Good to Know: Saints and the Canonization Process

By The Catholic Week
With All Saints Day being on Nov. 1, now is the appropriate time to discuss saints and the Canonization Process in the Catholic Church.  

Q: Why does the Catholic Church make such a big deal about the saints? 
A: The saints are our brothers and sisters in the faith.  In normal family life, it is common for younger siblings to look up to older siblings for guidance, help, and good example. In our faith life, saints provide an example of how to live and they can be intercessors for us in heaven.  Ultimately, our goal is to become a saint because everyone in heaven is a saint already.  The Catechism says that saints are holy ones,“who lead a life in union with God through the grace of Christ and receives the reward of eternal life.” We even can say that the Church is the “communion of saints.” 

Q: Do Catholics worship saints?
A: Catholics only worship God.  We honor the saints, but we do not worship them.  For example, you would never go to confession and have the priest give you absolution in the name of a saint. Worship is only offered to God. We keep pictures and statues of saints to remind us to follow their example and to ask for their help. Even when a saint is interceding for us, they are following the will of God with God’s grace. 

Q: How does a person become a saint?
A: A person dies and then goes to Heaven. The Church has a process for discerning this reality called the canonization process. It is the pope alone who can declare someone a saint, but the process starts at the level of the diocese.

Q: How does this canonization process work? 
A: After five years after death of this person, the case for sainthood begins at the level of the diocese.  There is an investigation by the diocese which looks at the person’s life to determine their character and holiness of life.  The investigation examines things like their diaries and writings, plus conducts interviews with people who knew the person in question.  After a careful examination, if the person truly possessed an extraordinary life of holiness, then the diocese can hand the case to the Vatican. The Vatican will now open its own investigation going over all the information presented. After examination, the case will be presented to the Pope, who can then declare the person Venerable.

Q: What happens next?
A: The next two steps are to declare someone Blessed and then a Saint. Here the Church discerns and waits for a miracle.  For each next step there must be a true miracle attributed to the intercession of this Venerable person. These miracles must be independently verified.  People familiar with the Venerable person will ask for their intercession, especially when a medical miracle is needed. When the first miracle occurs, the Pope can declare the person a Blessed. After this the Church again waits for another miracle.  When it occurs and it is verified, then the Pope can declare someone a Saint.

Q: What about a Martyr?
A: A martyr is someone who dies giving their life for the faith. The first part of the diocesan process is the same. If the person was truly a martyr for the faith, then the Church will declare them a Blessed without a miracle, but they still must have a miracle attributed to their intercession to become a Saint.