 |
| All Saint's Day achrsitianpilgrim..com |
IT MAKES SENSE TO ME
By Larry Peterson
November 1, we celebrate the Feast of All Saint’s Day.
Interestingly, more than 10,000 saints are venerated in the Catholic Church. How did over 10,000 people
manage to be canonized? For starters, it is
probably safe to say that since the church has been around for 2000 years that
only works out to five saints a year. So, as far as the numbers go, that seems
irrelevant. What is relevant is the actual process of attaining sainthood. The procedure
is exceptionally stringent since no mistakes as to a candidate's eligibility
can go uncovered.
It should be noted that prior to the
tenth century there was no set procedure for canonization. Frequently, different
communities honored or venerated people whose stories were not backed by solid
fact. Some
stories were made up. For example, St. George the Dragon Slayer, is from the third century. He is honored by
both Muslims and Christians. Is the story
fact or legend? In the French countryside St. Guinefort is venerated as the
protector of babies. It seems that Guinefort saved a baby from a snakebite. The
only problem was, Guinefort was a dog.
Interestingly, 52 of the first 55 popes became saints during
Catholicism’s first 500 years. During the
last one thousand years, only seven popes have attained sainthood, and that includes
Pope St. John Paul II and Pope St. John XXIII.
The first saint formally canonized was St. Ulrich of Augsburg. He was canonized by Pope John XV in 993.
During the 12th century, the church, realizing they needed an
orderly system, began to put a process in place. Then, in 1243, Pope Gregory IX proclaimed
that only a pope had the authority to declare someone a saint. That process
still exists to this day.
So, what is the actual process on the
road to sainthood? We know this for sure, sainthood is not an easy honor to
attain. There are five steps in the journey. The first step begins right in the
neighborhood where the proposed saint lived and was known.
After a person has been dead for five
years (this time frame may be waived by the Pope), friends and neighbors may
get together and document all they can about that particular person. They would
then present their evidence to the local bishop requesting he begin an investigation
into the person’s holy and exemplary life.
If the bishop feels the evidence is
worthy of the cause moving forward, he may appoint a “postulator”
to represent the cause. If, after further investigation, they feel the cause is
worthy, they forward it to Rome. Now the
evidence goes before the Congregation
for the Causes of Saints. At this
point in the process, the person receives the title, “Servant of God.”
The Congregation for the Causes consists of nine theologians who thoroughly review all the documentation that
has been presented to them. The person’s writings are examined, and all aspects of
their life are picked apart. Nothing can go against the teachings of the Church.
The Congregation
even has a “devil’s advocate” who raises questions and objections about the
candidate. The Congregation must be sure
before moving forward. If they decide the candidate has been a person of
“heroic virtue,” they are declared “Venerable,” and their cause moves on towards
the next step; Beatification.
Except in the cases of martyrdom, Beatification requires one miracle. The candidate's character and holiness have already
been established, but having a miracle attributed to someone can take
centuries. If a person has been killed for their faith, they have been martyred “In
Odium Fidei,” which means “In hatred of the
faith.”
This death is honored with
Beatification and the title Blessed is bestowed on the person. Father Jacques
Hamel, who was murdered while saying Mass in France in 2016, is an example of someone
experiencing this type of death.
Another death is called
“in defensum castitatis” meaning, “in defense of purity.” This too warrants Beatification, and the
person is given the title of Blessed. Two young Catholic heroines who died in
this manner are St. Maria Goretti and Blessed Pierina Morosini.
Pope Francis recently introduced a new road to sainthood. It honors those who
sacrificed their lives for others. (The Mercedarians
are known for this). This is called “Maiorem hac
delectionem (nemo habet)” which
means; “Greater love than this (no man
hath).”
Lastly, there is
Canonization. At this point, we are
waiting for one more miracle. Upon that happening it is given to the Pope who makes the
final decision. It is then a person is declared a saint.
To all you saints (and those in the
queue) above, please pray for us all.
No comments:
Post a Comment