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The Makings of a Saint
Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2005 8:19 pm
by AttentionKMartShoppers
Now, I know that all Christians are called saints, but to Catholics, there's only a select group. The best of the best. What does it take to be a saint, according to the Catholic Church? I'm curious, I heard there were specific rules.
Re: The Makings of a Saint
Posted: Sat Apr 09, 2005 8:31 pm
by Dan
AttentionKMartShoppers wrote:Now, I know that all Christians are called saints, but to Catholics, there's only a select group. The best of the best. What does it take to be a saint, according to the Catholic Church? I'm curious, I heard there were specific rules.
Everyone can be a saint, the lowliest person who is truly a christian is a saint in God's eyes. However the Church only canonized people who are verified saints through the following process:
First, that person must have lived a holy life, holy beyond belief. Their righteousness must be verifiable through historical documents or witnesses.
Second, a miracle MUST happen after the person has died directly by effect of someone asking that saint to pray to Christ for them. This miracle must be verified by a church official. This requirement is relaxed if the person was a martyr of Christ.
Five years must have passed after the death of the person.
After this, a bunch of church officials get together and take all the information about the person, pray to Jesus, and decide if they are worthy of being canonized as a saint of the church.
The pope must agree with the decision.