Each month Bishop Manning answers questions from the Catholic Community of Parramatta Diocese, which is published in 'Catholic Outlook', the official diocesan newspaper. To review previous questions and answers from the Bishop visit the archive.

February 2010

Questions bishops are asked

Why and how does a person become a saint?

Bishop Kevin Manning, Catholic Outlook, February 2010

Question
Why and how does a person become a saint?

Answer:

A person who lives the Christian life as fully as he or she can becomes a saint. In that sense there are many saints living in suburbs in Australia and all over the world.

Sometimes a person is recognised as a saint by the Church and that process is called canonisation although there are some significant steps to be taken before canonisation happens.

The first official step in the process is an inquiry in the diocese where the person lived. This inquiry is overseen by the local bishop.

Preliminary evidence is taken from people who knew the person and from the person's writings, which are evaluated. If a miracle has occurred, which is attributed to the prayers of the person, then evidence about that is collected too.

Eventually, all the evidence is processed and if the outcome is favourable, then the formal process of Beatification begins. At this stage the person is given the title "Servant of God".

There is sometimes confusion about miracles in the process. Firstly, and it is important to be very clear about this, saints do not perform miracles; saints do not cure people, God does.

Saints intercede with God, and our prayer to saints is to ask them to intercede with God for someone who is seriously ill.

Initially, a person is considered for canonisation because of the holiness of their lives and the miracles follow as a kind of validation of the saint's holiness.

For the process leading to beatification, two parallel investigations take place: one is a continuing gathering of information about the holiness of the person; the other is the gathering of evidence of a miracle.

The evidence for a miracle cure is subject to rigorous scientific examination by medical specialists because a miracle cure can be declared only if there is no scientific explanation for the cure.

When the evidence for holiness of life is overwhelmingly positive and a miracle cure has been attested, then the person is beatified. This is a public declaration that the person was one of heroic virtue, has the power of intercession with God, and is a model for others.

At this stage there is a local or regional factor involved. The person is not yet a model for the whole Church. Pope Benedict XVI altered the arrangements for beatifications and now the ceremony can be performed in a place clearly associated with the person's life and work or in Rome. The Pope now delegates a cardinal to perform the ceremony.

Canonisation is the final step. A second miracle is required to confirm that the person has the power of intercession. The evidence for the second miracle is subjected to the same standard of rigorous examination before the miracle can be declared.

Canonisation will follow and this means the saint will be recognised in the universal Church. Usually, that ceremony is held in Rome.

Perhaps a more important question is: why have saints in the 21st Century?

Canonisation is more than a confirmation of the historical fact that a particular person was holy. A new saint (and old ones too) speaks to the faith of the Catholic people today.

It is the faith of the people that has kept the memory of the person alive. The local people have prayed to the saint, have taken part in pilgrimages, visited shrines, and been inspired to do good works because of the example of the saint.

There is a deep reciprocal relationship between the saint and the people of today. The saint helps enkindle their faith and they, in turn, express their faith in God through the saint's prayers.