All Christians should aspire to become a saint, that is a person of heaven whether officially canonized or not. But for some of us who lived extraordinary lives, how does one even get to be proclaimed 'Blessed' or "Saint'? Read more in this edition of 5 Points for Pahina 3.
1. In official Church procedures there are three steps to sainthood: a candidate becomes “Venerable,” then “Blessed” and then “Saint”.
a. Venerable - another honorific given to a candidate for sainthood whose cause has not yet reached the
beatification stage but whose heroic virtue has been declared by the pope.
b. Blessed - title bestowed on a person who has been beatified and accorded limited veneration.
c. Saint – the title given to someone who has been formally canonized by the Church, and therefore
offered for public veneration; less formally, anyone, canonized or not, believed to be sharing eternal life
with God.
2. The Congregation for the Causes of Saints, a department of the Roman Curia, is responsible for making recommendations to the pope on beatifications and canonizations, as well as for the authentication and preservation of sacred relics. It was established originally as the Congregation of Rites by Pope Sixtus V in 1588 and reorganized and renamed in 1969 by Pope Paul VI, and again in 1983 by Pope John Paul II.
3. Before beatification and canonization procedures were assigned to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints and to the Holy Father himself, it was the “vox populi” or “spontaneous local attribution” which led to the proclaiming of saints.
4. No precise count exists of those who have been proclaimed saints since the first centuries. However, in 1988, to mark its 4th centenary, the Congregation for the Causes of Saints published the first “Index ac status Causarum.” This book and its subsequent supplements, written entirely in Latin, are considered the definitive index of all causes which have been presented to the congregation since its institution. Excluding beatifications and canonizations celebrated by Pope John Paul II, these volumes show that 3,464 causes are pending 1,385 cults have been confirmed and 565 blesseds and 285 saints have been proclaimed.
5. The following is the process of how a Saint is determined and proclaimed by the Church:
Sainthood. The diocese, parish, religious congregation,
or association asking for a cause to be opened, can act
as a petitioner. There are 2 phases at this stage.
Phase I is at the Diocesan level where the Bishop
of the diocese in which the person died is responsible
for beginning the investigation. The bishop, once the
“nihil obstat‟ (nothing hinders) of the Holy See is
obtained, forms a diocesan tribunal for this purpose.
This is where witnesses are called before the tribunal to
recount concrete facts on the exercise of Christian
virtues considered heroic, that is, the theological virtues
of faith, hope and charity, and the cardinal virtues of
prudence, justice, temperance and fortitude, and others
specific to his or her state in life. In addition,
all documents written by and about the candidate must
be gathered and examined.
of the diocese in which the person died is responsible
for beginning the investigation. The bishop, once the
“nihil obstat‟ (nothing hinders) of the Holy See is
obtained, forms a diocesan tribunal for this purpose.
This is where witnesses are called before the tribunal to
recount concrete facts on the exercise of Christian
virtues considered heroic, that is, the theological virtues
of faith, hope and charity, and the cardinal virtues of
prudence, justice, temperance and fortitude, and others
specific to his or her state in life. In addition,
all documents written by and about the candidate must
be gathered and examined.
Phase II begins when the diocesan investigation is finished and the documentation is passed on to
the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. The public copy used for further work is put together
here. The postulator for this phase, resident in Rome, follows the preparation of the “Positio,‟ or
summary of the documentation that proves the heroic exercise of virtue or the martyrdom, under the
direction of a member of Congregation’s staff called a relator.
- The “Positio‟ undergoes an examination by nine theologians who give their vote.
- If the majority of the theologians are in favor, the cause is passed on for examination by cardinals
and bishops who are members of the Congregation. They hold meetings twice a month.
- If their judgment is favorable, the prefect of the Congregation presents the results of the entire
course of the cause to the pope, who gives his approval and authorizes the congregation to draft
the relative decree. The public reading and promulgation of the decree follows.
b. Second stage is the beatification of a Servant of God. This is where a miracle attributed to his intercession, verified after his death, is necessary. The required miracle must be proven through the appropriate canonical investigation, following a procedure analogous to that for heroic virtues. This investigation too is concluded with the appropriate decree. Once the two decrees are promulgated (regarding the heroic virtues or martyrdom and the miracle) the Holy Father decides on beatification, which is the concession of limited public veneration – usually only in the diocese, region, or religious community in which the Servant of God lived. With beatification the candidate receives the titled of Blessed.
c. Third and final stage is the canonization wherein another miracle is needed, attributed to the intercession of the Blessed and having occurred after his beatification. The methods for affirming the miracle are the same as those followed for beatification. Canonization is understood as the concession and requirement of public veneration in the Universal Church. With canonization, the Blessed acquires the title of Saint.
Adapted from “Canonical procedure for causes of saints,” Vatican Information Service, Sept. 12, 1997; and from “Saints in the Catholic Church,” Vatican Information Service, July 29, 1997.
