83-482: Canonization is the declaration of a deceased person as an officially recognized saint , specifically, the official act of a Christian communion declaring a person worthy of public veneration and entering their name in the canon catalogue of saints, or authorized list of that communion's recognized saints. Canonization is a papal declaration that the Catholic faithful may venerate a particular deceased member of
166-465: A patron saint of a particular cause, profession, or locale, or invoked as a protector against specific illnesses or disasters, sometimes by popular custom and sometimes by official declarations of the church. Saints are not believed to have power of their own, but only that granted by God. Relics of saints are respected, or venerated , similar to the veneration of holy images and icons . The practice in past centuries of venerating relics of saints with
249-623: A canonization process unique to each church. The Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, for example, has the requirement that at least 50 years must pass following a prospective saint's death before the Coptic Orthodox Church's pope can canonize the saint. In the Anglican Communion and the Continuing Anglican movement, the title of Saint refers to a person who has been elevated by popular opinion as
332-479: A man who was merely killed while intoxicated, prohibited veneration of the man, and most significantly decreed that "you shall not therefore presume to honor him in the future; for, even if miracles were worked through him, it is not lawful for you to venerate him as a saint without the authority of the Catholic Church." Theologians disagree as to the full import of the decretal of Pope Alexander III : either
415-485: A moral model, but communion with God: there are countless examples of people who lived in great sin and became saints by humility and repentance, such as Mary of Egypt , Moses the Ethiopian , and Dysmas , the repentant thief who was crucified. Therefore, a more complete Eastern Orthodox definition of what a saint is, has to do with the way that saints, through their humility and their love of humankind, saved inside them
498-761: A more general way to refer to the state of special holiness that many religions attribute to certain people", referring to the Jewish ḥasīd or tzadik , the Islamic walī / fakir , the Hindu rishi , Sikh bhagat or guru , the Shintoist kami , the Taoist shengren , and the Buddhist arhat or bodhisattva also as saints. Depending on the religion, saints are recognized either by official ecclesiastical declaration, as in
581-493: A new law was instituted, in which case the Pope then for the first time reserved the right of beatification to himself, or an existing law was confirmed. However, the procedure initiated by the decretal of Pope Alexander III was confirmed by a bull of Pope Innocent III issued on the occasion of the canonization of Cunigunde of Luxembourg in 1200. The bull of Pope Innocent III resulted in increasingly elaborate inquiries to
664-455: A pious and holy person. The saints are seen as models of holiness to be imitated, and as a "cloud of witnesses" that strengthen and encourage the believer during his or her spiritual journey ( Hebrews 12:1 ). The saints are seen as elder brothers and sisters in Christ. Official Anglican creeds recognize the existence of the saints in heaven. In high-church contexts, such as Anglo-Catholicism ,
747-441: A saint is generally one to whom has been attributed (and who has generally demonstrated) a high level of holiness and sanctity . In this use, a saint is therefore not merely a believer , but one who has been transformed by virtue. In Catholicism , a saint is a special sign of God's activity. The veneration of saints is sometimes misunderstood to be worship, in which case it is derisively termed "hagiolatry". So far as invocation of
830-610: A saint were authoritative, in the strict sense, only for the diocese or ecclesiastical province for which they were issued, but with the spread of the fame of a saint, were often accepted elsewhere also. In the Catholic Church , both in the Latin and the constituent Eastern churches, the act of canonization is reserved to the Apostolic See and occurs at the conclusion of a long process requiring extensive proof that
913-571: A saint. The first stage in this process is an investigation of the candidate's life by an expert. After this, the official report on the candidate is submitted to the bishop of the pertinent diocese and more study is undertaken. The information is then sent to the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints of the Holy See for evaluation at the universal level of the church. If the application is approved
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#1732779883326996-461: A simplification of the procedures. The Apostolic constitution Divinus Perfectionis Magister of Pope John Paul II of 25 January 1983 and the norms issued by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints on 7 February 1983 to implement the constitution in dioceses, continued the simplification of the process initiated by Pope Paul VI . Contrary to popular belief, the reforms did not eliminate
1079-655: A technical one in ancient Roman religion , but due to its globalized use in Christianity the modern word saint is now also used as a translation of comparable terms for persons "worthy of veneration for their holiness or sanctity" in other religions. Many religions also use similar concepts (but different terminology) to venerate persons worthy of some honor. Author John A. Coleman of the Graduate Theological Union , Berkeley, California , wrote that saints across various cultures and religions have
1162-607: Is a Christian. This is similar in usage to Paul 's numerous references in the New Testament of the Bible. In this sense, anyone who is within the Body of Christ (i.e., a professing Christian) is a saint because of their relationship with Christ Jesus. Many Protestants consider intercessory prayers to the saints to be idolatry , since what they perceive to be an application of divine worship that should be given only to God himself
1245-541: Is being given to other believers, dead or alive. Within some Protestant traditions, saint is also used to refer to any born-again Christian . Many emphasize the traditional New Testament meaning of the word, preferring to write "saint" to refer to any believer, in continuity with the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers . The use of "saint" within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church)
1328-752: Is no formal canonization process in Hinduism, but over time, many men and women have reached the status of saints among their followers and among Hindus in general. Unlike in Christianity, Hinduism does not canonize people as saints after death, but they can be accepted as saints during their lifetime. Hindu saints have often renounced the world, and are variously called gurus , sadhus , rishis , devarishis , rajarshis , saptarishis , brahmarshis , swamis , pundits , purohits , pujaris , acharyas , pravaras , yogis , yoginis , and other names. Some Hindu saints are given god-like status, being seen as incarnations of Vishnu , Shiva , Devi , and other aspects of
1411-422: Is no need to have a miracle attributed to the saint to allow their canonization. According to the rules Pope Benedict XIV ( regnat 17 August 1740 – 3 May 1758) instituted, there are three conditions for an equipollent canonization: (1) existence of an ancient cultus of the person, (2) a general and constant attestation to the virtues or martyrdom of the person by credible historians, and (3) uninterrupted fame of
1494-479: Is not necessarily added to the General Roman Calendar or local calendars as an "obligatory" feast; parish churches may be erected in their honor; and the faithful may freely celebrate and honor the saint. Although recognition of sainthood by the Pope does not directly concern a fact of Divine revelation , nonetheless it must be "definitively held" by the faithful as infallible pursuant to, at
1577-666: Is similar to the Protestant tradition. In the New Testament, saints are all those who have entered into the Christian covenant of baptism. The qualification "latter-day" refers to the doctrine that members are living in the latter days before the Second Coming of Christ , and is used to distinguish the members of the church, which considers itself the restoration of the ancient Christian church. Members are therefore often referred to as " Latter-day Saints " or "LDS", and among themselves as "saints". In some theological literature,
1660-418: Is sometimes used, it is only used with the older English connotation of honoring or respecting ( dulia ) a person. According to the church, Divine worship is in the strict sense reserved only to God ( latria ) and never to the saints. One is permitted to ask the saints to intercede or pray to God for persons still on Earth, just as one can ask someone on Earth to pray for him. A saint may be designated as
1743-740: The Apostolic See concerning canonizations. Because the decretal of Pope Alexander III did not end all controversy and some bishops did not obey it in so far as it regarded beatification, the right of which they had certainly possessed hitherto, Pope Urban VIII issued the Apostolic letter Caelestis Hierusalem cives of 5 July 1634 that exclusively reserved to the Apostolic See both its immemorial right of canonization and that of beatification . He further regulated both of these acts by issuing his Decreta servanda in beatificatione et canonizatione Sanctorum on 12 March 1642. In his De Servorum Dei beatificatione et de Beatorum canonizatione of five volumes
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#17327798833261826-600: The Christian influence on Druze faith , two Christian saints become the Druze 's favorite venerated figures: Saint George and Saint Elijah . Thus, in all the villages inhabited by Druzes and Christians in central Mount Lebanon a Christian church or Druze maqam is dedicated to either one of them. According to scholar Ray Jabre Mouawad the Druzes appreciated the two saints for their bravery: Saint George because he confronted
1909-695: The Church of England , a saint is one who is sanctified, as it translates in the Authorized King James Version (1611) 2 Chronicles 6:41: Now therefore arise, O L ORD God, into thy resting place, thou, and the ark of thy strength: let thy priests, O L ORD God, be clothed with salvation, and let thy saints rejoice in goodness. In the Lutheran Church , all Christians, whether in Heaven or on Earth, are regarded as saints. However,
1992-801: The Eastern Orthodox Church , the title Ὅσιος , Hosios (f. Ὁσία Hosia ) is also used. This is a title attributed to saints who had lived a monastic or eremitic life equivalent to the more usual title of "Saint". The Oriental Orthodox churches ‒ the Armenian Apostolic Church , the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria , the Tewahedo Church , Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church , and the Syriac Orthodox Church ‒ follow
2075-682: The Mass contains only the names of apostles and martyrs, along with that of the Blessed Virgin Mary and, since 1962, that of Saint Joseph her spouse. By the fourth century, however, " confessors "—people who had confessed their faith not by dying but by word and life—began to be venerated publicly. Examples of such people are Saint Hilarion and Saint Ephrem the Syrian in the East, and Saint Martin of Tours and Saint Hilary of Poitiers in
2158-591: The Pope may canonize the candidate as a saint for veneration by the universal church. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, a saint is defined as anyone who is in Heaven , whether recognized here on Earth, or not. By this definition, Adam and Eve , Moses , the various prophets , and archangels are all given the title of "Saint". Sainthood in the Orthodox Church does not necessarily reflect
2241-523: The Pope : "The last case of canonization by a metropolitan is said to have been that of St. Gaultier , or Gaucher, [A]bbot of Pontoise, by the Archbishop of Rouen. A decree of Pope Alexander III [in] 1170 gave the prerogative to the [P]ope thenceforth, so far as the Western Church was concerned." In a decretal of 1173, Pope Alexander III reprimanded some bishops for permitting veneration of
2324-525: The United Methodist Book of Discipline states: The Romish doctrine concerning purgatory, pardon, worshiping, and adoration, as well of images as of relics, and also invocation of saints, is a fond thing, vainly invented, and grounded upon no warrant of Scripture, but repugnant to the Word of God. In many Protestant churches, the word saint is used more generally to refer to anyone who
2407-1351: The United Methodist Church has formally declared individuals martyrs , including Dietrich Bonhoeffer (in 2008) and Martin Luther King Jr. (in 2012). Various terms are used for canonization by the autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Churches : канонизация ("canonization") or прославление (" glorification ", in the Russian Orthodox Church ), კანონიზაცია ( kanonizats’ia , Georgian Orthodox Church ), канонизација ( Serbian Orthodox Church ), canonizare ( Romanian Orthodox Church ), and Канонизация ( Bulgarian Orthodox Church ). Additional terms are used for canonization by other autocephalous Eastern Orthodox Churches: αγιοκατάταξη ( Katharevousa : ἁγιοκατάταξις ) agiokatataxi/agiokatataxis , "ranking among saints" ( Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople , Church of Cyprus , Church of Greece ), kanonizim ( Albanian Orthodox Church ), kanonizacja ( Polish Orthodox Church ), and kanonizace/kanonizácia ( Czech and Slovak Orthodox Church ). The Orthodox Church in America , an Eastern Orthodox Church partly recognized as autocephalous, uses
2490-584: The cultus universal, because he alone can rule the universal Catholic Church . Abuses, however, crept into this discipline, due as well to indiscretions of popular fervor as to the negligence of some bishops in inquiring into the lives of those whom they permitted to be honoured as saints. In the Medieval West, the Apostolic See was asked to intervene in the question of canonizations so as to ensure more authoritative decisions. The canonization of Saint Udalric, Bishop of Augsburg by Pope John XV in 993
2573-511: The deities . The name santería was originally a pejorative term for those whose worship of saints deviated from Catholic norms. Buddhists in both the Theravada and Mahayana traditions hold the Arhats in special esteem, as well as highly developed Bodhisattvas . Tibetan Buddhists hold the tulkus (reincarnates of deceased eminent practitioners) as living saints on earth. Due to
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2656-504: The icons of saints. When an Orthodox Christian venerates icons of a saint he is venerating the image of God which he sees in the saint. Because the church shows no true distinction between the living and the dead, as the saints are considered to be alive in Heaven, saints are referred to as if they are still alive, and are venerated, not worshipped. They are believed to be able to intercede for salvation and help mankind either through direct communion with God or by personal intervention. In
2739-749: The Catholic faith, or by popular acclamation (see folk saint ). The English word saint comes from the Latin sanctus , with the Greek equivalent being ἅγιος ( hagios ) 'holy'. The word ἅγιος appears 229 times in the Greek New Testament , and its English translation 60 times in the corresponding text of the King James Version of the Bible . The word sanctus was originally
2822-576: The Day of Judgment. However, both the tombs of prophets and saints are visited frequently ( Ziyarat ) . People would seek the advice of a saint in their quest for spiritual fulfilment. Unlike saints in Christianity, Muslim saints are usually acknowledged informally by consensus of common people, not by scholars. Unlike prophets, women like Rabia of Basra were accepted as saints. Saints are recognized as having specific traits they can be identified through. These include: floating lights appearing above their tomb,
2905-490: The Divine—this can happen during their lifetimes, or sometimes many years after their deaths. This explains another common name for Hindu saints: godmen, is invention of western Abrahamic media to a Pagan Ideas. Besides prophets, according to Islam , saints possess blessings (Arabic: بركة, "baraka") and can perform miracles (Arabic: كرامات, Karāmāt ). Saints rank lower than prophets, and they do not intercede for people on
2988-684: The Hindu Shadhus , the Buddhist A rahant or B odhisattva, the Daoist S hengren, the Shinto K ami, and others have all been referred to as saints. Cuban Santería , Haitian Vodou , Trinidad Orisha-Shango , Brazilian Umbanda , Candomblé , and other similar syncretist religions adopted the Catholic saints, or at least the images of the saints, and applied their own spirits/deities to them. They are worshipped in churches (where they appear as saints) and in religious festivals, where they appear as
3071-571: The Lord". The title Saint denotes a person who has been formally canonized —that is, officially and authoritatively declared a saint, by the church as holder of the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven , and is therefore believed to be in Heaven by the grace of God . There are many persons that the church believes to be in Heaven who have not been formally canonized and who are otherwise titled saints because of
3154-464: The West. Their names were inserted in the diptychs , the lists of saints explicitly venerated in the liturgy , and their tombs were honoured in like manner as those of the martyrs. Since the witness of their lives was not as unequivocal as that of the martyrs, they were venerated publicly only with the approval by the local bishop . This process is often referred to as "local canonization". This approval
3237-557: The authors of blessings. Such a view was condemned but the former was affirmed." Some Anglicans and Anglican churches, particularly Anglo-Catholics, personally ask prayers of the saints. However, such a practice is seldom found in any official Anglican liturgy. Unusual examples of it are found in The Korean Liturgy 1938, the liturgy of the Diocese of Guiana 1959 and The Melanesian English Prayer Book. Anglicans believe that
3320-546: The candidate for canonization lived and died in such an exemplary and holy way that they are worthy to be recognized as a saint. The Church's official recognition of sanctity implies that the person is now in Heaven and that they may be publicly invoked and mentioned officially in the liturgy of the Church, including in the Litany of the Saints . In the Catholic Church, canonization is a decree that allows universal veneration of
3403-503: The candidate may be granted the title Venerable (stage 2). Further investigation, step 3, may lead to the candidate's beatification with the title Blessed , which is elevation to the class of the Beati . Next, and at a minimum, proof of two important miracles obtained from God through the intercession of the candidate are required for formal canonization as a saint. Finally, in the last stage, after all of these procedures are complete,
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3486-419: The canon (official list) of saints of the church. The formal process of recognition involves deliberation by a synod of bishops. The Orthodox Church does not require the manifestation of miracles; what is required is evidence of a virtuous life. If the ecclesiastical review is successful, this is followed by a service of glorification in which the saint is given a day on the church calendar to be celebrated by
3569-516: The church still recognizes and honors specific saints, including some of those recognized by the Catholic Church, but in a qualified way: according to the Augsburg Confession , the term saint is used in the manner of the Catholic Church only insofar as to denote a person who received exceptional grace, was sustained by faith, and whose good works are to be an example to any Christian. Traditional Lutheran belief accounts that prayers to
3652-490: The church. Popes began making such decrees in the tenth century. Up to that point, the local bishops governed the veneration of holy men and women within their own dioceses; and there may have been, for any particular saint, no formal decree at all. In subsequent centuries, the procedures became increasingly regularized and the Popes began restricting to themselves the right to declare someone a Catholic saint. In contemporary usage,
3735-447: The claims of those who were said to have died for the faith. All the circumstances accompanying the martyrdom were to be inquired into; the faith of those who suffered, and the motives that animated them were to be rigorously examined, in order to prevent the recognition of undeserving persons. Evidence was sought from the court records of the trials or from people who had been present at the trials. Augustine of Hippo (died 430) tells of
3818-423: The dragon and Saint Elijah because he competed with the pagan priests of Baal and won over them. In both cases the explanations provided by Christians is that Druzes were attracted to warrior saints that resemble their own militarized society. Hindu saints are those recognized by Hindus as showing a great degree of holiness and sanctity. Hinduism has a long tradition of stories and poetry about saints. There
3901-473: The eminent canonist Prospero Lambertini (1675–1758), who later became Pope Benedict XIV , elaborated on the procedural norms of Pope Urban VIII 's Apostolic letter Caelestis Hierusalem cives of 1634 and Decreta servanda in beatificatione et canonizatione Sanctorum of 1642, and on the conventional practice of the time. His work published from 1734 to 1738 governed the proceedings until 1917. The article " Beatification and canonization process in 1914 " describes
3984-489: The entire church, and loved all people. Orthodox belief considers that God reveals saints through answered prayers and other miracles. Saints are usually recognized by a local community, often by people who directly knew them. As their popularity grows they are often then recognized by the entire church through the Holy Spirit . The word canonization means that a Christian has been found worthy to have his name placed in
4067-469: The entire church. This does not, however, make the person a saint; the person already was a saint and the church ultimately recognized it. As a general rule, only clergy will touch relics in order to move them or carry them in procession, however, in veneration the faithful will kiss the relic to show love and respect toward the saint. The altar in an Orthodox Church usually contains relics of saints, often of martyrs . Church interiors are covered with
4150-462: The fame of their holiness. Sometimes the word saint also denotes living Christians. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church , "The patriarchs, prophets, and certain other Old Testament figures have been and always will be honored as saints in all the church's liturgical traditions." In his book Saint of the Day , editor Leonard Foley says this: the "[Saints'] surrender to God's love
4233-539: The following family resemblances : The anthropologist Lawrence Babb, in an article about Indian guru Sathya Sai Baba , asks the question "Who is a saint?" and responds by saying that in the symbolic infrastructure of some religions, there is the image of a certain extraordinary spiritual person's "miraculous powers", to whom frequently a certain moral presence is attributed. These saintly figures, he asserts, are "the focal points of spiritual force-fields". They exert "powerful attractive influence on followers but touch
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#17327798833264316-431: The following process: Canonization is a statement of the Church that the person certainly enjoys the beatific vision of Heaven . The title of "Saint" ( Latin : Sanctus or Sancta ) is then proper, reflecting that the saint is a refulgence of the holiness ( sanctitas ) of God himself, which alone comes from God's gift. The saint is assigned a feast day which may be celebrated anywhere in the universal Church, although it
4399-443: The inner lives of others in transforming ways as well". According to the Catholic Church , a saint may be anyone in Heaven , whether recognized on Earth or not, who forms the "great cloud of witnesses" (Hebrews 12:1). These "may include our own mothers, grandmothers or other loved ones (cf. 2 Tim 1:5)" who may have not always lived perfect lives, but "amid their faults and failings they kept moving forward and proved pleasing to
4482-435: The intention of obtaining healing from God through their intercession is taken from the early church. For example, an American deacon claimed in 2000 that John Henry Newman (then blessed) interceded with God to cure him of a physical illness. The deacon, Jack Sullivan, asserted that after addressing Newman he was cured of spinal stenosis in a matter of hours. In 2009, a panel of theologians concluded that Sullivan's recovery
4565-463: The invocation of saints, permitting the latter in accordance with Article XXII. Indeed, the theologian E.J. Bicknell stated that the Anglican view acknowledges that the term "invocation may mean either of two things: the simple request to a saint for his prayers (intercession), 'ora pro nobis', or a request for some particular benefit. In medieval times the saints had come to be regarded as themselves
4648-550: The least, the Universal Magisterium of the Church , because it is a truth related to revelation by historical necessity. Popes have several times permitted to the universal Church, without executing the ordinary judicial process of canonization described above, the veneration as a saint, the " cultus " of one long venerated as such locally. This act of a Pope is denominated "equipollent" or "equivalent canonization" and "confirmation of cultus ". In such cases, there
4731-403: The lives of 2,565 saints. Robert Sarno, an official of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints of the Holy See , expressed that it is impossible to give an exact number of saints. The veneration of saints, in Latin cultus , or the "cult of the Saints", describes a particular popular devotion or entrustment of one's self to a particular saint or group of saints. Although the term worship
4814-514: The local bishop . Pope John XVIII subsequently permitted a cult of five Polish martyrs . Pope Benedict VIII later declared the Armenian hermit Simeon of Mantua to be a saint, but it was not until the pontificate of Pope Innocent III that the Popes reserved to themselves the exclusive authority to canonize saints, so that local bishops needed the confirmation of the Pope. Walter of Pontoise
4897-561: The office of the Promoter of the Faith (Latin: Promotor Fidei ), popularly known as the Devil's advocate , whose office is to question the material presented in favor of canonization. The reforms were intended to reduce the adversarial nature of the process. In November 2012 Pope Benedict XVI appointed Monsignor Carmello Pellegrino as Promoter of the Faith. Candidates for canonization undergo
4980-576: The only effective Mediator between the believer and God the Father, in terms of redemption and salvation, is God the Son, Jesus Christ . Historical Anglicanism has drawn a distinction between the intercession of the saints and the invocation of the saints. The former was generally accepted in Anglican doctrine, while the latter was generally rejected. There are some, however, in Anglicanism, who do beseech
5063-557: The person as a worker of miracles. The majority of Protestant denominations do not formally recognize saints because the Bible uses the term in a way that suggests all Christians are saints. However, some denominations do, as shown below. The Church of England , the Mother Church of the Anglican Communion , canonized Charles I as a saint, in the Convocations of Canterbury and York of 1660. The General Conference of
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#17327798833265146-411: The procedure which was followed in his day for the recognition of a martyr. The bishop of the diocese in which the martyrdom took place set up a canonical process for conducting the inquiry with the utmost severity. The acts of the process were sent either to the metropolitan or primate , who carefully examined the cause, and, after consultation with the suffragan bishops, declared whether the deceased
5229-541: The procedures followed until the promulgation of the Codex of 1917. The substance of De Servorum Dei beatifιcatione et de Beatorum canonizatione was incorporated into the Codex Iuris Canonici ( Code of Canon Law ) of 1917, which governed until the promulgation of the revised Codex Iuris Canonici in 1983 by Pope John Paul II . Prior to promulgation of the revised Codex in 1983, Pope Paul VI initiated
5312-410: The process of canonization in the Catholic Church or glorification in the Eastern Orthodox Church after their approval. In many Protestant denominations saint refers broadly to any holy Christian , without special recognition or selection. While the English word saint (deriving from the Latin sanctus ) originated in Christianity, historians of religion tend to use the appellation "in
5395-471: The process of beatification will serve to illustrate in detail the general principles exposed above upon proof of their holiness or likeness to God. On 3 January 993, Pope John XV became the first pope to proclaim a person a saint from outside the diocese of Rome: on the petition of the German ruler, he had canonized Bishop Ulrich of Augsburg . Before that time, the popular "cults", or venerations, of saints had been local and spontaneous and were confirmed by
5478-404: The saint. For permission to venerate merely locally, only beatification is needed. For several centuries the bishops , or in some places only the primates and patriarchs , could grant martyrs and confessors public ecclesiastical honor; such honor, however, was always decreed only for the local territory of which the grantors had jurisdiction. Only acceptance of the cultus by the Pope made
5561-426: The saints are prohibited, as they are not mediators of redemption. But, Lutherans do believe that saints pray for the Christian Church in general. Philip Melanchthon , the author of the Apology of the Augsburg Confession, approved honoring the saints by saying they are honored in three ways: The Lutheran Churches also have liturgical calendars in which they honor individuals as saints. The intercession of saints
5644-420: The saints have a special symbol by tradition, e.g., Saint Lawrence , deacon and martyr, is identified by a gridiron because he is believed to have been burned to death on one. This symbol is found, for instance, in the Canadian heraldry of the office responsible for the St. Lawrence Seaway . Formal canonization is a lengthy process, often of many years or even centuries. There are four major steps to become
5727-429: The saints is concerned, one of the Church of England 's Articles of Religion "Of Purgatory " condemns "the Romish Doctrine concerning ...(the) Invocation of Saints" as "a fond thing vainly invented, and grounded upon no warranty of Scripture, but rather repugnant to the Word of God". Anglo-Catholics in Anglican provinces using the Articles often make a distinction between a "Romish" and a "Patristic" doctrine concerning
5810-446: The saints' intercession. Those who beseech the saints to intercede on their behalf make a distinction between mediator and intercessor , and claim that asking for the prayers of the saints is no different in kind than asking for the prayers of living Christians. Anglican Catholics understand sainthood in a more Catholic or Orthodox way, often praying for intercessions from the saints and celebrating their feast days. According to
5893-492: The term " glorification " for the official recognition of a person as a saint. Within the Armenian Apostolic Church , part of Oriental Orthodoxy , there had been discussions since the 1980s about canonizing the victims of the Armenian genocide . On 23 April 2015, all of the victims of the genocide were canonized. Saint In Christian belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of holiness , likeness , or closeness to God . However,
5976-642: The term is understood to refer to the act by which any Christian church declares that a person who has died is a saint, upon which declaration the person is included in the list of recognized saints, called the "canon". In the Roman Martyrology, the following entry is given for the Penitent Thief : "At Jerusalem, the commemoration of the good Thief, who confessed Christ on the cross, and deserved to hear from Him these words: 'This day thou shalt be with Me in paradise.' The Roman Rite 's Canon of
6059-519: The term to refer to biblical figures, Christian leaders, and martyrs of the faith. Many Methodist churches are named after saints—such as the Twelve Apostles , John Wesley , etc.—although most are named after geographical locations associated with an early circuit or prominent location. Methodist congregations observe All Saints' Day . Many encourage the study of saints, that is, the biographies of holy people. The 14th Article of Religion in
6142-442: The use of the term saint depends on the context and denomination . In Catholic , Eastern Orthodox , Anglican , Oriental Orthodox , and Lutheran doctrine, all of their faithful deceased in Heaven are considered to be saints, but a select are considered worthy of greater honor or emulation. Official ecclesiastical recognition, and consequently a public cult of veneration , is conferred on some denominational saints through
6225-468: The use of the term saint tends to be used in non-Christian contexts as well. In many religions, there are people who have been recognized within their tradition as having fulfilled the highest aspirations of religious teaching. In English, the term saint is often used to translate this idea from many world religions . The jewish ḥasīd or tsaddiq , the islamic qidees , the Zoroastrian F ravashi ,
6308-468: The virtues and miracles of persons proposed for public veneration should be examined in councils, more specifically in general councils. Pope Urban II , Pope Calixtus II , and Pope Eugene III conformed to this discipline. Hugh de Boves , Archbishop of Rouen , canonized Walter of Pontoise , or St. Gaultier, in 1153, the final saint in Western Europe to be canonized by an authority other than
6391-794: Was criticized in the Augsburg Confession, Article XXI: Of the Worship of the Saints . This criticism was rebutted by the Catholic side in the Confutatio Augustana , which in turn was rebutted by the Lutheran side in the Apology to the Augsburg Confession . While Methodists as a whole do not venerate saints, they do honor and admire them. Methodists believe that all Christians are saints , but mainly use
6474-471: Was required even for veneration of a reputed martyr. In his history of the Donatist heresy, Saint Optatus recounts that at Carthage a Catholic matron, named Lucilla, incurred the censures of the Church for having kissed the relics of a reputed martyr whose claims to martyrdom had not been juridically proved. And Saint Cyprian (died 258) recommended that the utmost diligence be observed in investigating
6557-436: Was so generous an approach to the total surrender of Jesus that the Church recognizes them as heroes and heroines worthy to be held up for our inspiration. They remind us that the Church is holy, can never stop being holy and is called to show the holiness of God by living the life of Christ." The Catholic Church teaches that it does not "make" or "create" saints, but rather recognizes them. Proofs of heroic virtue required in
6640-519: Was the first undoubted example of papal canonization of a saint from outside of Rome being declared worthy of liturgical veneration for the entire church. Thereafter, recourse to the judgment of the Pope occurred more frequently. Toward the end of the 11th century, the Popes began asserting their exclusive right to authorize the veneration of a saint against the older rights of bishops to do so for their dioceses and regions. Popes therefore decreed that
6723-679: Was the last person in Western Europe to be canonized by an authority other than the Pope: Hugh de Boves , the Archbishop of Rouen , canonized him in 1153. Thenceforth a decree of Pope Alexander III in 1170 reserved the prerogative of canonization to the Pope, insofar as the Latin Church was concerned. Alban Butler published Lives of the Saints in 1756, including a total of 1,486 saints. The latest revision of this book, edited by Herbert Thurston and Donald Attwater , contains
6806-429: Was the result of his prayer to Newman. According to the church, to be deemed a miracle, "a medical recovery must be instantaneous, not attributable to treatment, disappear for good." Once a person has been canonized, the deceased body of the saint is considered holy as a relic . The remains of saints are called holy relics and are usually used in churches. Saints' personal belongings may also be used as relics. Some of
6889-402: Was worthy of the name of "martyr" and public veneration. Though not "canonizations" in the narrow sense, acts of formal recognition, such as the erection of an altar over the saint's tomb or transferring the saint's relics to a church, were preceded by formal inquiries into the sanctity of the person's life and the miracles attributed to that person's intercession. Such acts of recognition of
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