To be canonized means to be officially declared a saint by a Christian church, most commonly the Roman Catholic Church. This declaration publicly recognizes that the deceased person is in heaven and worthy of veneration by the universal church. The process involves a thorough examination of the person's life, confirming their holiness and virtuous living, and verifying miracles attributed to their intercession after death. Canonization adds the person to the official list or "canon" of recognized saints, permitting public worship and honor on a universal scale within the Church.
Key Aspects of Canonization:
- It is an official, formal recognition usually made by the Pope.
- The person must be deceased; living people cannot be canonized.
- Typically requires evidence of heroic virtue and miracles attributed to the person after death.
- The canonized saint can be universally venerated, have feast days, churches dedicated to them, and can be invoked in prayers.
- It is not the Church creating sainthood but recognizing that the person is already in heaven.
The Process:
- Request to consider sainthood usually five years after the person's death.
- Verification of the person's virtuous life, writings, and miracles.
- Declaration as "Venerable" if heroic virtue is confirmed.
- Beatification after one miracle, allowing limited veneration.
- Canonization after a second miracle, allowing universal veneration and official sainthood status.
Thus, to be canonized means to be officially recognized as a saint with universal honor and veneration within the Church.
