially proclaiming him Venerable.

The spirituality of Father Egidio Malacarne is deeply rooted in the Passionist charism: the contemplation of the Passion of Jesus as the supreme expression of God's love. His life was marked by a constant joy and a confident abandonment to the divine will. The legacy of Father Egidio Malacarne continues today through the memory of his work as a postulator, but also through concrete works. In Cesta di Copparo, the charitable organization Opera Venerabile P. Egidio Malacarne manages the Sacra Famiglia nursing home, testifying to the continuity of his solicitude towards the most vulnerable.