Divine Liturgy ( ‹See Tfd› Greek : Θεία Λειτουργία , translit. Theia Leitourgia ) or Holy Liturgy is the usual name used in most Eastern Christian rites for the Eucharistic service.
136-526: The Greek Catholic and Orthodox Churches see the Divine Liturgy as transcending time and the world. All believers are seen as united in worship in the Kingdom of God along with the departed saints and the angels of heaven. Everything in the liturgy is seen as symbolic, but not merely so, for it makes present the unseen reality. According to Eastern tradition and belief, the liturgy's roots go back to
272-465: 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
408-623: 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
544-749: 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 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
680-674: A confession of faith. The partaking of the Eucharist follows, first the Body of Christ given to the celebrants, to the deacons and to the faithful who approach the sanctuary without shoes and then the Blood of Christ in the same order. Psalm 150 is sung in the meantime. The distribution of the Eucharist ends with a blessing with the Paten . The dismissal rites include The Prayer of Laying the Hands and
816-1061: A first marriage consists of three distinct services: the Betrothal, the Mystery of Crowning , and the Taking off of the Crowns, but nowadays these are performed in immediate succession. There is no exchange of vows. Since its founding, the Church spread to different places and its leaders in each region came to be known as episkopoi (overseers, plural of epískopos , overseer—Gr. ἐπίσκοπος ), which became " bishop " in English. The other ordained roles are presbýteros (Gr. πρεσβύτερος , elder), which became "prester" and then " priest " in English, and diákonos (Gr. διάκονος , servant), which became " deacon " in English (see also subdeacon ). There are numerous administrative positions among
952-485: 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
1088-497: A new name is given, which becomes the person's name. Children of Orthodox families are normally baptized shortly after birth. Converts to Orthodoxy are usually formally baptized into the Orthodox Church, though exceptions are sometimes made. Those who have left Orthodoxy and adopted a new religion, if they return to their Orthodox roots, are usually received back into the church through the mystery of Chrismation. Properly,
1224-516: A partition covered with icons , separates the area around the altar from the nave . The sign of the cross , accompanied by bowing, is made very frequently, e.g., more than a hundred times during the divine liturgy , and there is prominent veneration of icons, a general acceptance of the congregants freely moving within the church and interacting with each other, and distinctive traditions of liturgical chanting. Some traditional practices are falling out of use in modern times in sundry churches and in
1360-455: 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 ,
1496-435: A priest. They are encouraged to increase their prayer rule, adding the prescribed prayers in preparation for communing. Finally, they fast completely from food, drink, and sexual activity from the evening before, a time interpreted variously in sundry locations as: from arising from sleep, or from midnight, or from sunset the previous evening. When one who has committed sins repents of them, wishing to reconcile to God and renew
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#17327657717841632-441: 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
1768-571: 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
1904-603: 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 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
2040-801: A single anaphora (the Athanasius -Anaphora) for the liturgy: Holy Patarag or in Western Armenian Holy Badarak, meaning 'sacrifice'. This is in distinction from the other liturgies of the Oriental Orthodox Churches (Coptic, West Syrian, Ethiopic) which have retained multiple anaphora. This means that the text of the Patarag can be contained in a single, unified liturgical book, the Պատարագամատոյց ( Pataragamatooyts , Western Armenian Badarakamadooyts , meaning 'the offering of sacrifice'). This book contains all of
2176-731: A veil. In the Liturgy of the Catechumens the readings from the New Testament are proclaimed. This portion was in ancient times the beginning of the liturgy, and the only part which could be attended by the catechumens . It is roughly equivalent to the Liturgy of the Word in the Western Rites. It begins with a Penitential Rite in which first the priest prays inaudibly to Christ for the forgiveness of sins ( The Absolution to
2312-607: 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
2448-401: Is an act of compassion of the Church towards sinful man. Ecclesiastically divorced Orthodox (not civilly divorced only). Should a married deacon or priest die, it is common for his wife to retire to a monastery once their children are out of the house. Widowed priests are not allowed to remarry (no priest may be married after his ordination) and also frequently enter monasteries. The order of
2584-488: 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)
2720-492: Is eternal. The Church does recognize that there are rare occasions when it is better that couples do separate, but there is no official recognition of civil divorces. For the Orthodox, to say that marriage is indissoluble means that it should not be broken, the violation of such a union, perceived as holy, being an offense resulting from either adultery or the prolonged absence of one of the partners. Thus, permitting remarriage
2856-530: Is named among the saints. The term Liturgy of Saint Basil may refer also to the whole Eucharistic Liturgy which in the Coptic Church has the following structure: Offertory (or Prothesis ) is the part of the liturgy in which the Sacramental bread ( qorban ) and wine ( abarkah ) are chosen and placed on the altar. All these rites are Middle-ages developments. It begins with the dressing of
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#17327657717842992-813: 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
3128-485: Is normally given immediately after baptism as part of the same service. It may also be used to formally receive again lapsed members of the Orthodox Church. As baptism is a person's participation in the death and resurrection of Christ, so chrismation is a person's participation in the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost . A baptized and chrismated Orthodox Christian is a full member of the Church and may receive
3264-574: Is not reserved only for the dying or terminally ill, but for all in need of spiritual or bodily healing, and with reception of this sacrament comes forgiveness of sins. In Greece, during the Ottoman occupation, when parish priests were not allowed to hear confessions, it became the custom to administer this mystery annually on Great Wednesday to all believers so that all could commune the following days through Pascha. In recent decades, this custom has spread to many other locations. Two main strata exist in
3400-453: Is of a shortage of married priests, a monk-priest may be assigned to a parish. A deacon or priest would have to abandon his orders, i.e. be liaised, to marry after ordination; it is common for widowed clergy to enter a monastery. Also, widowed wives of clergy, who are discouraged from remarrying, often become nuns when their children are grown. Only men can take holy orders, although deaconesses had both liturgical and pastoral functions within
3536-666: 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,
3672-418: 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
3808-522: Is the core of the Liturgy, where are placed the proper Eucharistic rites. It begins with the prayer of the Veil, in which the priest offers the liturgical sacrifice to God. The Long Litanies follows, where all pray for the peace, for the ecclesiastic hierarchy and for the congregation. The Nicean Creed is proclaimed, the priest washes his hands three times and sprinkles water on the congregation reciting
3944-594: Is the public part of the Liturgy, in which both catechumens and baptized faithful would be in the nave: When the liturgy is at the usual time (following matins or the sixth hour), this order is followed: But when the liturgy is joined to vespers (on Christmas Eve , Theophany Eve , the feast of the Annunciation (except when these days fall on Saturday or Sunday (or, in the Annunciation's case, during Easter Week)), Maundy Thursday and Holy Saturday ) after
4080-493: Is united to the Body of Christ by becoming a member of the Orthodox Church. During the service, water is blessed. The catechumen is fully immersed in the water three times, once in the name of each of the figures of the Holy Trinity. This is considered to be a death of the "old man" by participation in the crucifixion and burial of Christ, and a rebirth into new life in Christ by participation in his resurrection. Properly
4216-471: Is usually used during the feasts of the Church but not exclusively. In addition the clergy performing the liturgy can combine extracts of the Liturgies of St. Cyril and St. Gregory to the more frequently used St. Basil at the discretion of the priest or bishop. The main liturgy used by the Coptic Church is known as Liturgy of Saint Basil. The term Liturgies of Saint Basil in a Coptic context means not only
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4352-541: The Body and Blood of Jesus Christ in the midst of the Divine Liturgy with the rest of the church. The bread and wine are believed to be transubstantiated as the genuine Body and Blood of the Christ Jesus through the operation of the Holy Spirit. Communion is given only to baptized Orthodox Christians who have prepared by fasting, prayer and confession. The wine is administered with a spoon directly into
4488-712: The Byzantine Rite apply it to their Eucharistic services but, while in English the same word (as also the word "Mass") is at times used to speak of the corresponding services of the Oriental Orthodox Churches , the normal names used in those Churches refers either to the aspect of offering/sacrifice ( Qurobo Alohoyo in the Syriac Orthodox Church ), Badarak in the Armenian Apostolic Church , Prosfora in
4624-540: The Byzantine Rite : As well as these, there are two others that are used locally and rarely, the Liturgy of St. James and the Liturgy of Saint Mark . As numbers in a diocese increased dramatically, the bishop who presides over the Eucharistic assembly appointed presbyters to act as celebrants in the local communities (the parishes). Still, the Church is understood in Eastern Orthodoxy in terms not of
4760-448: The Catholic Church , it serves to unite a woman and a man in eternal union and love before God, with the purpose of following Christ and His Gospel and raising up a faithful, holy family through their holy union. The church understands marriage to be the union of one man and one woman, and certain Orthodox leaders have spoken out strongly in opposition to the civil institution of same-sex marriage . Jesus said that "when they rise from
4896-600: 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
5032-695: 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,
5168-601: The Coptic Orthodox Church ) or of sanctifying ( Keddase in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church ). The Oriental Orthodox Churches own a richness of different liturgies, which are named after the anaphora included. At present, the Coptic Orthodox Church and Coptic Catholic Church have three Liturgies: The Liturgy of St. Basil is celebrated on most Sundays and contains the shortest anaphora. The Liturgy of St. Gregory
5304-575: 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
5440-694: The Eucharist . The full cycle of services are usually served only in monasteries, cathedrals, and other Katholika (sobors). In monasteries and parishes of the Russian tradition, the Third and Sixth Hours are read during the Prothesis ( Liturgy of Preparation) ; otherwise, the Prothesis is served during matins, the final portion of which is omitted, the Liturgy of the Catechumens beginning immediately after
5576-558: The Father for the forgiveness of sins ( The Absolution to the Father ). The Elevation is similar to that in the Byzantine Rite , with the celebrant who raises the portion of the Lamb engraved with a cross (the ispadikon ) crying: " The holy things for the holy ones ". The priest makes a second consignation and puts gently the ispakidon in the chalice (the commixture), then he recites aloud
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5712-547: The Graduate Theological Union , Berkeley, California , wrote that saints across various cultures and religions have 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
5848-579: The Greek Rite or the Rite of Constantinople , is a liturgical rite that is identified with the wide range of cultural, devotional, and canonical practices that developed in the Eastern Christian church of Constantinople . The canonical hours are extended and complex, lasting about eight hours (longer during Great Lent ) but are abridged outside of large monasteries . An iconostasis ,
5984-502: The Kyrie eleison , the priest checks the wine and chooses among the bread one loaf which will be consecrated (the Lamb ). The Lamb is cleaned with a napkin and blessed with the priest's thumb wet with wine. Afterwards the priest takes the Lamb in procession around the altar and the deacon follows with the wine and a candle. At the altar, the priest, with appropriate prayers, blesses the Lamb and
6120-524: 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
6256-721: The Second Vatican Council (1962–1965) by Pope Paul VI in 1969 and revised by Pope John Paul II in 2002, largely replacing the usage of the Tridentine Mass form originally promulgated in 1570 in accordance with decrees of the Council of Trent in its closing session (1545–46). The 1962 form of the Tridentine Mass, in the Latin language alone, may be employed where authorized by the Holy See or, in
6392-736: The Trisagion is sung three times, each time with a different reference to the Incarnation , Passion , Resurrection , thus addressing the Trisagion to Christ only. After the Trisagion follows a litany , the recital of a Psalm and the singing of the Alleluia , and finally the proclamation of the Gospel from the doors of the sanctuary. The sermon may follow. The Liturgy of the Faithful
6528-402: 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
6664-404: 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
6800-504: 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
6936-455: The troparion following the Great Doxology . The Midnight Office is seldom served in parish churches, except at the Paschal Vigil as the essential office, wherein the burial shroud is removed from the tomb and carried to the altar. The sundry Canonical Hours are, in practice, grouped together into aggregates so that there are three major times of prayer a day: Evening, Morning and Midday. The most common groupings are as follows: On
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#17327657717847072-459: The Bohairic text: the manuscript, incomplete in its first part, begins with the Post Sanctus , and is followed by a terse Institution narrative , by a pithy Anamnesis which simply lists the themes and ends with the oblation . The next Epiclesis consists only of the prayer to the Holy Spirit to come and manifest the gifts, without any explicit request to change the gifts in the Body and Blood of Christ. The intercessions are shorter and only Mary
7208-527: 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,
7344-449: The Divine Liturgy, not only hymns but litanies, prayers, creed confession and even readings from the Bible, depending on tradition. In ancient rubrics, and contemporary Greek practice, the sermon, Nicene Creed and the Lord's Prayer are spoken/read, rather than chanted. Slavic traditions chant or sing everything except the sermon. "Divine Liturgy" is the normal word for church service in Oriental Orthodoxy. In their own languages, followers of
7480-436: 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
7616-401: The English word saint (deriving from the Latin sanctus ) originated in Christianity, historians of religion tend to use the appellation "in 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 ,
7752-707: The Eucharist is the central part of the service in which they participate, as they believe the bread and wine truly become the real Body and Blood of Christ , and that by partaking of it they jointly become the Body of Christ (that is, the Church ). Each Liturgy has its differences from others, but most are very similar to each other with adaptations based on tradition, purpose, culture and theology. Autocephaly recognized by some autocephalous Churches de jure : Autocephaly and canonicity recognized by Constantinople and 3 other autocephalous Churches: Spiritual independence recognized by Georgian Orthodox Church: Semi-Autonomous: Three Divine Liturgies are in common use in
7888-475: The Eucharist regardless of age and, indeed, does so beginning at the first liturgy attended after chrismation, infant communion being the universal norm. The sanctification of chrism may, in theory, be performed by any bishop at any time, but in longstanding practice is performed no more than once a year by hierarchs of most of the autocephalous churches, although some autocephalous churches obtain their chrism from another church. Anointing with it substitutes for
8024-567: 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 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
8160-515: 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
8296-415: 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
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#17327657717848432-518: The Nativity Fast, Apostles Fast, and Dormition Fast on days when the Lenten alleluia replaces "God is the Lord" at matins, which may be done at the discretion of the ecclesiarch when the Divine Liturgy is not celebrated. In addition to these public prayers, there are also private prayers prescribed for both monastics and laypersons; in some monasteries, however, these are read in church. These include Morning and Evening Prayers and prayers (and, in Russia, canons ) to be prayed in preparation for receiving
8568-448: The Old Testament readings the Little Litany is said and the liturgy continues from this point: In the early Church, only baptized members who could receive Holy Communion were allowed to attend this portion of the Liturgy. In common contemporary practice, with very few local exceptions (e.g., Mount Athos ), all may stay. However, in some places, catechumens are formally dismissed for further study. Almost all texts are chanted throughout
8704-423: The Patarag. However, the celebration of a short memorial service for one or more departed persons (Հոգեհանգիստ hogehangist , Western Armenian hokehankist , meaning 'rest of the spirit') is quite prevalent in parishes and replaces the reading of the last Gospel. The following description of the celebration of Mass, usually in the local vernacular language, is limited to the form of the Roman Rite promulgated after
8840-415: The Prayer of Reconciliation which is a prayer of worthiness for all who attend the liturgy. Next is the Kiss of peace during which the faithful sing the Aspasmos Adam ( Rejoice O Mary ) hymn. The Anaphora is conducted. After the anaphora takes place the consignation, i.e. the moistening of the Lamb with some drops of the consecrated Wine, which is shown for the worship of the faithful. The Fraction of
8976-406: The Russian tradition, on any day for Christmas, Theophany), Vespers (with the Liturgy in most instances) is served earlier in the day and so Great Compline functions much as Great vespers does on the vigils of other feast days. Baptism transforms the old and sinful person into a new and pure one; the old life, the sins, any mistakes made are gone and a clean slate is given. Through Baptism a person
9112-417: The Russian tradition, the " all-night vigil " is served in every church on Saturday nights and the eves of feast days (although it may be abridged to be as short as two hours) while elsewhere, it is usual to have matins on the morning of the feast; however, in the latter instance, vespers and matins are rather less abridged but the Divine Liturgy commences at the end of matins and the hours are not read, as
9248-399: The Son ) and then all the participants kneel in front of the altar and the celebrant, or the bishop if present, recites a prayer of absolution ( The Absolution to the Ministers ). The reading from the Pauline epistles is preceded by the offering of incense at the four sides of the altar, at the iconostasis , at the book of the Gospel and at the faithfuls in the nave ; in the meantime
9384-413: 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 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
9520-401: The adaptation of Jewish liturgy by Early Christians . The first part, termed the "Liturgy of the Catechumens", includes like a synagogue service the reading of scriptures and, in some places, perhaps a sermon/homily. The second half is based on the Last Supper and the first Eucharistic celebrations by Early Christians and it is called "Liturgy of the Faithful". Eastern Christians believe that
9656-433: 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
9792-528: The body not decaying, a pleasant and miraculous odor coming from the body, appearing in the dreams of others who they pray on behalf of, appearing in two places at once, and having normally impossible knowledge. Byzantine Rite Autocephaly recognized by some autocephalous Churches de jure : Autocephaly and canonicity recognized by Constantinople and 3 other autocephalous Churches: Spiritual independence recognized by Georgian Orthodox Church: Semi-Autonomous: The Byzantine Rite , also known as
9928-503: 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,
10064-419: 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
10200-720: The cathedral rite of Constantinople, called the asmatiki akolouthia ("sung services") and the Palestinian Rite of Jerusalem, the Hagiopolitan (Gr. "of the Holy City") in Greek, chiefly through the monastic typikon of the Mar Saba monastery near Jerusalem. Later developments were usually connected to monasteries at Constantinople and Mt. Athos patronized by the imperial court, such as Studion , whose Rule formed
10336-526: The church in Jerusalem. A special prayer of repentance is sung by the clergy on the morning of Palm Sunday (Armenian: Ծաղկազարդ tsaghkazard , Western Armenian dzaghgazard ), after which the curtain is opened for the first time since the last Sunday before the Great Fast. One element which almost certainly derives from the influence of Western liturgy is the reading of a last Gospel at the conclusion of
10472-516: 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
10608-464: The church. This has fallen out of practice, the last deaconess having been ordained in the 19th century; however, in 2016, Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria decided to reinstate the order of deaconesses and, in February 2017, Patriarch Theodoros II appointed six nuns to be subdeacons. Anointing with oil, often called "unction", is one of the mysteries administered by the Orthodox Church and it
10744-514: The circumstances indicated in the 2021 document Traditionis custodes , by the diocesan bishop. Saints In Christian belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of holiness , likeness , or closeness to God . However, 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
10880-603: The clergy that carry additional titles. Bishops are always monks. Although someone who is not a monk may be elected to be a bishop, which frequently happens with widowed priests, he must receive a monastic tonsure before consecration to the episcopate. Deacons and priests, however, are typically married, and it is customary that only monks or married men be ordained. It is considered preferable for parish priests to be married as they often act as counsel to married couples and thus can draw on their own experience. Unmarried priests usually are monks and live in monasteries, though when there
11016-529: The consecrated Lamb ensues, during which the priest says a prayer which varies according to the Coptic calendar . All of the congregation stands and prays with open hands the Lord's Prayer . To be prepared for partaking of the Eucharist, the faithful bow while the celebrant says in low voice the prayer of submission, then the priest and the participants offer each other a wish of peace and the priest inaudibly prays to
11152-779: The consecration of churches, and the first liturgies offered by newly ordained priests. Due to the long isolation of the Saint Thomas Christians the rite of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church shows some differences, so that this rite is called the Malankara Rite . The Armenian Apostolic Church and the Armenian Catholic Church have at present a single liturgical structure, called the Armenian Rite , with
11288-453: The day are read therein; otherwise, on or when the Liturgy is served at vespers, the typica has a much shorter form and is served between the ninth hour and vespers. Also, there are Inter-Hours for the First, Third, Sixth and Ninth Hours. These are services of a similar structure to, but briefer than, the hours. Their usage varies with local custom, but generally they are used only during
11424-470: The dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven" (Mk 12:25). For the Orthodox Christian this passage should not be understood to imply that Christian marriage will not remain a reality in the Kingdom, but points to the fact that relations will not be "fleshy", but "spiritual". Love between wife and husband, as an icon of relationship between Christ and Church,
11560-530: The diaspora, e.g., the faithful standing during services, bowing and prostrating frequently, and priests, deacons, and monastics always wearing a cassock and other clerical garb even in everyday life ( monastics also sleep wearing a cassock) and not shaving or trimming their hair or beards. In addition to numerous psalms read every day, the entire psalter is read each week, and twice each week during Great Lent , and there are daily readings of other scriptures; also many hymns have quotes from, and references to,
11696-423: 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
11832-474: The elements of Holy Communion , the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist , in the texts of the Divine Liturgy , the prayers before and after communion, and elsewhere, as, for example, in the first petition of the ectenia after communion, "Arise! Having partaken of the divine, holy, pure, immortal, heavenly, life-creating, and awesome Mysteries of Christ, let us worthily give thanks to the Lord." Also termed
11968-552: The elevated altar area (Armenian խորան khoran ) is never opened – even for the reading of the Gospel, certain movable parts of the liturgy are omitted, the parts of the liturgy sung by the choir are said or chanted simply without adornment, there is no general confession, and there is no distribution of Communion to the faithful. This practice of fasting from the Communion bread in preparation for Easter may reflect an ancient custom of
12104-489: 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
12240-469: 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
12376-469: The eves before Great Feasts and, in some traditions, on all Sundays, this grouping is used. However, the All-night vigil is usually abridged so as to not last literally "all-night" and may be as short as two hours; on the other hand, on Athos and in the very traditional monastic institutions, that service followed by the hours and Liturgy may last as long as 18 hours. When the feast is a weekday (or, in
12512-757: The faithful sing a hymn to Mary and a hymn of intercession. The Pauline epistle is followed by a reading from the Catholic epistles and by one from the Acts of the Apostles . Another offering of incense is conduced (the Praxis Incense ), similar to the Pauline incense except that only the first row of the faithful is incensed. A reading from the Coptic Synaxarium can follow. After these readings,
12648-511: 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
12784-723: The final blessing. The Syriac Orthodox Church , the Syriac Catholic Church , the Syriac Maronite Church of Antioch and the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church of the West Syriac Rite which is developed from the Antiochene Rite use a version of the Divine Liturgy of Saint James which differs substantially from its Byzantine Rite counterpart, most notably in being substantially shorter (it can be completed in under two hours, whereas
12920-480: The historic form of the Byzantine Rite liturgy prior to the revisions of St. Basil and St. John Chrysostom took more than four hours), and in that it can be used with more than eighty different anaphoras; the most commonly used are those of Mar Bar Salibi (which is the shortest), and that of St. James, which resembles that of the Byzantine Rite liturgy, and is mandated on certain occasions, such as major feasts,
13056-435: 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
13192-463: 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
13328-611: The latter and has its own peculiarities: its text is more brief, with less Scriptural and allusive enhancements, and it lacks well-defined Trinitarian references, which are typical of other versions and reflect the theology of the First Council of Constantinople of 381. The structure of the Bohairic Coptic version used today in the Coptic Church can be summarized as follows: The 7th-century Sahidic Coptic version found in 1960 shows an earlier and more sober form of
13464-407: The laying-on of hands described in the New Testament , and according to the prayer of consecration of chrism, the apostles made the initial chrism, laying their hands on it, for priests to substitute for laying on of hands for sundry practices, where only the apostles could perform said laying on of hands. The Eucharist is at the center of Orthodox Christianity. In practice, it is the partaking of
13600-416: The liturgy. Then comes the prayer of covering said inaudibly by the priest, which has the form of an epiclesis asking God to show his face on the gifts, and to change them in order that the bread and wine may became the Body and Blood of Christ . This text might come from an ancient anaphora or simply be a later High Middle Ages creation. The paten and the ark with the chalice inside are here covered with
13736-456: 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
13872-566: 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
14008-515: The mistake made, and how to effect its cure. Because full participatory membership is granted to infants, it is not unusual for even small children to confess. Though the scope of their culpability is far less than an older child, they also have an opportunity for spiritual growth. From the Eastern Orthodox understanding of marriage , it is one of the holy mysteries or sacraments. As well as in many other Christian traditions, for example in
14144-407: The mystery of Baptism is administered by bishops and priests; however, in emergencies any Orthodox Christian can baptize. In such cases, should the person survive the emergency, it is likely that the person will be properly baptized by a priest at some later date. This is not considered to be a second baptism, nor is it imagined that the person is not already Orthodox, but rather it is a fulfillment of
14280-455: The night and day according to the following table: The typica is used whenever the divine liturgy is not celebrated at its usual time, i.e. , when there is a vesperal liturgy or no liturgy at all. On days when the liturgy may be celebrated at its usual hour, the typica follows the sixth hour (or matins, where the custom is to serve the Liturgy then) and the Epistle and Gospel readings for
14416-572: The nucleus of early monastic communities in Bulgaria and Kievan Rus' . In the early modern period, the traditions of the rite received further elaboration from the interface of Christian and Islamic mystical traditions fostered in the Ottoman court. By the mid-17th century, the practices of the Russian Church differed to those of other Orthodox Christians, who followed contemporary Greek practices. Patriarch Nikon made efforts to correct
14552-459: The number has no dogmatic significance and, up to the 17th century, individual authors varied greatly in the number of rites considered "mysteries". Despite the historical differences, modern Orthodox and Catholic faithful are generally united in viewing the West's seven sacraments and Orthodoxy's looser number of sacred mysteries—seven only by convention—as effectively equivalent. The Catholics regard
14688-523: 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
14824-543: The prayers for the Patarag assigned to the bishop (if celebrating as a bishop), the celebrating priest, the deacon(s), and the people, the last typically led by a choir with accompaniment. Before the end of the 10th century there were also other liturgical forms, such as the Anaphora of St. Basil , the Anaphora of St. Gregory the Illuminator and others in use. The elements of the Armenian eucharistic liturgy reflect
14960-417: The presbyter, but the diocesan bishop. When the latter celebrates the liturgy personally, the service is more complex and festive. To demonstrate unity with the greater Orthodox community, the hierarch commemorates the hierarch he is subordinate to or, if he is head of an autocephalous church, he commemorates all his peers, whose names he reads from a diptych . The format of Divine Liturgy is fixed, although
15096-420: The priest lays his hands on the penitent's head while reciting the prayer of absolution. Sin is a mistake made by the individual, but there is the opportunity for spiritual growth and development. An act of penance ( epitemia ), if the spiritual guide requires it, is never formulaic, but rather is directed toward the individual and their particular problem, as a means of establishing a deeper understanding of
15232-571: The priest with vestments and the preparation of the altar, along with prayers of worthiness for the celebrant. At this point is chanted the appropriate hour of the Canonical hours , followed by the washing of the hands with its prayer of worthiness, and by the proclamation of the Nicean Creed . Then takes place the elaborate rite of the choosing of the Lamb: while the congregation sing 41 times
15368-524: 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
15504-468: The proper form. The service of Baptism used in Orthodox churches has remained largely unchanged for more than 1500 years. St. Cyril of Jerusalem (d. 386), in his Discourse on the Sacrament of Baptism , describes the service; it is largely consistent with the service currently in use in the early 21st century. Chrismation grants the gift of the Holy Spirit through anointing with Holy Chrism . It
15640-444: The purity of original baptisms , they confess their sins to God before a spiritual guide who offers advice and direction to assist the individual in overcoming their sin. Parish priests commonly function as spiritual guides, but such guides can be any person, male or female, who has been given a blessing to hear confessions. Spiritual guides are chosen very carefully, as this is a mandate that once chosen must be obeyed. Having confessed,
15776-403: The recipient's mouth from the chalice. From baptism young infants and children are carried to the chalice to receive holy communion. Because of the Orthodox understanding of mankind's fallen nature in general, those who wish to commune prepare themselves in a way that reflects mankind in paradise. First, they prepare by having their confession heard and the prayer of repentance read over them by
15912-814: The rich set of influences on Armenian culture. The roots of the liturgy lie in the West Syrian and Byzantine forms, with the influence of the Roman Catholic Mass, the latter having arrived likely during the period of the Fourth Crusade or shortly thereafter. Among the distinctive practices of the Armenian Patarag is the tradition that on the Sundays of the fast before Easter (the Great Fast) the curtain which hangs down in front of
16048-478: The rite is the product of a long cultural synthesis that developed in the years after the 8th-9th century Iconoclasm , in which monasteries and their cultural contacts with the Holy Land played a decisive role. From the 9th to the 14th centuries, the influence of the Palestinian Rite exerted a dominating influence and the rite has been called a "hybrid" between an earlier ceremonial rite which scholars have dubbed
16184-529: The rite, those places that have inherited the traditions of the Russian Church which had been given only the monastic Sabbaite typicon which she uses to this day in parishes and cathedrals as well as in monasteries, and everywhere else where some remnant of the cathedral rite remained in use; therefore, the rite as practiced in monasteries everywhere resembles the Russian recension, while non-Russian non-monastic customs differs significantly. For example, in
16320-584: The sacred mysteries is a broad theological category including the seven sacraments defined in the Western Church but differing slightly in emphasis—stressing their ineffable character and forgoing the intense theological definitions which emerged in the centuries following the Reformation . Although all modern Orthodox churches customarily observe the same seven sacraments as in Catholicism ,
16456-619: 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
16592-523: 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
16728-550: 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
16864-446: 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
17000-437: The scriptures woven into them. On the numerous fast days there is prescribed abstention from meat and dairy products, and on many fast days also from fish, wine, and the use of oil in cooking. Four fasting seasons are prescribed: Great Lent , Nativity Fast , Apostles' Fast and Dormition Fast . In addition, throughout the year most Wednesdays and Fridays, as well as Mondays in monasteries , are fast days. In its present form,
17136-540: The sole anaphora with or without the related prayers, but also the general order of the Alexandrine Rite liturgy. The Egyptian (or Coptic) anaphora of Saint Basil, even if related and using the same Antiochene (or "West Syrian" ) structure, represents a different group from the Byzantine , West Syrian and Armenian grouping of anaphoras of Saint Basil. The Egyptian version does not derive directly from
17272-560: The specific readings and hymns vary with season and feast. The Divine Liturgy consists of three interrelated parts; when not in conjunction with vespers, the liturgies of John Chrysostom and Basil the Great are structured thus: A typical celebration of the Byzantine Liturgy consists of: This part of the Liturgy is private, performed only by the priest and deacon. It symbolizes the hidden years of Christ's earthly life. This
17408-519: 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
17544-427: The translations of texts and institute liturgical reforms so that they were aligned with Greek practices. Nikon's reforms were not accepted by all, and the resulting schism ( Raskol ) split Russian Christianity into the present Russian Orthodox Church and the historically persecuted Old Believers , who maintained many archaic practices of worship. The "Holy Mysteries", or "Sacred Mysteries", or similar, refer to
17680-509: The two as identical. Divine Liturgy The divine liturgy may be celebrated on most days, the exceptions, known as aliturgical days , being in or near Great Lent . Typically, however, the liturgy is celebrated daily only in cathedrals and larger monasteries but elsewhere only on Sundays, major feast days, and some other days, especially during Great Lent. These three forms of the eucharistic service are in use universal usage: The daily cycle begins with vespers and proceeds throughout
17816-468: 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 ,
17952-402: The wine, places the Lamb on the Paten and pours wine and a few drops of water in the chalice (the chalice is placed on the altar in a wooden box named ark ). The last part of the offertory resembles an anaphora: after a dialogue, the priest blesses the congregation and proclaims a prayer of thanksgiving, giving thanks to God for his support to us, and asking him for a worthy participation to
18088-779: 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
18224-436: 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
18360-742: 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
18496-429: 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
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