Makin' Saints

Makin’ Saints

Up until the year 993, the definition of who could be declared a "saint:" was pretty fast and loose.   Anyone could be declared a Saint by popular acclamation or, if really pious, by any local bishop.   With the canonization of Saint Ulrich of Sweden, in the year 993 (Feast 4 July so we never really "do" him; I'm always out of the office) by Pope John XV, the Vatican and the Pope reserved the authority of makin' saints to itself.   

Before the publication of the Code of Canon Law in 1983, the process was much more involved.   It required a bunch of miracles of different class.   A class 1 miracle was observed directly by many.  A class 2 miracle was observed indirectly by many or directly observed by a few people, all the way down to a class 5 miracle, which was reported by hearsay only.     A non martyr had to have 2 Class 1 miracles, or a combination of up to 4 miracles of a lower  class.  A person declared a martyr by the Church required fewer miracles and of lower class requirement.    A person was appointed as adversary to the proposed saint, this individual’s only job was to dis-prove the person’s worthiness to be listed among the saints, the official title of this office was Promoter of the Faith (Promotor Fidei); the so called “devil’s advocate.”  

Since the publication of the revised Code of canon law in 1983, the process was made much less adversarial.   Today the office of Promoter of the Faith is still around, but more about fact finding.   The process can be described in basically 5 steps:

First, the person’s local bishop investigates their life by gathering information from witnesses of their life and any writings they may have written. If the bishop finds them to be worthy of being a saint, then he submits the information that he gathered to the Vatican’s Congregation for theCauses of Saints.

Second, the Congregation for the Causes of Saints can choose reject the application or accept it and begin their own investigation of the person’s life.  The proposed saint can now be called “Servant of God.”

Third, if the Congregation for the Causes of Saints approves of the candidate, they can choose to declare that the person lived a heroically virtuous life. This isn’t a declaration that the person is in heaven, but that they pursued holiness while here on earth.   The embryonic saint is now called “Venerable.”  But to be clear, no declaration is made regarding whether or not they are in heaven.

Fourth, to be recognized as someone in heaven for a non martyr, this requires that a miracle has taken place through the intercession of that person. The miracle is usually a healing. The healing has to be instantaneous, permanent, and complete while also being scientifically unexplainable. Miracles have to be first verified as scientifically unexplainable by a group of independent doctors, then the person is approved by a panel of theologians, and then the final approval lies with the pope.   The miracle must be post mortem; a miracle performed while the embryonic saint was alive makes them superheroes, not saints heaven.  If this miracle is verified by all concerned, the Pope may declare this individual a “Blessed.” 

 For a martyr, the Pope has only to make a declaration of martyrdom, a certification that the venerable gave his or her life voluntarily as a witness for the faith. 

The new category of saints Pope Frances published in July of 2017, those who freely choose to give their lives for others in situations that they know will lead to their certain death, must still have this miracle too, they are not considered martyrs. 

The difference between a blessed and a saint is that the scope of devotion for a blessed is narrower – usually limited to a specific group of people or a particular region of the world.

Fifth, a second miracle is needed in order to declare someone a saint. The confirmation of a second miracle goes through the same scrutiny as the first. Unlike a  Blessed, a saint is held up for devotion for the whole Catholic Church.

The Pope can alter the process almost at will.  For example He can extend local worship of a Blessed to the Whole Catholic Church with no further miracles or process required.   This is called “Equivalent Canonization,” see Hildegard of Bingen.  

The Pope can waive the miracle requirements in almost any step of the process, see Elizabeth Ann (Amazing Kreskin) Seaton, Kateri (I cure acne, just like Clearasil) Tekatwitha, and Pope John XXIII.