Mindanao Jesuit martyr’s cause advances to theological review

February 3, 2026 – 7:00 AM

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The canonization cause of 17th-century Italian Jesuit Fr. Francesco Palliola, described as a martyr in Mindanao, has registered a “positive development,” the Diocese of Dipolog announced Thursday.

The diocese said it received formal communication from Jesuit Fr. Pascual Cebollada, postulator of the Roman process, on progress at the Vatican.

Church officials said the College of Historians of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints completed its evaluation of the Positio Historica on Palliola’s life and death.

“Of the six historians who voted, five issued an affirmative judgment, while one gave an affirmative ad mentem,” said Fr. Patrick Dalangin, vice postulator for the Roman process.

“No negative or suspensive votes were recorded,” he added, describing the result as a significant milestone for the long-running cause.

The positio is a comprehensive biography and official position paper intended to establish Palliola’s martyrdom under Church norms.

With the historical phase completed, the cause will proceed to examination by the theological consultors of the dicastery, Dalangin said.

“A minor clarification may be requested in response to one observation raised, a normal part of the process, which does not hinder the progress of the cause,” he added.

The announcement coincided with the 378th anniversary of Palliola’s death.

To mark the day, Bishop Severo Caermare of Dipolog presided over Mass at the site of Palliola’s killing in Ponot, now the town of Jose Dalman in Zamboanga del Norte province.

Palliola arrived in Mindanao in the mid-17th century to minister among local communities.

He was killed in 1648 at age 35, reportedly by a Subanen tribesman, a death the local Church considers martyrdom.

Church accounts say Palliola was deeply devoted to the people of Mindanao, with his memory preserved largely through oral tradition, particularly among Subanen communities.

The diocese completed its local investigation in 2017 and forwarded the cause to the Vatican, which declared the inquiry valid in 2018.