With Blessed Mary MacKillop being canonised this Sunday (Australia's first saint!), I thought it would be appropriate to make an informative blog entry about the canonisation process and how saints are "made".
First, the steps (key points and terms are bolded):
1. Canon norms regarding the procedure to be followed for causes of saints are contained in the Apostolic Constitution Divinus Perfectionis Magister, promulgated by John Paul II on January 25, 1983.
2. To begin a cause it is necessary for at least 5 years to have passed since the death of the candidate. This is to allow greater balance and objectivity in evaluating the case and to let the emotions of the moment dissipate.
3. The bishop of the diocese in which the person whose beatification is being requested died is responsible for beginning the investigation. The promoter group: diocese, parish, religious congregation, association, asks the bishop through the postulator for the opening of the investigation. The bishop, once the nulla osta (no impediment) of the Holy See is obtained, forms a diocesan tribunal for this purpose.
Witnesses are called before the tribunal to recount concrete facts on the exercise of Christian virtues considered heroic, that is, the theological virtues: faith, hope and charity, and the cardinal virtues: prudence, justice, temperance and fortitude, and others specific to his/her state in life. In addition, all documents regarding the candidate must be gathered. At this point he/she is entitled to the title of Servant of God.
4. Once the diocesan investigation is finished, the acts and documentation are passed on to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. The public copy used for further work is put together here. The postulator, resident in Rome, follows the preparation of the summary of the documentation that proves the heroic exercise of virtue, under the direction of a relator of the Congregation. The Positio undergoes an examination (theological) by nine theologians who give their vote. If the majority of the theologians are in favour, the cause is passed on for examination by cardinals and bishops who are members of the congregation. They hold meetings twice a month. If their judgment is favourable, the prefect of the congregation presents the results of the entire course of the cause to the Holy Father, who gives his approval and authorizes the congregation to draft the relative decree. The public reading and promulgation of the decree follows.
5. For the beatification of a confessor a miracle attributed to the Servant of God, verified after his/her death, is necessary. The required miracle must be proven through the appropriate canonical investigation, following a procedure analogous to that for heroic virtues. This one too is concluded with the relative decree. Once the two decrees are promulgated (regarding the heroic virtues and the miracle) the Holy Father decides on beatification, which is the concession of public honour, limited to a particular sphere. With beatification the candidate receives the title of Blessed.
6. For canonization another miracle is needed, attributed to the intercession of the Blessed and having occurred after his/her beatification. The methods for ascertainment of the affirmed miracle are the same as those followed for beatification. Canonization is understood as the concession of public worship in the Universal Church. Pontifical infallibility is involved. With canonization, the Blessed acquires the title of Saint.
Source: Catholic Biblical Apologetics, © Copyright 1985-2004, Paul Flanagan and Robert Schihl; http://www.catholicapologetics.org/ap070400.htmThe process can and may take many years to complete. St. Eugene de Mazenod, for example, while he died on May 21, 1861, he was not canonised until December 3, 1995. Blessed Mary MacKillop died on August 8, 1909 (beatified in 1995) and is only this year being canonised.
The Catholic Church is discerningly meticulous in their investigations and require great amounts of evidence in favour of the individual to become beatified and later canonised. In the process, a “devil’s advocate” is employed as a matter of objectivity giving reasons why this person should not be canonised. On October 19, 2003, Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta was beatified (see ‘step 5’) and the investigative process for her canonisation is underway. It is reported that there is some 70,000 pages’ worth of documentation in favour of Blessed Mother Teresa’s canonisation, all of which will be scrutinised hence the great deal of time taken to canonise saints.
Important things to keep in mind:
i.) The word “canonisation” simply means “to be listed”, i.e. to be added to the canon of saints (the list of saints); people that the Church have formally recognised as saints (think of it as a “hall of fame”);
ii.) The Catholic Church does not “make” saints; the individual in their living was already a saint (you may know a living saint; a person of exceptional holiness and virtue); the Church’s canonisation process is a formal recognition of their exceptional life of holiness and virtue;
iii.) Through the miracles attributed in the prayerful intercession to the saint, by being canonised the Church declares infallibly that the person is indeed in Heaven (and presumably has been since their earthly death) and praying for us; it is God that does the healing – the saint, in effect, “vouches” for those with a special devotion (i.e. prays through) to them; and
iv.) There may be tens of thousands of other saints that have not [yet] been recognised by the Church; this is not to say that they are not in Heaven or lived a life of exceptional holiness and virtue.
Feel free to leave questions in the comment section or via email if you have any.
God bless.
-Stephen
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