Confirmationis cultus ab immemorabili tempore praestiti servae dei Liduinae Virgini Schiedamensi beatae et sanctae nuncupatae : summarium super dubio 1861 - 1877

This document was printed by Gerardus Petrus Wilmer, Bishop of Haarlem, sometime around 1876. It addresses the beatification of Liduina of Schiedam, a Dutch woman who lived in the 14th and 15th centuries and later became a Catholic saint. The text points to the complex history of sainthood, which often involves intense scrutiny and debate within the Church. Wilmer, as Bishop, clearly played a vital role in this institutional process. We can consider this document as a trace of the way the Catholic Church sought to confirm its authority, particularly during a time of social change and political upheaval in Europe. The confirmation of saints and the establishment of their cults served to reinforce religious devotion, and by extension, the Church’s cultural power. Further historical research into the life of Liduina, the history of the diocese of Haarlem, and the social and political context of the late 19th century would surely shed more light on the meaning of this printed document.