What is Beatification?

In the Roman Catholic Church, beatification is the solemn recognition by the Pope of a deceased person as a blessed  person, it may be followed by canonisation, when the pope proclaims officially that a blessed person is a saint.
Beatification does not necessarily lead to canonisation, the best example being the many martyrs of the past who were beatified collectively. Conversely, the canonisation procedure  requires that  the person to be declared saint has been declared blessed previously. In addition to the  positive judgement at the end of the process, there must be an authentic miracle performed by the person and officially recognised as such, except in cases of martyrdom!
The practice is that permission to open investigation on  the person is given by the local bishop, no sooner than five years after the person's death, in order to avoid emotional interference, but the reservation no longer stands if the Pope himself  gives the permission or initiates the beatification process.

What is the procedure?

Beatification rite is the result of a long lasting canonical process, initiated in the diocese and finalized in Rome. The " cause postulator" hears witnesses if  there are still living witnesses and he gathers all the candidate's writings if any. In parallel , the "promotor of the Faith " will scrutinize all the details of the "Servant of God"'s life, including anything that might be derogatory - nothing must be left in the dark-. Historian and theologian committees are also involved in the investigation. Finally the cause is considered by the cardinals members of the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints, they proceed to a vote and the result is submitted to the Holy Father.
In the beginning of his papacy, Benedict XVI took the decision not to celebrate usually  the beatification rite himself in order to clearly mark the difference with canonisation. While it is still a pontifical decision, the beatification declaration can henceforth take place in the diocese concerned, though it is not so frequent that a diocese can claim such an honour. The declaration rite takes place during a solemn mass, immediately after reading from the Gospel. There is no special  beatification rite.

What is the objective?

The Church's objective when  proclaiming  that  a person is a Blessed or a Saint is to recognize  that his or her life has been a  testimony to the Faith and should be taken as an example by the Christians. They are considered as intercessors and they can be worshiped officially. Beatification authorizes the worship in restricted areas (a diocese, a religious community) whereas canonisation extends the cult to the whole of Christianity, but the Blessed and the Saints  are equally given a feast day in the liturgical calendar, they can be chosen as patrons by institutions, churches or parishes, and it is allowed to celebrate the  Liturgy of the Hours and the Eucharist in their honour.