Saints
Introduction
All Christians are called to be saints. Saints are persons
in heaven (officially canonized or not), who lived heroically virtuous lives,
offered their life for others, or were martyred for the faith, and who are
worthy of imitation.
In official Church procedures there are three steps to
sainthood: a candidate becomes "Venerable," then "Blessed"
and then "Saint." Venerable is the title given to a deceased person
recognized formally by the pope as having lived a heroically virtuous life or
offered their life. To be beatified and recognized as a Blessed, one
miracle acquired through the candidate's intercession is required in addition
to recognition of heroic virtue or offering of life. Canonization requires a
second miracle after beatification. The pope may waive these
requirements. A miracle is not required prior to a martyr's beatification, but
one is required before canonization.
Key Terms
Beatification -- the second stage in the
process of proclaiming a person a saint; occurs after a diocese or eparchy and
the Congregation for the Causes of Saints has conducted a rigorous
investigation into the person's life and writings to determine whether he or
she demonstrates a heroic level of virtue, offered their life or suffered
martyrdom. A miracle attributed to the person's intercession must be proved.
Blessed -- title bestowed on a person who
has been beatified and accorded limited liturgical veneration.
Canonization – the formal process by which the
Church declares a person to be a saint and worthy of universal veneration.
Congregation for the Causes of Saints – a
department of the Roman Curia, established originally as the Congregation of
Rites by Pope Sixtus V in 1588. Reorganized and renamed in 1969 by Pope Paul
VI, and again in 1983 by Pope John Paul II. Some of the responsibilities of the
Congregation include making recommendations to the pope on beatifications and
canonizations, and the authentication and preservation of sacred relics.
Miracle –something that has occurred by
the grace of God through the intercession of a Venerable, or Blessed which is
scientifically inexplicable.
Petitioner – party initiating an action
in canon law. In the case of a sainthood cause, the petitioner is one who asks
the diocesan bishop to begin the investigation which could ultimately lead to
canonization. (A bishop may also begin a cause on his own initiative, in which
case he is the petitioner.)
Positio – a comprehensive summary of all
documentation; in this context, there are two: the one summarizing the
investigation of a candidate's life and heroic virtues or offering of life, or
martyrdom and a second for any alleged miracles. The Positio is
prepared during the Roman phase by the postulator with the assistance of
someone from the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.
Postulator -- person appointed to guide
and oversee the cause. One oversees the cause at the diocesan or eparchial
level (Phase I); the Roman postulator, oversees all aspects of Phases II and
III.
Prefect -- the head of any of the Roman
curial congregations, usually a cardinal.
Relator – person appointed by the
Congregation for the Causes of Saints to assemble the historic documentation of
the candidate for canonization.
Saint – the title given to someone who
has been formally canonized by the Church as sharing eternal life with God, and
therefore offered for public veneration and imitation.
Servant of God -- the title given to a
candidate for sainthood whose cause is still under investigation, prior to
being declared Venerable.
Venerable – the title 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.
History
In the first five centuries of the Church, the process for
recognizing a saint was based on public acclaim or the vox populi, vox Dei
(voice of the people, voice of God). There was no formal canonical process as
understood by today's standards. Beginning in the sixth century and continuing
into the twelfth century, the intervention of the local bishop was required
before someone could be canonized. The intervention of the local bishop usually
began with a request from the local community for the bishop to recognize
someone a saint. Upon studying the request and a written biography, if he found
it favorable, the bishop would typically issue a decree, legitimatize the
liturgical cult and thereby canonize the person.
Starting in the tenth century, a cause proceeded with the
usual steps, i.e. the person's reputation would spread, a request to the local
bishop from the people to declare the person a saint occurred, and a biography
would be written for the bishop's review. Now however, the bishop would collect
eyewitness testimony of those who knew the person and who had witnessed
miracles, and he would provide a summary of the case to the Pope for his
approval. The Pope then reviewed the cause, and if he approved it, he
issued a decree declaring the person a canonized saint. The first documented
case of papal invention is by Pope John XV on January 31, 993 for the
canonization of St. Ulric. When Pope Sixtus V reorganized the Roman Curia
in 1588 he established the Congregation for Sacred Rites. One of its
functions was to assist the Pope with reviewing causes. Except for a few
canonical developments, from 1588 the process of canonization remained the same
until 1917 when a universal Code of Canon Law was promulgated.
The 1917 code contained 145 canons (cc. 1999- 2144) on
causes of canonization, and mandated that an episcopal process and an apostolic
process be conducted. The episcopal process consisted of the local bishop
verifying the reputation of the person, ensuring that a biography existed,
collecting eye witness testimony and the person's written works. All of this
was then forwarded to the Congregation for Sacred Rites. The apostolic
process consisted of reviewing the evidence submitted, collecting more
evidence, studying the cause, investigating any alleged miracles and ultimately
forwarding the cause to the Pope for his approval. This process remained
in effect until 1983 with the promulgation of the 1983 Code of Canon Law and
new norms for causes of canonization: Divinus Perfectionis Magister, Normae
Servandae in Inquisitionibus ab Episcopis Faciendis in Causis Sanctorum and
Sanctorum Mater (2007). This revised process for causes of canonization is
still in force and is detailed below.
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 that have
been presented to the Congregation since its institution.
American Saints, Blesseds and Venerables
The American Church has been blessed with numerous Saints,
Blesseds and Venerables, all of whom in their own unique way witness to
Christ's love through their martyrdom or virtuous lives within our American
culture. Currently, there are eleven American Saints:
St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, St. Marianne Cope, St. Katharine Drexel, St. Rose
Philippine Duchesne, St. Mother Théodore Guérin, St. Isaac Jogues and the North
American Martyrs, St. John Neumann, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, St. Father
Junípero Serra, O.F.M , St. Kateri Tekakwitha, and St. Damien de Veuster
(canonized as Damien of Molokaʻi). There are four American Blesseds: Blessed
Father Solanus Casey, O.F.M. Cap., Blessed Father Stanley Francis Rother,
Blessed Father Francis Xavier Seelos, C.Ss.R.,., and Blessed Sister Miriam
Teresa, S.C. (Teresa Demjanovich). There are thirteen American
Venerables: Venerable Father Nelson Baker, Venerable Bishop Frederic Baraga,
Venerable Mother Mary Magdalen Bentivoglio, O.S.C., Venerable Cornelia
Connelly, S.H.C.J., Venerable Henriette Delille, S.S.F., Venerable Mother Mary
Theresa Dudzik, O.S.F., Venerable Bishop Alphonse Gallegos, O.A.R., Venerable
Mother Maria Kaupas, S.S.C., Venerable Mother Mary Angeline Teresa McCrory, O.
Carm., Venerable Father Michael McGivney, Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen,
Venerable Pierre Toussaint, and Venerable Father Felix Varela
Stage I – Examining the Life of a Candidate for Sainthood
Phase 1: Diocesan or Eparchial Level
Five years must pass from the time of a candidate's death
before a cause may begin. This is to allow greater balance and objectivity in
evaluating the case and to let the emotions of the moment dissipate. The pope
can dispense from this waiting period.
The bishop of the diocese or eparchy in which the person
died is responsible for beginning the investigation. The petitioner (who
for example can be the diocese/eparchy, bishop, religious order or association
of the faithful) asks the bishop through a person known as the postulator to
open the investigation.
The bishop then begins a series of consultations with the
episcopal conference, the faithful of his diocese or eparchy and the Holy
See. Once these consultations are done and he has received the 'nihil
obstat' of the Holy See, he forms a diocesan or eparchial tribunal. The
tribunal will investigate the martyrdom or how the candidate lived a life of
heroic virtues, 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. Witnesses will be called and
documents written by and about the candidate must be gathered and examined.
Phase II: Congregation for the Causes of Saints
Once the diocesan or eparchial investigation is finished,
the documentation is sent to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.
The postulator for this phase, residing in Rome, under the direction of a
member of the Congregation's staff called a relator prepares the 'Positio,' or
summary of the documentary evidence from the diocesan or eparchial phase
in order to prove the heroic exercise of virtue or the martyrdom.
The 'Positio' undergoes an examination by nine theologians
who vote on whether or not the candidate lived a heroic life or suffered
martyrdom. 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.
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 a decree declaring one Venerable if
they have lived a virtuous life or a Blessed if they have been martyred.
Stage II – Beatification
For the beatification of a Venerable, 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 decree on the miracle is
promulgated the pope grants the beatification, which is the concession of
limited public veneration – usually only in the diocese, eparchy, region, or
religious community in which the Blessed lived. With beatification the
candidate receives the titled of Blessed. For a martyr, no miracle is required.
Thus when the pope approves the positio declaring that the person was a
martyred for the faith, the title Blessed is granted to the martyr at that
time.
Stage III – Canonization
For canonization another miracle is needed for both Blessed
martyrs and Blesseds who lived a virtuous life, attributed to the intercession
of the Blessed and having occurred after his or her beatification. The methods
for affirming the miracle are the same as those followed for beatification.
Canonization allows for the public veneration of the Saint by the Universal
Church. With canonization, the Blessed acquires the title of Saint.
Contact for more information:
Msgr. Robert Sarno
Congregation for the Causes of Saints
Vatican City
011-39-6-6988-4247
011-39-6-6988-1935 fax
Sources:
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.
Other sources include:
Bunson, Matthew; Bunson, Margaret; and Bunson, Stephen,
eds., Our Sunday Visitor's Encyclopedia of Saints (Huntington,
IN:
Our Sunday Visitor Publishing Division, 1998.)
Congregation for the Causes of Saints. Instruction Sanctorum
Mater, promulgated on May 17, 2007.
John Paul II. Apostolic Constitution Divinus Perfectionis
Magister, promulgated on January 25, 1983.
McBrien, Richard P., ed., HarperCollins Encyclopedia
of Catholicism (San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1995.)
Sacred Congregation for the Causes of Saints. Normae
Servandae in Inquisitionibus ab
Episcopis Faciendis in Causis Sanctorum, promulgated
February 7, 1983.
Vatican Information Service reports from May 18, 1999; July
30, 1999; and January 28, 2000, July 31, 2000.
https://www.usccb.org/offices/public-affairs/saints
