Canonization
Canonization is the formal process through which the Roman Catholic Church recognizes a deceased individual as a saint, highlighting their exemplary life and devotion to God. To attain sainthood, a candidate must meet specific qualifications, including a waiting period of five years after death, during which their life and actions are thoroughly evaluated by church officials. The process involves two main stages: beatification and canonization. First, the candidate must be declared "venerable" for exemplifying Catholic virtues, followed by the beatification stage, where at least one miracle attributed to them must be verified. After beatification, a second miracle is required for full canonization, officially designating the individual as a saint.
Historically, the canonization process has evolved significantly since its inception in the thirteenth century, with notable reforms made by various popes, including the reduction of required miracles and the streamlining of investigations. Notable figures such as Mother Teresa, who was canonized in 2016, exemplify this process, although her legacy has been the subject of debate. Overall, canonization serves as an important religious and cultural practice within the Catholic Church, reflecting the beliefs and values of the faith community.
Canonization
Canonization is the official process by which a deceased person becomes a saint in the Roman Catholic Church. A saint is a person who lived an exemplary Catholic life while on earth and devoted their existence to serving God before dying. The Catholic Church has formally canonized thousands of saints. Several qualifications must be met for a deceased individual to attain sainthood, and it can take decades to become a saint. After a person is deemed a candidate for sainthood, the pope must decide if the person lived a virtuous life. If this has been determined, the beatification process begins. During this time, a person must have a miracle attributed to them posthumously. Once a second miracle is proven, the individual is officially canonized as a saint.
Background
The process of canonization began in the Catholic Church during the thirteenth century CE. When a martyr or other pious (deeply religious) person died, the church declared them a saint at the time of their death. However, this led to many figures being deemed saints who were not worthy of this honor. One example was a Swedish monk who was canonized after he died in a drunken bar brawl. Angry over this, Pope Alexander III declared that only the pope had the supreme authority to appoint saints.
In 1234, Pope Gregory IX organized a way to vet those considered candidates for sainthood. This included investigating the life of a person and any miracles attributed to them after death. Pope Sixtus V in 1588 established the Congregation of Rites (also called the Congregation for the Causes of Saints), which is a panel made up of theologians, cardinals, and other church officials to review the acts and miracles considered for sainthood. Throughout the years, several popes have revised the procedures for canonization.
By the seventeenth century, the Vatican (papal government) had formalized the standards for sainthood into two processes called beatification and canonization. During beatification, it must be proven that the candidate was responsible for four posthumous miracles, such as healing a sick person. After these have been proven, the pope can formally recognize someone as a saint through canonization. During the process, the church also appoints a person known as the Devil's Advocate to rebut the candidate's case for sainthood. Prior to becoming pontiff during the eighteenth century, Pope Benedict XIV served as a prominent Devil's Advocate.
In 1913, reforms to the canonization process were submitted, but these did not go into effect until the Code of Canon Law was revised in 1983 under Pope John Paul II. These revisions included eliminating the Devil's Advocate, streamlining the investigation process, and reducing the number of miracles required from four to two.
This allowed Pope John Paul II to canonize nearly five hundred saints; he beatified more than one thousand people. During his tenure, he canonized the first saints in China and Brazil. In addition, he helped speed up the canonization of Mother Teresa by waiving the mandatory five-year waiting period after a person dies that is normally part of the process. Mother Teresa was a Catholic nun best known for devoting her life to the poor of India.
In 2016, the Vatican revised the rules surrounding miracles for sainthood. The regulations concerned how medical experts determine potential miracles. Among these new rules, any potential miracles that failed to pass the panel of medical experts three times would not be considered. Another rule changed the way the experts were paid. In 2021, the Vatican announced further revisions to the canonization process, including restrictions placed on postulators and new rules clarifying procedures.
Overview
For a deceased person to be canonized, several qualifications must be met. After an individual dies, a waiting period of five years must pass before the person can be considered for sainthood. In some circumstances, this waiting period has been waived, such as in the case of Mother Teresa. Church officials examine a candidate's life and writings (if applicable) to determine if they lived a virtuous life. They then nominate the person for sainthood. A bishop must approve this and send the candidate's case to the Vatican for approval. At the Vatican, the Congregation for the Causes of Saints thoroughly investigates the case. The panel either approves or rejects the case. If approved, the case is sent to the pope, who determines if the person is venerable, or exemplifies Catholic virtues. At this point, a person could be deemed venerable and never achieve beatification or sainthood.
The next step is beatification. In beatification, a living person must experience a miracle that is attributed to prayers made to the deceased individual. During this process, church officials must verify if God actually performed the miracle on behalf of the deceased person's intercession. The granted prayers prove that the person has gone to heaven.
An example of a miracle includes the healing of a sick person. A woman from Kolkata (formerly Calcutta), India, claimed to have prayed to Mother Teresa for a cure for her stomach cancer. The Congregation for the Causes of Saints investigated the claim and could not find a medical explanation for the woman's recovery. In 2003, Pope John Paul II approved the miracle, beatifying Mother Teresa. Once beatified, the deceased person is given the honorific title of Blessed. Mother Teresa became known as Blessed Mother Teresa of Kolkata after her beatification.
Because martyrs die for a religious cause, they are not held responsible for a posthumous miracle. They are automatically beatified. Also, they only need one miracle approved to be named a saint.
Canonization is the final step after beatification. A deceased person can achieve beatification, but if the deceased is not credited with a second miracle, they will not be named a saint. However, the person will not be stripped of their Blessed title and will still be honored with special masses and prayers. In the case of Mother Teresa, a Brazilian man with brain tumors was cured of his illness after his family and friends claimed they had prayed to Mother Teresa for help. Pope Francis verified this miracle and named Mother Teresa a saint on September 4, 2016, giving her the name Saint Teresa of Calcutta. Mother Teresa's legacy has been the subject of debate among scholars and critics. Despite her canonization, discussions continue about various aspects of her work and beliefs.
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