Benedict XVI had declared him to be a 'Servant of God' in 2006 and now Francis has given him the title of Venerable, the stage prior to beatification: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.te...t-schuman-line-sainthood-catholic-church/amp/ One of the founding fathers of the European Union was put on the path to sainthood by Pope Francis. Robert Schuman, who called for a supranational community for coal and steel in 1950, was recognised by the Pope for his “heroic virtues”, the Vatican said. Mr Schuman said cooperation on coal and steel, especially involving France and Germany, would make future wars impossible. The Schuman Plan led to the European Economic Community in 1957, which evolved into the modern EU in 1993. Along with Italy’s Alcide de Gasperi, France’s Jean Monnet and Germany’s Konrad Adenauer, Mr Schuman is considered one of the “Fathers of Europe” for promoting supranational cooperation between traditional enemies. The devout Catholic, a French prime minister and foreign minister in the aftermath of World War Two, is credited with breaking the cycle of wars on the Continuent and helped found Nato. The papal recognition is an early stage in the canonisation process. "Behind the action of the public man, there was the interiority of the man who lived the sacraments, who, when he could, would take to an abbey, who would reflect on the sacred Word before finding the shape of his political words," the Vatican said. Pope Francis praised Mr Schuman’s legacy last year on the 70th anniversary of a May 9 landmark speech, the Schuman Declaration, which set out his plan. Mr Schuman is celebrated in Brussels, where the major EU institutions are headquartered.
