Icon of St. Cyprian of Carthage, who urged diligence in the process of canonization. This page is about Cyprian bishop of Carthage For other Cyprians see Cyprian (disambiguation.

Canonization is the act by which the Catholic Church declares a deceased person to be a saint, inscribing that person in the canon, or list, of recognized saints. A saint (from the Latin sanctus) is a human being to whom has been attributed (and who has generally demonstrated a high level of Holiness and Sanctity Originally, individuals were recognized as saints without any formal process, as happened, for instance, in the case of Saint Peter and the Blessed Virgin Mary. This ecumenical article is about general Christian views on and veneration of the Virgin Mary

In the Roman Catholic Church (including the Eastern Catholic Churches), the act of canonization is reserved to the Holy See and occurs at the conclusion of a long process requiring extensive proof that the person proposed for canonization lived, and died, in such an exemplary and holy way that he or she is worthy to be recognized as a saint. This article refers to Eastern Churches in full communion with the Holy See The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome, commonly known as the Pope, and is the preeminent Episcopal see of the Roman Catholic The Church's official recognition of sanctity implies that the persons are now in heavenly glory, that they may be publicly invoked and mentioned officially in the Liturgy of the Church, most especially in the Litany of the Saints in the Canon of the Mass. A liturgy is the customary public worship done by a specific religious group according to their particular traditions The Litany of the Saints ( Latin, Litania Sanctorum) is a sacred Prayer of the Roman Catholic Church. Canon of the Mass ( Latin: Canon Missæ, Canon Actionis) is the name given in the Roman Missal, from the first typical edition of Pope Pius Other Christian Churches still follow the older practice (see, for instance, below on Eastern Orthodox practice). Canonization is the act by which a particular Christian church declares a deceased person to be a Saint and is included in the canon or list of recognized saints

Canonization, whether formal or informal, does not make someone a saint: it is only a declaration that the person is a saint and was a saint even before canonization. It is generally recognized that there are many more saints in heaven than have been canonized on earth. ^[1]

Historical development of the process

Main article: Historical process of beatification and canonization

The first persons whom Christians honoured as saints were the martyrs. The process of Beatification and Canonization has undergone various changes in the history of the Catholic Church The term martyr ( Greek μάρτυς martys "witness" is most commonly used today to describe an individual who sacrifices their life (or personal freedom Their death for their faith was considered the supreme and undeniable witness to their faith in Christ. The fame of many of them spread widely, leading to their veneration far outside the area in which they lived and died.

The Latin Rite Canon of the Mass contains the names only of martyrs, along with that of the Virgin Mary and, since 1962, that of Saint Joseph. The Latin Rite is one of the 23 Sui iuris Particular Churches within the Catholic Church. The Mass is the Eucharistic celebration in the Latin liturgical rites of the Roman Catholic Church. Joseph "of the House of David " ( Hebrew יוֹסֵף also known as Saint Joseph, Joseph the Betrothed, Joseph of Nazareth

By the fourth century, however, "confessors", people who had confessed their faith not by dying but by word and life, began to be venerated publicly. The title confessor is used in the Christian Church in several ways Examples of such people are Saint Hilarion and Saint Ephrem the Syrian in the East, and Saint Martin of Tours and Saint Hilary of Poitiers in the West. St Hilarion (291-371 was an Anchorite who spent most of his life in the desert according to the example of Saint Anthony of Egypt. Ephrem the Syrian ( Syriac: ܐܦܪܝܡ ܣܘܪܝܝܐ Mor Afrêm Sûryāyâ; Greek:; Latin Saint Martin of Tours (Martinus (316/317 Savaria, Pannonia &ndash November 8, 317, Candes, Gaul; buried November Hilarius or Saint Hilary (ca 300 – 368 was Bishop of Poitiers ('Pictavium' and considered an eminent doctor of the Western Christian Their names were inserted in the diptychs, the lists of saints explicitly venerated in the liturgy, and their tombs were honoured like those of the martyrs. A diptych (pronounced "dip-tick" dip'tik (or US: 'dɪp A liturgy is the customary public worship done by a specific religious group according to their particular traditions Since the witness of their lives was not as unequivocal as that of the martyrs, they were venerated publicly only with the approval by the local bishop. A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight

This approval was required even for veneration of a reputed martyr. In his history of the Donatist heresy, Saint Optatus recounts that at Carthage a Christian matron, named Lucilla, incurred the censures of the Church for having kissed the relics of a reputed martyr whose claims to martyrdom had not been juridically proved. Saint Optatus, sometimes anglicized as St Optate, was Bishop of Milevis, in Numidia, in the fourth century remembered for his writings against Donatism Carthage (Καρχηδών Karkhēdōn, Carthago from the Phoenician קרת חדשת phn-Latn Qart-ḥadašt meaning new town) refers And Saint Cyprian (died 258) recommended that the utmost diligence be observed in investigating the claims of those who were said to have died for the faith. This page is about Cyprian bishop of Carthage For other Cyprians see Cyprian (disambiguation. All the circumstances accompanying the martyrdom were to be inquired into; the faith of those who suffered, and the motives that animated them were to be rigorously examined, in order to prevent the recognition of undeserving persons. Evidence was sought from the court records of the trials or from people who had been present at the trials.

Saint Augustine of Hippo (died 430) tells of the procedure which obtained in his day for the recognition of a martyr. The bishop of the diocese in which the martyrdom took place set up a canonical process for conducting the inquiry with the utmost severity. The acts of the process were sent either to the Metropolitan or Primate, who carefully examined the cause, and, after consultation with the suffragan bishops, declared whether the defunct was worthy of the name of 'martyr' and public veneration. Acts of formal recognition, such as the erection of an altar over the saint's tomb or transferring the saint's relics to a church, were preceded by formal inquiries into the sanctity of the person's life and the miracles attributed to that person's intercession. Such acts of recognition of a saint were authoritative, in the strict sense, only for the diocese or ecclesiastical province for which they were issued, but with the spread of the fame of a saint, were often accepted elsewhere also.

The Holy See began to be asked to intervene, so as to ensure a more authoritative decision. The canonization of Saint Udalric, Bishop of Augsburg, by Pope John XV in 993 is the first undoubted example of a papal canonization of a saint from outside Rome. Saint Ulrich (c890– July 4, 973) sometimes spelled Uodalric or Odalrici, was Bishop of Augsburg and a leader of the Roman Pope John (numbering John XV (born in Rome) Pope from 985 to 996 succeeding Boniface VII (974 984&ndash985 (said to have been Pope for four months (Some historians maintain that the first such canonization was that of Saint Swibert by Pope Leo III in 804. Pope Leo III (died June 12, 816) was Pope from 795 to 816 Protected by Charlemagne from his enemies in Rome he subsequently strengthened ) Thereafter recourse was had with greater frequency to the judgment of the Popes. Walter of Pontoise was canonized by Hugh de Boves, the Archbishop of Rouen in 1153; Walter was the last saint in Western Europe to have been canonized by an authority other than the Pope. Saint Walter of Pontoise (Saint Gautier Gaultier Gaucher (ca 1030&ndashca Western Europe at its most general meaning means 'all the countries in the West of Europe ' ^{[2] [3]} “The last case of canonization by a metropolitan is said to have been that of St. Gaultier, or Gaucher, abbat of Pontoise, by the Archbishop of Rouen, A. D. 1153. A decree of Pope Alexander III, A. Pope Alexander III (c 1100/1105 &ndash August 30, 1181) born Rolando (or Orlando) Bandinelli, was Pope from 1159 D. 1170, gave the prerogative to the pope thenceforth, so far as the Western Church was concerned. ”^[2]

In 1173 Pope Alexander III, after reprimanding certain bishops for having permitted veneration of a man who was far from being a saint, decreed: "You shall not therefore presume to honour him in the future; for, even if miracles were worked through him, it is not lawful for you to venerate him as a saint without the authority of the Catholic Church. Pope Alexander III (c 1100/1105 &ndash August 30, 1181) born Rolando (or Orlando) Bandinelli, was Pope from 1159 "^[4]

The procedure initiated by the text of Alexander III, confirmed by a bull of Pope Innocent III in the year 1200, issued on the occasion of the canonization of Saint Cunegunde, led to increasingly elaborate inquiries. A Papal bull is a particular type of Letters patent or charter issued by a Pope. Pope Innocent III ( February 22, 1161 &ndash June 16, 1216) born Lotario de' Conti di Segni, was Pope from January

Procedure since 1983

Main article: Congregation for the Causes of Saints

Pope John Paul II's apostolic constitution Divinus Perfectionis Magister of 25 January 1983 and the norms issued by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints on 7 February 1983 for its implementation on diocesan level continued the work of simplification already initiated by Pope Paul VI. The Sacred Congregation for the Causes of Saints ( Congregatio de Causis Sanctorum) is the congregation of the Roman Curia which oversees the complex process Pope Events 41 - After a night of negotiation Claudius is accepted as Roman Emperor by the Senate Year 1983 ( MCMLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar) The Sacred Congregation for the Causes of Saints ( Congregatio de Causis Sanctorum) is the congregation of the Roman Curia which oversees the complex process Events 457 - Leo I becomes emperor of the Byzantine Empire. 1074 - Battle of Montesarchio in which the Prince Year 1983 ( MCMLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar) Pope ^[5]

"Servant of God" The process leading towards canonisation begins at the diocesan level. A bishop with jurisdiction - usually the bishop of the place where the candidate died and/or is buried, although another ordinary can be given this authority - gives permission to open an investigation into the virtues of the individual, responding to a petition by members of the faithful, either actually or pro forma. A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight ^[6] This investigation may open no sooner than five years after the death of the person being investigated. ^[7] However, the pope has the authority to waive this five year waiting period, as was done for Mother Teresa by Pope John Paul II ^[8] and for John Paul II himself by his immediate successor, Benedict XVI. Mother Teresa, Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, (born August 26, 1910 – September 5, 1997) was an Albanian ref>Spink Pope Pope Benedict XVI ( Latin: Benedictus PP XVI; Italian: Benedetto XVI; German: Benedikt XVI; born Joseph Alois Ratzinger ^[9] Normally, a guild or organization to promote the cause of the candidate's sainthood is created, an exhaustive search of the candidate's writings, speeches and sermons is undertaken, a detailed biography is written and eyewitness accounts are gathered. When sufficient information has been gathered, the investigation of the candidate, who is called "Servant of God", is presented by the local bishop to the Roman Curia—the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints—where it is assigned a postulator, whose task is to gather further information about the life of the Servant of God. The Roman Curia is the administrative apparatus of the Holy See and the central governing body of the entire Roman Catholic Church, together with the Pope In the Roman Catholic Church, a postulator is a church official who presents a plea for canonization or beatification of a person they think should become a saint Religious orders who regularly deal with the congregation often have their own designated postulator generals.

"Declaration 'Non Cultus'" At some point, permission is then granted for the body of the Servant of God to be exhumed and examined, a certification ("non cultus") that no superstitious or heretical worship or improper cult has grown up around the servant or his or her tomb is made, and relics are taken.

"Venerable/Heroic in Virtue" When enough information has been gathered, the congregation will recommend to the pope that he make a proclamation of the Servant of God's heroic virtue (that is, that the servant exhibited the theological virtues of faith, hope and charity, and the cardinal virtues of prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance, to an heroic degree). History See also History of the Papacy Catholics recognize the Pope as a successor to Saint Peter, who Jesus named as the "shepherd" and Heroic virtue is a phrase coined by Augustine of Hippo to describe the virtue of early Christian martyrs From this point the one said to be "heroic in virtue" is referred to by the title "Venerable". The Venerable is used as a style or epithet in several Christian churches. A Venerable has as of yet no feast day, no chuches may be built in his or her honor, and the church has made no statement on the person's probable or certain presence in heaven, but prayer cards and other materials may be printed to encourage the faithful to pray for a miracle wrought by his or her intercession as a sign of God's will that the person be canonized. The Calendar of saints is a traditional Christian method of organizing a Liturgical year on the level of days by associating each day with one or more Saints Holy cards are small mass-produced, Devotional Pictures made for the use of the Catholic faithful A miracle is an event believed to be caused by interposition of Divine intervention by a Supernatural being in the Universe by which the ordinary operation

"Blessed" Beatification is a statement by the church that it is "worthy of belief" that the person is in heaven, having come to salvation. This step depends on whether the Venerable is a martyr. The term martyr ( Greek μάρτυς martys "witness" is most commonly used today to describe an individual who sacrifices their life (or personal freedom

For a martyr, the pope has only to make a declaration of martyrdom, a certification that the venerable gave his or her life voluntarily as a witness for the faith and/or in an act of heroic charity for others. This allows beatification, giving the venerable the new title "Blessed" (abbreviated "Bl. Beatification (from Latin beatus, blessed via Greek μακάριος makarios) is a recognition accorded by the Catholic church ") or, in Latin, Beatus or Beata. A feast day will be dsignated, but its observance is normally restricted to the Blessed's home diocese, to certain locations associated with him or her, and/or to the churhces or houses of the blessed's religious order, if they belonged to one. Parishes may not normally be named in honor of a Blessed.

If the Venerable was not a martyr, it must be proven that a miracle has taken place by his or her intercession - that is, that God has shown a sign that the person is enjoying the Beatific Vision by God performaing a miracle in response to the Blessed's prayers. A miracle is an event believed to be caused by interposition of Divine intervention by a Supernatural being in the Universe by which the ordinary operation Prayers "to" saints and blesseds always boil down to a single concept, "So-and-So, pray to God for me. " Today, these miracles are almost always miraculous cures, as these are the easiest to establish based on the Catholic Church's requirements for a "miracle. " (The patient was sick, there was no known cure for the ailment, prayers were directed to the Venerable, the patient was cured, the cure was spontaneous, instantaneous, complete and lasting, and doctors cannot find any natural explaination. )

"Saint" (abbreviated "St. " and "St") To be canonized a saint, one (more) miracle is necessary. Canonization is a statement by the church that the person certainly enjoys the Beatific Vision. The saint is assigned a feast day which may be celebrated anywhere within the Catholic Church, although it may or may not appear on the general calendar or local calendars as an obligatory feast, parish churches may be built in his or her honor, and the faithful may freely and without restriction celebrate and honor the saint.

In the case of persons that common usage has called saints from "time immemorial" (in practice, since before 1500 or so), the Church may carry out a "confirmation of cultus", which is much simpler. This article discusses cult in the original and typically ancient sense of "religious practice" (cultus For example, Saint Hermann Joseph had his veneration confirmed by Pope John Paul II. Hermann Joseph (b at Cologne about 1150 d at Hoven, 7 April[[ 241]] was a German Premonstratensian monk and mystic Pope

In the case of the Eastern Catholic Churches, individual churches sui juris retain, in theory, the right to glorify (see next section on Eastern Orthodox practice) saints for their own jurisdictions, though this has rarely happened in practice. This article refers to Eastern Churches in full communion with the Holy See

Although a recognition of sainthood by the pope does not directly concern a fact of divine revelation, it must still be "definitively held" by the faithful as infallible under (at the very least) the Universal Magisterium of the Church since it is a truth connected to revelation by historical necessity. The Infallibility of the Church is the belief that the Holy Spirit will not allow the Church to err in its belief or teaching under certain circumstances ^[10][11]

Similar practices

Eastern Orthodox Glorification

Main article: Glorification

Tsar Alexis praying before the relics of Metropolitan Philip

Glorification of saints in the Eastern Orthodox Church differs from Roman Catholic tradition in both theology and practice. In Catholicism In Orthodox Christianity Glorification is the term used in the Orthodox Christian Church for the official recognition of a person Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov (Алексей Михайлович ( March 9, 1629 (O Saint Philip II of Moscow ( 1507 - December 12, 1569) was a Russian Orthodox Monk, who became Metropolitan of Moscow In Catholicism In Orthodox Christianity Glorification is the term used in the Orthodox Christian Church for the official recognition of a person The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world The Glorification of saints is considered to be an act of God, not a declaration of the hierarchy. The official recognition of saints grows from the consensus of the church.

When an individual who has been sanctified by the grace of the Holy Spirit falls asleep in the Lord, God may or may not choose to glorify the individual through the manifestation of miracles. In mainstream Christianity, the Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost is one of the three entities of the Holy Trinity which make up the single substance A miracle is an event believed to be caused by interposition of Divine intervention by a Supernatural being in the Universe by which the ordinary operation If He does, the devotion to the saint will normally grow from the "grass roots" level. Eventually, as the Holy Spirit manifests more miracles, the devotion to the individual grows. At this point there are no formal prayers by the Church to the individual. Rather, memorial services (Greek: Parastas, Russian: Panikhida) are served at the grave of the individual, praying for him or her—though an individual may pray privately to someone who has not yet been formally Glorified, and even commission Icons, which may be kept in the home but not displayed in the Temple (church building). The service In the Eastern Church, the various prayers for the departed have as their purpose to pray for the repose of the departed to comfort the living An icon (from Greek εἰκών eikōn, "image" is a religious work of art most commonly a painting from Eastern Christianity. A temple (from the Latin word Templum) is a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities such as prayer and sacrifice or analogous rites

Eventually, the evidence of their saintliness will have grown to such a degree that a formal Service of Glorification will be scheduled. A Glorification may be performed by any Bishop within his Diocese, though such services are usually performed under the auspices of a Synod of Bishops. A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight In many rites of the Roman Catholic Church and in Anglican churches, a diocese is an administrative territorial unit administered by a Bishop. A synod (also known as a council) is a council of a church, usually a Christian church convened to decide an issue of doctrine administration or application Often there will be a formal investigation to be sure that the individual is Orthodox in their faith, has led a life worthy of emulation, and that the reports of miracles attributed to their intercessions are verifiable. The Glorification service does not "make" the individual a saint; rather, the Church is simply making a formal acknowledgement of what God has already manifested.

The incorrupt Relics of St. John (Maximovitch) at the time of his Glorification in San Francisco

Sometimes, one of the signs of sanctification is the condition of the Relics of the Saint. Saint John ( Maximovitch) of Shanghai and San Francisco (1896 - 1966 was a noted Eastern Orthodox ascetic and Hierarch of the The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city A relic is an object or a personal item of religious significance carefully preserved with an air of Veneration as a tangible memorial Some saints will be incorrupt, meaning that their remains do not decay under conditions when they normally would (natural mummification is not the same as incorruption). Incorruptibility is the property of a body — usually a human body — that does not decompose after death A mummy is a Corpse whose Skin and Flesh have been preserved by either intentional or Incidental exposure to Chemicals extreme Sometimes even when the flesh does decay the bones themselves will manifest signs of sanctity. They may be honey colored or give off a sweet aroma. The Odour of Sanctity or Odor of Sanctity, according to the Catholic Church, is commonly understood to mean a specific scent (often compared to Flowers) Some relics will exude myrrh. Myrrh is a reddish-brown Resinous material the dried sap of the tree Commiphora myrrha, native to Yemen, Somalia The absence of such manifestations is not necessarily a sign that the person is not a Saint.

In some traditions, an individual who is being considered for Glorification will be referred to as "Blessed," though there is no formal service of "beatification" in the Orthodox Church. It should be noted that some fully-glorified saints are also referred to as "Blessed," such as a Holy Fool for Christ (for instance, "Blessed St. Xenia") or saints who have been given this particular appellation (such as, "Blessed Augustine", "Blessed Jerome", and others). Foolishness for Christ refers to behavior motivated by real or assumed craziness to serve a religious purpose of Christianity Saint Blessed Xenia of St Petersburg ( Russian: Святая блаженная Ксения Петербургская Grigoryevna Petrova''' - Ксения Jerome (c 347 – September 30, 420) ( Latin: Eusebius Sophronius Hieronymus; Εὐσέβιος Σωφρόνιος Ἱερώνυμος In such cases the title "Blessed" is in no way intended to imply that they are less than fully saints of the Church.

The particulars of the Service of Glorification may differ from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, but normally it involves the formal inscribing of the individual's name into the Calendar of Saints (assigning a special day of the year on which their feast day is to be celebrated annually), the chanting of a service in honor of the Saint (normally using specially commissioned hymns which are chanted for the first time at the Glorification) and the unveiling of an Icon of the new Saint. The Calendar of saints is a traditional Christian method of organizing a Liturgical year on the level of days by associating each day with one or more Saints The Calendar of saints is a traditional Christian method of organizing a Liturgical year on the level of days by associating each day with one or more Saints An icon (from Greek εἰκών eikōn, "image" is a religious work of art most commonly a painting from Eastern Christianity. Before the Glorification itself, there may be a special "Last Panikhida," a solemn Requiem at which, for the last time, the Church prays for the repose of their soul. The Requiem (from Latin requiem, accusative case of requies, rest or Requiem Mass (informally a funeral Mass also known formally (in Latin as the After the Glorification, the Church will no longer serve a Panikhida for the repose of his soul, but instead a Paraklesis or Moleben will be served to implore their intercessions before the Throne of God. The service In the Eastern Church, the various prayers for the departed have as their purpose to pray for the repose of the departed to comfort the living A Paraklesis or Supplicatory Canon in the Orthodox Christian Church and Eastern Catholic Churches, is a service of Supplication for the welfare A molében ( Slavonic: молебен also called a molieben, service of intercession, or service of supplication, is a supplicatory

Martyrs need no formal Glorification. The term martyr ( Greek μάρτυς martys "witness" is most commonly used today to describe an individual who sacrifices their life (or personal freedom The witness of their self-sacrifice is sufficient (provided their martyrdom was the result of their faith, and there being no evidence of un-Christian behaviour on their part at the time of their death). Not all saints are known, many will remain hidden by God until the Second Coming of Christ. In Christianity, the Second Coming is the anticipated return of Jesus Christ from Heaven to earth an event that will fulfill aspects of Messianic For this reason, on the Sunday after Pentecost the Orthodox celebrate all the righteous souls together on All Saints Sunday. Pentecost (πεντηκοστή, pentekostē, "the fiftieth day" is one of the prominent feasts in the Christian Liturgical year, celebrated the For the British girl group see All Saints (band. All Saints' Day (also called All Hallows or Hallowmas) often In some jurisdictions, the Sunday following All Saints Sunday will be a day of general commemoration of all saints (known and unknown) of the local church. For instance, All Saints of the Holy Mountain, All Saints of Russia, All Saints of America, etc. Mount Athos (Όρος Άθως is a mountain on the Peninsula of the same name in Macedonia, of northern Greece, called in Greek Άγιον Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending

St. Symeon the New Theologian writes: "The saints in each generation, joined to those who have gone before, and filled like them with light, become a golden chain, in which each saint is a separate link, united to the next by faith, works, and love. Symeon the New Theologian (949&ndash1022 is the latest of three Saints of the Eastern Orthodox church to have been given the title of Theologian thus So in the One God they form a single chain which cannot quickly be broken. "

Protestant

The Protestant Reformers rebuked the Catholic Church in regard to the glorification of idols and images. Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. Another dispute was the glorification of Mary whom they believed the Catholic Church elevated to a status above Christ in many ways and parallel to Him in the rest. Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE)

Anglican practice

Since the English Reformation, only King Charles I has been canonized in the Church of England. The English Reformation was the series of events in 16th century England by which the Church of England first broke away from the authority of the Pope Charles I, (19 November 1600 &ndash 30 January 1649 was King of England, Scotland and Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution. The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England, the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican However, Anglicans do have a calendar of saints. Anglicanism is a tradition of Christian faith Churches in this tradition either have historical connections to the Church of England or have similar beliefs The Calendar of saints is a traditional Christian method of organizing a Liturgical year on the level of days by associating each day with one or more Saints Other more recent persons, while not officially declared saints, may be added to the various Anglican national calendars for veneration. Calendars of saints' days in churches throughout the Anglican communion: Calendar of saints (Anglican Church in Aotearoa New Zealand and Polynesia For example, C. S. Lewis (November 22) and Martin Luther King, Jr. (April 4). Clive Staples Lewis (29 November 1898 – 22 November 1963 Martin Luther King Jr ( January 15, 1929 April 4, 1968) was an American clergyman, Activist and prominent leader

Lutheran practice

Some Lutherans have a calendar of saints, much of which they inherited from the Catholic Church. Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the sixteenth-century German reformer Martin Luther The Calendar of saints is a traditional Christian method of organizing a Liturgical year on the level of days by associating each day with one or more Saints Some Lutheran bodies limit the recognition of saints to those persons mentioned in the Gospels and the Book of Acts.

See also

• Partial list of canonized saints
• List of canonizations
• Beatification
• Litany of the Saints

References

• André Vauchez, La sainteté en Occident aux derniers siècles du Moyen Âge (1198-1431) 1, Rome, 1981 (BEFAR, 241) [Engl. transl. : Sainthood in the Later Middle Ages, Cambridge, 1987 and Ital. Transl. : La santità nel Medioevo, Bologne, 1989

Notes

External links

Catholic

• Divinus Perfectionis Magister Apostolic Constitution of Pope John Paul II (English)
• Congregation for the Causes of Saints Vatican Website
• Historical Sketch of Canonization Friarsminor. org
• "Beatification and Canonization". Catholic Encyclopedia. The Catholic Encyclopedia, also referred to today as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia, is an English-language Encyclopedia published by The Encyclopedia (1913). New York: Robert Appleton Company.  

Orthodox

• What does "Glorification" mean? Fr. Alexey Young
• Glorification of Saints—Russian Orthodox Church Archpriest Georgiy Mitrofanov
• The blood of martyrs is the life-giving seed of Christianity! Glorification of saints in the 20th century
• On the Glorification of Saints Protopresbyter Michael Pomazansky
• Glorification of St. John Maximovitch Discussion and photos