August 8, 2021 - "Saints"

Christians are called to be saints.  Saints are persons in heaven (whether they are officially canonized or not) who lived heroically virtuous lives, offered their lives for others, or were martyred for the faith.  Their lives are worthy to be imitated.
 
We speak about three steps to sainthood:  “Venerable,” then “Blessed” and then “Saint.”  Venerable is the title given to someone who has died who is recognized by the Pope as having led a heroically virtuous life or offered their life for others or for the cause of Christ.  To be beatified and recognized as “Blessed,” one miracle acquired through the candidate’s intercession is required in addition to recognition of heroic virtue or offering of life.  Canonization requires a second miracle after beatification.  The pope may waive these requirements.  A miracle is not required prior to a martyr’s beatification, but one is required before canonization.
 
What are the stages for the process of canonization?  Currently there are three stages for this process.  The first state is the examination of the life of a candidate for sainthood.  The second stage is the stage of beatification.  The third and final stage is the stage of canonization.  Let me say a few words about each of these stages.
 
In the first stage there is the examination of the life of the candidate proposed for sainthood.  This occurs in two phases:  on the diocesan level and then if all is in good order by the Congregation for the Cause of the Saints.  Normally five years must pass from the time of the candidate’s death before a cause may begin.  This permits greater objectivity in evaluating the case. The pope can dispense from this waiting period.  The bishop of the diocese in which the person died is responsible for beginning the investigation. The petitioner (who could be the diocese, bishop, religious order, or association of the faithful) asks the bishop through a person known as the postulator to open the investigation.
 
The bishop then begins a series of consultations with the conference of Catholic bishops in his country, the faithful of his diocese, and the Holy See.  Once these consultations are completed and the Holy See has informed that bishop that there are no objections for the investigation continuing, the bishop forms a diocesan tribunal.  The tribunal will investigate the martyrdom or how the candidate lived a life of heroic virtue, that is, the theological virtues of faith, hope and charity and the cardinal virtues of prudence, justice, temperance and fortitude, and others specific to his or her state in life.  Witnesses will be called, and documents written by and about the candidate need to be gathered and examined.
 
Once the diocesan investigation is completed, the documentation is sent to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.  The postulator for this phase, residing in Rome, under the direction of a member of the Congregation’s staff called a relator prepares a summary of the documentary evidence from the diocesan phase in order to prove the heroic exercise of virtue or the martyrdom.
 
This summary of the documentary evidence is examined by nine theologians who vote on whether or not the candidate led a heroic life or suffered martyrdom.  If the majority of theologians are in favor, the cause is forwarded to the cardinals and bishops who are members of the Congregation for their examination.  If the judgment is favorable, the prefect of the Congregation presents the results of the entire course of the cause to the pope, who gives his approval and authorizes the Congregation to draft a decree declaring one Venerable if they have lived a virtuous life or a Blessed if they have been martyred.
 
For the beatification of a Venerable, a miracle attributed to his or her intercession, verified after his or her death, is necessary.  This required miracle must be proven through the appropriate canonical investigation, following a procedure like the one for heroic virtues.  This investigation is also concluded with the appropriate decree.  Once the decree on the miracle is promulgated, the pope grants the beatification, which is the occasion of limited public veneration—usually only in the diocese, region, or religious community in which the Blessed lived.  With beatification the candidate receives the title Blessed.  For a martyr, no miracle is required.  Thus when the pope approves a position paper that a person was martyred for the faith, the title Blessed is granted to the martyr at that time.
 
For canonization, another miracle is needed for both Blessed martyrs and Blesseds who lived a virtuous life, attributed to the intercession of the Blessed and having occurred after his or her beatification.  The methods of affirming the miracle are the same as those followed for beatification.  Canonization allows for the public veneration of the Saint by the Universal Church.  With canonization, the Blessed acquires the title of Saint.
 
The Church in the United States has been blessed with numerous Saints, Blesseds, and Venerables.  All of them witness in their own unique way to Christ’s love through their martyrdom or virtuous lives within in our American culture.  Currently there are eleven American Saints:  Saint Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini, Saint Mother Marianne Cope, Saint Mother Katharine Drexel, Saint Mother Rose Philippine Duchesne, Saint Mother Theodore Guérin, Saint Isaac Jogues and Companions (the North American Martyrs), Saint Bishop John Neumann, Saint Mother Elizabeth Ann Seton, Saint Father Junipero Serra, Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, and Saint Father Damien de Veuster (canonized as Damien of Moloka’i.
 
We currently have five American Blesseds:  Blessed Father Solanus Casey, Blessed Sister Miriam Teresa Demjanovich, Blessed Father Michael McGivney, Blessed Father Stanley Rother, and Blessed  Father Francis Xavier Seelos.
 
Finally we have twelve American Venerables:  Venerable Monsignor Nelson Baker, Venerable Bishop Frederic Baraga, Venerable Mother Mary Magdalen Bentivoglio, Venerable Mother Cornelia Connelly, Venerable Mother Henriette Delille, Venerable Mother Mary Theresa Dudzik, Venerable Bishop Alphonse Gallegos, Venerable Mother Maria Kaupas, Venerable Mother Mary Angeline Teresa McCrory, Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen, Venerable Pierre Toussaint, and Venerable Father Felix Varela.
 
Please join me in asking these saintly individuals to pray for us at this time.
Until next week, Fr. John