S. Michael Houdmann Supporter Got Questions Ministries

Beatification and canonization are acts of the Roman Catholic Church declaring that a deceased person led a holy life. People still living can then request the blessed (if beatified) or saint (if c...

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July 01 2013 • 2 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Vincent Mercado Supporter Skeptic turned believer, Catholic, father of 3

Beatification (from Latin beatus, blessed) is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a dead person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in his or her name (intercession of saints). Beatification is the third of the four steps in the canonization process. A person who is beatified is in English given the title "Blessed".

Canonization (or canonisation) is the act by which the Catholic Church or Eastern Orthodox Church declares a deceased person to be a saint, upon which declaration the person is included in the canon, or list, of recognized saints. Originally, individuals were recognized as saints without any formal process. Later, different processes, such as the two methods used by the Roman Catholic Church the Eastern Orthodox Church were developed.

The first people honored as saints were the martyrs. Pious legends of their deaths were considered to affirm the truth of their faith in Christ, and formalization and celebration of these legends served to legitimize and propagate the doctrines of the Church and serve as examples.

The Latin Rite's Canon of the Mass contains the names only of martyrs, along with that of the Virgin Mary and, since 1962, that of Saint Joseph.

It is important to note that Beatified and Canonized Saints are venerated, and not worshiped by Catholics. Although this is vehemently denied by Protestants, who seem to be unaware of the difference between "venerate" and "worship". Worship is due to God alone.

September 30 2013 • 3 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Justin Hale Supporter

Like many Roman Catholic and Orthodox traditions or doctrines, both beatification and canonization have a Biblical basis that has been greatly enhanced by extra-biblical instructions and guidance established by Church authorities. 

While the summaries of these Church traditions and doctrines are well stated and comprehensively covered by the other writers here, I would like to point out the actual Biblical basis for beatification and canonization, which may have eluded their attention while they were focused on their otherwise excellent explanations. 

While all believers in Jesus Christ who have spoken the spontaneous confession of faith in Christ's resurrection are indeed "saved" by faith alone and not acts of personal righteousness, (Romans 10:9-10), the process known as "sanctification" has just begun. 

Sanctification is the process by which we approach God in holiness stage by stage, during a process that begins with being "called," leads to being "justified" (at the moment of salvation) and then "glorified" (Romans 8:29-30). 

This "glorification" process is mentioned in Romans 8:29 as the process by which we are "conformed to the image of Christ" and elsewhere in scripture as a process of growing reflection "from glory to glory" in the Lord's visage, (2 Corinthians 3:18). 

This is the original Biblical concept known as "beatification" which early Church fathers took from the "beatitudes" (Matthew 5:3-11). 

As we grow in obedience under the Lord's direction in the Holy Spirit we begin to resemble Him in all of these ways, becoming increasingly "blessed." 

While we are all "predestined to be conformed to the image of the Son," exactly how and when this occurs is the issue here. Many of us will only do so after physical death. Those who exhibit their "sainthood" (personal holiness, i.e. 'sanctification' and degrees of Christ's glory), are experiencing this "blessing" here, along with the traits Christ describes in Matthew 5:3-11, including being "poor in spirit," embracing the "mourning" that leads to justice (2 Corinthians 7:10-11), "meekness," "a great appetite for righteousness," compassion" for others, "purity of heart," "peacemaking" and ultimately a similar "persecution" experienced by Christ as a result of these other exhibited traits. This indicates another "level" of spiritual maturity at which we are finally "done with sin." (Romans 8:17, 1 Peter 4:1-2).

The Church fathers also gave us the term "canonization" to refer to those who attain to this special place of sanctification and glorification on this side of life, meaning that "all of the canon" or teachings of Christ are being genuinely obeyed by the person, not only some aspects of being "blessed" by God. 

The issue of whether those deemed "saints" by the Church are indeed "saints on this side of life" is another matter. Are they truly "ensamples (Greek: "týpos") to the flock" of God? (1 Peter 5:3). 

There are indeed "types of Christ," meaning verifiably good examples of people truly exhibiting aspects of His blessedness and glory in this world. 

How can we know the difference?

"So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge.." (1 Peter 5:1-3).

These are clear descriptions of people experiencing "the glory that will be revealed" to all of us someday, just as Peter did. 

So while I agree that all believers are equally "predestined to be saints" (holy ones of God), meaning that this process has begun and is certain to be completed, not everyone who begins this process here will complete it here. 

Those leaders ("reigners") who do should be held up as special examples. The rest is an issue of personal conscience, (2 Timothy 2:12).

May 02 2024 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report