How people are declared saints
Oct 22, 2010
BEFORE the year 1234, the Church did not have a formal process of recognising saints. The first saints were only those who were killed because of their faith.
By Vision Reporters
BEFORE the year 1234, the Church did not have a formal process of recognising saints. The first saints were only those who were killed because of their faith.
Later, bishops began declaring non-martyrs saints by public acclaim. However, this was seen as subjective. People would be declared saints at the time of their deaths. After it was disputed, Pope Gregory IX in 1234, established procedures to prove if a person was actually in heaven.
The power to declare anyone a saint was placed into the hands of the Pope and his establishment (the Vatican). The procedure has been modified over time. Today, there is a body known as the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints to oversee the process.
Stage One: A Departed One
When a good Catholic dies, those who knew the late and really believe he or she is in heaven, can compile a documented petition and request their bishop to start the process.
The bishop then opens an investigation into the virtues of the faithful departed.
If he is convinced, he appoints a committee to promote the cause of the candidate’s sainthood, which undertakes a search on the candidate’s life, writings, speeches or sermons and writes a detailed biography and eyewitness accounts and presents the file to the Bishop.
Stage Two: Servant of God
If the Bishop is satisfied with the file, he confers upon the candidate the title of ‘Servant of God’. The file is certified and conformed into a transumptum.
This is a faithful copy of the canonisation petition, duly authenticated by the bishop and is submitted to the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints in Rome.
Stage Three: Heroic in Virtue
In Rome, the file is assigned a postulator, whose task is to oversee an independent investigation.
For martyrs, the postulator determines whether the candidate truly offered to die willingly for the faith and love of Christ and the Church. For non-martyrs, the candidate’s motivation, profound charity, virtues and heroism are examined. When need be, permission can be sought for the body of the Servant of God to be exhumed and examined. When everything is convincing, the congregation recommends to the Pope that the Servant of God be proclaimed ‘Heroic in Virtue’.
Stage Four: Venerable
The Pope and his team study the file and conduct an internal debate about the Heroic in Virtue.
If all members of the committee are convinced, the Pope confers upon the candidate the title, ‘Venerable’, which is the first degree of sanctity and is considered the first stage of canonisation.
If the Venerable is a martyr, like Daudi Okello and Jildo Irwa of northern Uganda, the Pope can straight away beatify them to become ‘The Blessed’.
If the Venerable was not a martyr, there must be a miracle by his or her intercession. The Church then appeals to people to start praying for miracles through the intercession of the Venerable.
Stage Five: Blessed
Beatification means it is worthy of belief that the person is in heaven. Once beatified, the Venerable gets a new title ‘Blessed’.
The Blessed can be venerated as saint within a restriction of a city, diocese, region, or religious family. But parishes may not be named in honour of a Blessed.
The Pope authorizes a special prayer, mass, or proper Divine Office honouring the Blessed.
Stage Six: Saint
After the miracles are ascertained, the Blessed is canonised and acquires the title of ‘Saint’.
The saint is assigned a feast day and parish churches may be built in his or her honour.
BEFORE the year 1234, the Church did not have a formal process of recognising saints. The first saints were only those who were killed because of their faith.
Later, bishops began declaring non-martyrs saints by public acclaim. However, this was seen as subjective. People would be declared saints at the time of their deaths. After it was disputed, Pope Gregory IX in 1234, established procedures to prove if a person was actually in heaven.
The power to declare anyone a saint was placed into the hands of the Pope and his establishment (the Vatican). The procedure has been modified over time. Today, there is a body known as the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints to oversee the process.
Stage One: A Departed One
When a good Catholic dies, those who knew the late and really believe he or she is in heaven, can compile a documented petition and request their bishop to start the process.
The bishop then opens an investigation into the virtues of the faithful departed.
If he is convinced, he appoints a committee to promote the cause of the candidate’s sainthood, which undertakes a search on the candidate’s life, writings, speeches or sermons and writes a detailed biography and eyewitness accounts and presents the file to the Bishop.
Stage Two: Servant of God
If the Bishop is satisfied with the file, he confers upon the candidate the title of ‘Servant of God’. The file is certified and conformed into a transumptum.
This is a faithful copy of the canonisation petition, duly authenticated by the bishop and is submitted to the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints in Rome.
Stage Three: Heroic in Virtue
In Rome, the file is assigned a postulator, whose task is to oversee an independent investigation.
For martyrs, the postulator determines whether the candidate truly offered to die willingly for the faith and love of Christ and the Church. For non-martyrs, the candidate’s motivation, profound charity, virtues and heroism are examined. When need be, permission can be sought for the body of the Servant of God to be exhumed and examined. When everything is convincing, the congregation recommends to the Pope that the Servant of God be proclaimed ‘Heroic in Virtue’.
Stage Four: Venerable
The Pope and his team study the file and conduct an internal debate about the Heroic in Virtue.
If all members of the committee are convinced, the Pope confers upon the candidate the title, ‘Venerable’, which is the first degree of sanctity and is considered the first stage of canonisation.
If the Venerable is a martyr, like Daudi Okello and Jildo Irwa of northern Uganda, the Pope can straight away beatify them to become ‘The Blessed’.
If the Venerable was not a martyr, there must be a miracle by his or her intercession. The Church then appeals to people to start praying for miracles through the intercession of the Venerable.
Stage Five: Blessed
Beatification means it is worthy of belief that the person is in heaven. Once beatified, the Venerable gets a new title ‘Blessed’.
The Blessed can be venerated as saint within a restriction of a city, diocese, region, or religious family. But parishes may not be named in honour of a Blessed.
The Pope authorizes a special prayer, mass, or proper Divine Office honouring the Blessed.
Stage Six: Saint
After the miracles are ascertained, the Blessed is canonised and acquires the title of ‘Saint’.
The saint is assigned a feast day and parish churches may be built in his or her honour.