"in basilica vaticana, the sixteenth day of may 1920." half an hour to burn you, dear saint, and four centuries to find out the truth about you. though men destroyed my body, yet in my soul i have seen god. the girls in the field praise thee, for thou hast raised their eyes, and they see there is nothing between them and heaven. the dying soldiers praise thee, for thou art a shield of honor between them and the judgment. the princes of the church praise thee, because thou hast redeemed the faith their worldliness has dragged through the mire. the cunning counselors praise thee, because thou hast cut the knot in which they have tied their own souls. the foolish old men on their deathbeds praise thee, because thou has turned their sins into blessing. the judges in the blindness and bondage of the law praise thee, for thou hast vindicated the vision and freedom of the living soul. the wicked out of hell praise thee, because thou hast shown them that the fire that cannot be quenched is a holy fire. the torturers and executioners praise thee,