They earned their “ligtas points.”
During All Saints’ Day, which is observed every November 1, Catholics honor the saints in heaven, whether or not they are officially canonized by the Church.
Saints, as defined by the late Pope John Paul II, are ordinary men and women “who are outstanding in the splendor of charity and other evangelical virtues,” and are worth emulating by the faithful.
They include popular figures such as Saint Augustine and Saint Rita of Cascia, as well as relatively unknown people who lived a holy life on earth. Not all are included in the official list or “canon” of Catholic saints (to ”canonize” means to put in the canon), but the Catholic Church believes all of them are now with God in heaven.
Canonized saints, however, are publicly proposed by the Church as models of faith, thus the need to be careful about declarations of sainthood.
How does one become a canonized saint?
Stairway to heaven
The road to sainthood is long and tedious.
According to the New Laws for the Causes of Saints promulgated in 1983, “any member of the People of God or any group of the faithful recognized by ecclesiastical authority” may petition for a person to become a saint.
There are three causes that define whether or not a person is worthy of canonization: martyrdom, heroism of virtues, and offering of life.
The petition must be filed at least five years after the candidate has died, although the pope can make certain exceptions. For instance, former Pope Benedict XVI initiated the beatification process for his predecessor, Pope John Paul II, just a month after the former pontiff died on April 2, 2005. It was a move that provoked the ire of critics, who said that the ex-Pope’s canonization was a hasty decision.
Although the process was sped up for Pope John Paul II, it still took over nine years before he was formally called a saint. He was canonized on April 27, 2014, along with Pope John XXIII — a historic ceremony where two Catholic Church leaders were declared saints in one day.
Once the cause for sainthood has begun, the candidate will be referred to as a “Servant of God.”
These cases are handled through postulators, who will conduct rigorous investigations into the life of the Servant of God, and submit their findings to an assigned bishop. Documents, testimonies, and other proof related to the cause will then be submitted to the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints.
If findings are favorable after several discussions involving theological experts and the Dicastery, with the approval of the Pope, the Servant of God becomes a Venerable.
A Venerable can become beatified immediately if they are declared a martyr. Otherwise, before they are called Blessed, the candidate must have a miracle attributed to his or her intercession. Such miraculous events, which must be scientifically unexplainable, are reviewed by a medical commission made up of different specialists, both believers and nonbelievers.
For a Blessed to be called a Saint, a second miracle must be attributed to the candidate’s intercession.
Once a candidate is canonized, the faithful can then offer masses, divine offices, and other acts of veneration in their honor.
Contrary to popular belief, Catholics “venerate” but do not “worship” saints. The Catholic News Agency explained that saints are given honor “due to the excellence or achievement of a created person,” the same way that winning athletes in the Olympic games are given medals in recognition of their achievements.
Pinoy pride
The Philippines is home to two canonized saints — Lorenzo Ruiz and Pedro Calungsod.
Ruiz, the country’s first martyr, was killed by the Tokugawa Shogunate when he refused to renounce his Christian faith. He was declared a saint after a child was miraculously healed from a deadly atrophy through his intercession.
Calungsod, on the other hand, is a teenage missionary who was martyred on April 2, 1672. He was canonized after a doctor, who sought Calungsod’s intercession, was able to revive a woman who was declared clinically dead after a heart attack.
There are also several Filipinos who are currently pushed to be candidates for sainthood. One of them is Laureana “Ka Luring” Franco, a full-time catechist who died of cancer in 2011. The Diocese of Pasig urged Catholics in February 2024 to provide “helpful information” about Franco to help support her cause.
The Catholic Church has repeatedly emphasized, however, that anyone can be a saint, canonized or not. It is for them that the Church celebrates All Saints’ Day on November 1. – Rappler.com
Do you want to know more about concepts, traditions, or personalities related to any faith? We welcome suggested topics for Faith 101. Drop a note in the faith chat room of the Rappler Communities app!