Giovanni Merlini

The ministry of Giovanni Merlini was exercised primarily in the regions of the Roman Campagna, the Pontine marshes, and the coastal areas, which were marked at the time by severe social instability and the presence of brigands. A man of peace and reconciliation, he rejected violent repression and preached mercy. His gentleness and inner freedom touched many hearts, including those of hardened criminals who, through his mediation, sought the pardon of the Sovereign Pontiff.

In addition to his popular missions, he dedicated himself intensely to spiritual direction. For 42 years, he accompanied Saint Maria de Mattias. In 1834, he actively assisted her in founding the Congregation of the Sisters Adorers of the Blood of Christ in Acuto.

After the death of Saint Gaspar del Bufalo, he oversaw the finalization of the institute's rules. In 1847, he was elected the third Moderator General of the Congregation of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood, a role he assumed with prudence and devotion until his death. Under his leadership, the congregation grew and established itself, notably in the United States.

A close advisor to Pope Pius IX, he accompanied him into exile in Gaeta in 1848. It was at his instigation that the Pope made the vow to extend the feast of the Precious Blood to the universal Church, a decree formalized on August 10, 1849, by the text Redempti sumus.

On January 9, 1873, while in Rome near the church of Santa Maria in Trivio (then the general house of the congregation), Giovanni Merlini was intentionally knocked down by a carriage driven by an anti-clerical coachman. Gravely wounded, he publicly forgave his attacker before passing away three days later, on January 12, 1873, surrounded by his confreres. His remains rest today in the church of Santa Maria in Trivio, alongside those of Saint Gaspar del Bufalo.

The cause for beatification was opened in Rome in the 1880s. On May 10, 1973, Pope Paul VI promulgated the decree recognizing the heroic nature of his virtues, thereby declaring him Venerable.

On May 23, 2024, Pope Francis authorized the promulgation of the decree recognizing a miracle attributed to the intercession of the Venerable Giovanni Merlini.

According to the official documents of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, this miracle concerns the unexplained healing of an Italian patient (referred to as "M. C.") from Benevento. Hospitalized in an emergency at the Cardarelli Hospital in Naples in January 2015, the man was suffering from severe anemia and melena (gastrointestinal bleeding) caused by a hemorrhage from a gastric polyp. His condition was considered critical, and he alternated between phases of consciousness and unconsciousness. At the initiative of one of his granddaughters, who attended the Saint Anne parish in Benevento (entrusted to the Missionaries of the Precious Blood), the family began to pray to the Venerable Giovanni Merlini. On January 16, 2015, an image containing an ex indumentis relic of the Servant of God was placed in his hospital bed. From that moment on, a sudden, complete, and lasting improvement in his state of health occurred, which was clinically inexplicable.

The beatification ceremony was celebrated on January 12, 2025, at the Basilica of Saint John Lateran in Rome. The liturgy was presided over by Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, on behalf of Pope Francis.

The spirituality of Giovanni Merlini is deeply rooted in the contemplation of the Precious Blood of Christ, a mystery of redemptive love and universal reconciliation. He was able to admirably combine a life of intense prayer, touching upon mystical contemplation, with tireless apostolic action in the field. His dominant virtue was prudence, which was indispensable for guiding souls and governing his congregation during times of major political upheaval. His legacy endures through the Missionaries of the Precious Blood and the Adorers of the Blood of Christ, who continue to propagate his message of peace and charity throughout the world.