Today Pope Francis has approved the new Regulation of the Medical Board of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. “The current text – explains the secretary of the Dicastery, Mgr. Marcello Bartolucci, in an article published in the newspaper ‘L’Osservatore Romano’ and relayed by Vatican Radio – is inspired by the previous Regulation approved by Blessed Paul VI on 23 April 1976. “Aside from the linguistic and procedural updating, some new elements were introduced, such as: the qualified majority, to proceed ad ulteriora to the examination of a presumed miracle, is at least 5/7 or 4/6; the case cannot be re-examined more than three times; for the re-examination of the presumed miracle a new Board is required; the mandate of the president of the Board can be renewed only once (five years, plus another five-year term); all those who are occupied with a presumed miracle (promoters of the cause, tribunal, postulators, experts, officials of the Dicastery) are held to secrecy; remuneration for experts shall be paid only via bank transfer; and the under-secretary shall perform for miracles the functions that the Apostolic Constitution ‘Divinus Perfectionis Magister’ attributes to the Relator”. “The purpose of the Regulation – Mgr. Bartolucci explains – can be none other than the good of the Causes, which can never neglect the historical and scientific truth of the alleged miracles. Just as it is necessary for the legal checks to be complete, convergent and reliable, it is also necessary that their study be performed with serenity, objectivity and sure competence by highly specialised medical experts and then, at a different level, by the Congress of theological consulters and by the Session of cardinals and bishops, eventually reaching the decisive approval of the Holy Father, who has the exclusive competence of acknowledging an extraordinary event as a true miracle. This Regulation obviously concerns only the good functioning of the Medical Board, whose task appears increasingly delicate, demanding and, thanks be to God, appreciated both inside and outside the Church”.