Yes, Virginia, there is a Lucifer

[Nametag]

@Arnold_Winkelried

This Wikipedia page ( Lucifero di Cagliari - Wikipedia ) says that the sainthood of Lucifer of Cagliari was very disputed after his death, and that “Urbano VIII, con il decreto del 20 giugno 1641, avrebbe ordinato a tutti di astenersi dal trattare in pubblico la questione della santità di Lucifero e dal condannare o difendere il suo culto fino a nuova decisione della Santa Sede.” translation: Urban VIII, with his decree of 20 June 1641, had ordered everyone to abstain from discussing in public the question of the sainthood of Lucifer and from condemning or defending his beliefs, until a new decision from the Holy See". But it doesn’t say anything about any new decision. I’m still confused!

Confused? Why? It’s only been 368 years, what’s your hurry?

Seriously, it would be interesting to know if that announcement is specific to Lucifer, and if so, why. In 1625, Urban had already promulgated his Sanctissimus Dominus Noster, which forbade veneration of the dead or publication of private revelations without approval from the local bishop or the See, and in 1634 another reserving both canonization and beatification to the See. It’s likely that Urban had no intention of actually reviewing Lucifer’s sainthood. A century later, Benedict XIV wrote De Servorum Dei Beatificatione et de Beatorum Canonizatione, which is still The Work on canonization. The rules have been revised as recently as 1984, but don’t seem to have changed very much.