Making Saints: The Process of Canonization in the Catholic Church
By Prof. Fr. Cherian Thunduparampil, CMI
[Editors Note: This article is of particular interest to the Maronite Church, which is prayerfully striving to see the Blessed Massabki Brothers (†1860) and the Venerable Patriarch Elias Hoayek (1843-1931) canonized as saints of the universal Church. Another for veneration is Mother Isabelle, a reformer of the Antonine Congregation, covered in this issue of The Maronite Voice.
The Maronite Church takes holy pride in its saints canonized in Rome: Saint Sharbel (canonized 1977); Saint Rafka (canonized 2001); Saint Nimatallah (canonized 2004).
From the early Christian centuries, the cult of the saints has been an important element of Christian worship. Our faith tells us that it is possible for a human to enjoy the beatific vision, that is, perfect salvation in its entirety, being with God in heaven. The Church calls such redeemed persons “saints.” Some of these saints are “canonized,” that is, officially included in the list (“canon”) of recognized saints.
There are three groups of canonized saints: The martyrs, by their supreme witness of faith and charity, shed of their blood in imitation of Christ’s death. The second group of canonized saints are confessors who lived their lives fullness through their closer imitation of Christ and profound union with him. To these two groups – martyrs and confessors - Pope Francis introduced a third group. The offer of life is distinct from martyrdom or heroic virtues. By the offer of life, a person offers his or life life voluntarily and freely; it is an heroic acceptance of death which, though not immediate, is certain within a short period of time.
Evolution of Canonization Procedures
Through the centuries, various criteria and procedures have been employed in the process of recognizing someone as a saint in order to render the person public and ecclesiastical cult. At first, the process took the form of vox populi (popular acclamation), with the elevation and or transferal of the mortal remains of the person by the local Church, and then enrolling of the person’s name in the martyrology or List (or “Canon”) of the Saints. This could have occurred in a diocese and did not require the involvement of the pope.
The current procedure for canonization involves a rigorous canonical investigation. Since the twelfth century, canonization has been reserved to the pope. The Congregation for the Causes of Saints carries out the canonical investigation of behalf of the pope. The Church needs proof of martyrdom in case of martyrs, of sanctity of life and of the heroic practice of the moral and theological virtues for confessors, or proof of the offer of life. In the process of this recognition the Church also needs properly attested miracles granted by God through the intercession of Servants of God or Blesseds as an essential prerequisite, a necessary element or criterion to verify the authenticity of his/her sanctity.
Stages in the Modern Canonization Process
At various stages in the canonization process, a candidate for canonization obtains the following four titles: one merits the title servant of God with the initiation of a cause by the bishop where the servant of God dies. Then with the issue of the decree on the virtues by the Congregation and its approval by the Roman Pontiff subsequent to the verification of the heroic practice, the title venerable is conferred on the servant of God. However, no public and ecclesiastical cult is yet permitted. With the approval of a miracle that God performs through his or her intercession and confirmation of the judgment on the scientific and theological aspects of the same by the Roman Pontiff, the venerable could be called blessed. In the case of martyrs, no miracle is required for the beatification. However, a miracle after the beatification is required for the blessed to be called a saint.
What is the difference between beatification and canonization? Having ascertained the martyrdom or heroic practice of the virtues or “heroic offer of life” through beatification, the Church officially raises one to the honors of the altar, but the cult given to him or her will be restricted to a Church sui iuris, a nation, region, diocese, province or a religious institute according the stipulations in the decree of beatification. Canonization removes this restraint and the saint becomes an object of veneration in the universal Church.
Celebration
Until the pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI, both the ceremonies of beatification and canonization were presided over by the pope himself, normally in Rome. In order to involve the local Church, Benedict XVI introduced a reformin the Rites of Beatification (2005) according to which the beatification ceremony is presided over by the representative of the Holy Father in the local Church. Only the pope presides at the canonization ceremony normally in Rome.
Purpose of Canonization
Our ultimate goal is to become holy as the Heavenly Father is holy, to become saints. The beatification and canonization processes are intended to serve two goals: 1) to offer models of sanctity for the imitation of the faithful; and 2) to offer the faithful intercessors on their before God.
All you saints, pray for us!
Prof. Fr. Cherian Thunduparampil, CMI, a canon lawyer, is the procurator in Rome of the religious institute of Carmelites of Mary Immaculate