Introduction
All Christians are called to become saints—that is, persons who share eternal life with God, whether formally canonized by the Church or not. The saints recognized by the Church lived lives of exceptional charity, heroic virtue, martyrdom, or self-sacrifice and are held up as examples worthy of imitation.
In the Church’s formal process, a candidate may be known successively as a Servant of God, Venerable, Blessed, and Saint. “Venerable” is the title given to a deceased person whom the pope has formally recognized as having lived a life of heroic virtue or having offered his or her life for others.
For the beatification of a person recognized for heroic virtue or the offering of life, one miracle attributed to the candidate’s intercession is ordinarily required. A miracle is not required for the beatification of a martyr. Canonization ordinarily requires an additional miracle that occurred after beatification, although the pope may dispense from these requirements in exceptional circumstances.
Key Terms
Beatification — The formal act by which the pope declares a person Blessed and permits limited public veneration. Before beatification, the Church conducts a rigorous investigation into the person’s life, virtues, writings, and reputation for holiness, martyrdom, or offering of life. A miracle attributed to the person’s intercession is ordinarily required, except in the case of a martyr.
Blessed — The title bestowed on a person who has been beatified and accorded limited liturgical veneration, usually within a particular diocese, region, country, or religious community.
Canonization — The formal act by which the Church declares a person to be a saint and permits his or her veneration throughout the universal Church.
Dicastery for the Causes of Saints — A department of the Roman Curia responsible for overseeing the processes of beatification and canonization and making recommendations to the pope. It originated within the Congregation of Rites, established by Pope Sixtus V in 1588. It became the Congregation for the Causes of Saints in 1969 and was renamed the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints in 2022. It is also responsible for matters related to the authentication and preservation of sacred relics.
Miracle — An event attributed to God’s grace through the intercession of a Venerable or Blessed and judged, after careful investigation, to be scientifically inexplicable.
Petitioner — The party that initiates and supports a sainthood cause. The petitioner may be a diocese, parish, religious institute, association, or individual. The petitioner asks the bishop to begin the investigation that may ultimately lead to canonization. A bishop may also begin a cause on his own initiative.
Positio — A comprehensive summary of the documentation gathered in a cause. One positio may address the candidate’s life, heroic virtues, martyrdom, or offering of life, while another may address an alleged miracle. It is prepared during the Roman phase under the direction of a relator, with the assistance of the postulator and other collaborators.
Postulator — The person appointed to guide and oversee a sainthood cause. The postulator works with the petitioner and Church authorities during the diocesan and Roman phases of the process.
Prefect — The official who heads a dicastery of the Roman Curia.
Relator — A person appointed by the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints to study the cause and oversee the preparation of the positio.
Saint — The title given to someone who has been formally canonized by the Church and is therefore offered for public veneration throughout the universal Church. More broadly, the term may refer to anyone, canonized or not, who is believed to share eternal life with God.
Servant of God — The title given to a candidate for sainthood once his or her cause has been formally opened.
Venerable — The title given to a candidate whose heroic virtue or offering of life has been formally recognized by the pope but who has not yet been beatified.
History
Before the Church developed its formal beatification and canonization procedures, saints were often recognized through the vox populi, or the spontaneous acclamation of the faithful. Local bishops gradually assumed responsibility for investigating and approving devotion to holy men and women.
The first documented papal canonization took place in 993, when Pope John XV declared Ulric of Augsburg a saint. Over time, the process became increasingly centralized in Rome. Pope Sixtus V established the Congregation of Rites in 1588, and Pope Urban VIII further regulated the recognition and public veneration of saints during the 17th century.
In 1988, to mark the fourth centenary of the Congregation of Rites, the Congregation for the Causes of Saints published the first Index ac Status Causarum. Written in Latin, this volume and its supplements became an important reference for the causes presented to the Holy See. Because sainthood causes continue to be opened, advanced, and concluded, numerical totals quickly become outdated.
Stage I – Examining the Life of a Candidate for Sainthood
Phase I: Diocesan Level
Ordinarily, five years must pass from the time of a candidate’s death before a cause may begin. This waiting period allows greater balance and objectivity in evaluating the person’s life and permits the emotions surrounding the death to subside. The pope may dispense from this waiting period.
The bishop of the diocese in which the person died is ordinarily responsible for beginning the investigation. A diocese, parish, religious institute, association, or individual asking for a cause to be opened—known as the petitioner—asks the bishop, through a postulator, to begin the investigation. A bishop may also begin a cause on his own initiative.
After obtaining the nihil obstat, or confirmation from the Holy See that there is no objection to opening the cause, the bishop forms a diocesan tribunal. Witnesses are called to recount specific facts about the candidate’s life and exercise of Christian virtue.
The investigation considers the theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity; the cardinal virtues of prudence, justice, temperance, and fortitude; and any virtues related to the candidate’s particular state in life. In the case of martyrdom or the offering of life, the circumstances surrounding the candidate’s death are also carefully examined.
All documents written by and about the candidate must be gathered and studied. The bishop also consults the national bishops’ conference, or at least the bishops of the region, regarding the merit and timeliness of introducing the cause. The faithful and anyone with relevant information are invited to come forward.
Phase II: The Roman Phase
Once the diocesan investigation is completed, the documentation is sent to the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints. The Dicastery first reviews the materials to confirm that the diocesan inquiry was conducted properly.
The postulator then assists in preparing the positio, a comprehensive summary of the evidence regarding the candidate’s heroic virtue, martyrdom, or offering of life. This work is completed under the direction of a member of the Dicastery’s staff known as a relator.
The positio is examined by theological consultors. If their judgment is favorable, the cause is presented to the cardinals and bishops who are members of the Dicastery.
If their judgment is also favorable, the prefect presents the results of the cause to the pope. With the pope’s approval, the appropriate decree is prepared and promulgated.
Stage II – Beautification
For the beatification of a person whose heroic virtue or offering of life has been recognized, a miracle attributed to his or her intercession and occurring after death is ordinarily required. The alleged miracle must be investigated through a separate canonical process.
A miracle is not required for the beatification of a martyr. Once the necessary decrees have been promulgated, the pope may authorize the beatification.
Beatification permits limited public and liturgical veneration, usually within the diocese, region, country, or religious community with which the person was associated. With beatification, the candidate receives the title Blessed.
Stage III – Canonization
For canonization, another miracle attributed to the intercession of the Blessed and occurring after beatification is ordinarily required. The investigation of the alleged miracle follows a process similar to that used before beatification.
If the miracle is approved and the pope authorizes canonization, the Blessed is formally declared a Saint. Canonization permits the person’s public veneration throughout the universal Church and presents the saint as a model of Christian holiness for all the faithful.