- \n
- be deceased,<\/li>\n
- have performed a miracle,<\/li>\n
- undergo a process of canonisation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
If we wish to delve deeper, we should first recall that, according to the Catholic Church, anyone who has received Baptism is a Saint<\/a><\/strong>, where the term \u201cSaint\u201d means blessed, sanctified, a full member of the Church understood as the Communion of Saints, which includes all the baptised, both living and deceased.
\nBut when<\/strong> people speak of Saints<\/a><\/strong>, they inevitably think of those men and women who chose to live by the example of Jesus<\/strong>, obeying His commandment of love, leading a life illuminated by divine Grace, practising Christian virtues<\/strong> in a heroic way or dying for their faith<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n![\"Statues\"](\"https:\/\/blog.holyart.it\/com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2025\/05\/Statues.jpg\")
<\/div>\n\nBuy Now:<\/div>\nStatues<\/a><\/div>\nHere you can find various Catholic statues and figurines of various sizes and materials.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nWhile in ancient times the word \u201cSaint\u201d<\/strong> generally referred to something or someone connected to the divine or inviolable\u2014derived from the Latin sanctus<\/em>, the past participle of sanc<\/em>\u012bre<\/em>, meaning protected by law or sanction\u2014over time, within the Catholic Church, it increasingly took on the meaning of someone worthy of devotion,<\/strong> venerated, and seen as being \u201cin Christ.\u201d<\/strong>
\nIn early Christianity,<\/strong> all baptised Christians were considered Saints, and the true Saints were those capable of performing miracles.
\nWith the onset of persecutions against Christians,<\/strong> the figures of Martyr Saints<\/strong> emerged\u2014those who died for the Faith.<\/p>\n\n![\"Stories](\"https:\/\/blog.holyart.it\/com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2025\/05\/Stories-of-Siblings-Who-Became-Saints-Together.jpg\")
<\/p>\nRead more:<\/div>\nWhen Holiness Runs in the Family: Stories of Siblings Who Became Saints Together<\/a><\/strong>
\nStories of Saintly Siblings: When Holiness Runs in the Family…<\/p>\n<\/div>\nIn the Middle Ages,<\/strong> the Confessor Saints<\/strong> gained recognition\u2014those who lived and bore witness to their Faith throughout their lives through words and actions.
\nWith the arrival of the Reformation,<\/strong> the veneration of Saints became one of the points of division between Catholics and Protestants<\/strong><\/a>, the latter rejecting any religious authority apart from God and thus viewing the devotion to Saints as a form of idolatry.<\/p>\n\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/blog.holyart.it\/com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2025\/05\/The-main-differences-between-Catholics-and-Protestants.jpg\")
<\/p>\nRead more:<\/div>\nThe main differences between Catholics and Protestants<\/a><\/strong>
\nThe differences between Catholics and Protestants are fundamental to the history of the Christian religion and the birth of Europe as we know it…<\/p>\n<\/div>\nWe mentioned two different models of Sainthood<\/strong>, and in summary, we can say that there are two types of Saints<\/strong>:<\/p>\n
- \n
- confessors,<\/strong> who bear witness to their Faith;<\/li>\n
- martyrs<\/a>,<\/strong> who are persecuted and sometimes killed in the name of their Creed, refusing to renounce it even in the face of death.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Regarding Martyrs, we specified that only sometimes they are killed, as it is not essential to die in order to demonstrate one\u2019s love for God. The Church also recognises the white martyrdom<\/strong><\/em> of those persecuted for their Faith but not necessarily killed. Then there is the green martyrdom<\/strong><\/em> of those who choose fasting and deprivation, embracing solitude, and finally the red martyrdom<\/strong><\/em> of those who die in the name of God.
\nOver the centuries, other categories of Saints have been identified: virgins, doctors of the Church, educators, and so forth.<\/p>\nSince 2017, in addition to Confessors and Martyrs, those who have made an \u201coffering of life\u201d,<\/strong> sacrificing themselves for others, may also be canonised.<\/p>\n
\n![\"Holy](\"https:\/\/blog.holyart.it\/com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2025\/05\/Holy-Martyrs.jpg\")
<\/p>\nRead more:<\/div>\nHoly Martyrs: sacrificing one\u2019s life in the name of God<\/a><\/strong>
\nThe Holy Martyrs are men and women, often very young, who sacrificed their lives for the love of God,…<\/p>\n<\/div>\nLet us now see how one becomes a Saint.<\/p>\n
What Is the Difference Between Sanctification and Beatification?<\/h2>\n
We often hear about Saints and Blesseds<\/strong>. They are not the same thing. The title Servant<\/strong>\u00a0of God<\/strong><\/em> refers to the Catholic faithful for whom the Cause of Beatification and Sanctification<\/strong> (or Canonisation)<\/strong> has been opened.<\/p>\n
Blessed<\/em><\/strong> is anyone who, through the process of Beatification,<\/strong> is recognised as having ascended to Heaven<\/strong> due to their extraordinary good deeds and exceptional devotion to God. As a Blessed, they are admitted to His presence and may intercede with Him on behalf of the faithful who pray to them. However, they may not be venerated universally<\/strong>, only within churches that officially recognise the cult of that particular Blessed. The process<\/strong>\u00a0of Beatification<\/strong> begins with a cause supported and fuelled by the faithful. First and foremost comes the reputation for holiness that surrounds a person, which can lead to the process of Beatification and originates with those who knew the prospective Blessed.<\/p>\n
A Saint<\/em>,<\/strong> on the other hand, is someone whom the Church universally recognises for veneration<\/strong>, through the process of Canonisation,<\/strong> which takes years. During this process, the miracles<\/strong> performed by the Saint must be verified, and what they did in service to God and the Church must be carefully established. Only once someone is declared a Saint may they be officially venerated on a universal level.<\/p>\n
If we wish to distinguish between canonisation and sanctification:<\/strong> canonisation is the declaration of sainthood for a deceased Christian, while sanctification refers to the actual process that recognises a candidate as first a Servant of God, then Venerable, then Blessed, and finally a Saint. In practice, however, the two terms are often used interchangeably.<\/p>\n
Who Decides Sanctification?<\/h2>\n
In ancient times, popular acclamation<\/strong> was enough to render a man or woman a Saint. Later, the Church decided to regulate the process with a specific code established by canon law.<\/strong>
\nIt is the Congregation for the Causes of Saints<\/em><\/strong> that handles the processes of Beatification and Canonisation. Its offices are located in a building near St. Peter’s Square. However, the final decision lies with the Pope,<\/strong> by virtue of his infallibility, which was established as Dogma in 1870. The dogmatic constitution Pastor Aeternus<\/em> defines as infallible<\/strong> \u201cby themselves and not by the consent of the Church<\/em>\u201d the proclamations on \u201cfaith and morals<\/em>\u201d made by the Pope ex cathedra<\/em><\/strong>, that is, as teacher or pastor.
\nThe Pope may also employ equivalent<\/em> or equipollent<\/strong> canonisation<\/em>, either in the case of beatification or canonisation, recognising an existing spontaneous cult<\/strong> without investigations or recognised miracles, through a decree.<\/p>\nThe Process of Sanctification<\/h2>\n
Canon law outlines several stages in the process of sanctification.<\/strong> The candidate must first be proclaimed a Servant of God<\/strong><\/em>,<\/strong> then Venerable<\/em>,<\/strong> then Blessed<\/em>,<\/strong> and finally Saint<\/em>.<\/strong> It begins with the aforementioned reputation for holiness,<\/strong> collecting documents, testimonies, and opinions from people who knew the candidate and can confirm that their life was dedicated to Christian virtues and that their death was edifying.<\/p>\n
Diocesan Phase: Servant of God<\/h3>\n
This is the phase that follows the official opening of the sanctification process.
\nA specific person, the Postulator<\/em>,<\/strong> is appointed by the Bishop and tasked with collecting documents and testimonies. They act as a kind of defence lawyer for the candidate and must demonstrate the heroic nature of the virtues<\/strong> that the Servant of God is said to have practised throughout their life in an extraordinary way.
\nAfter examining the documents and evaluating the testimonies, the Bishop decides whether to submit the Cause<\/strong> for Canonisation<\/em> to a Tribunal,<\/strong> where the Postulator faces the Promoter of Justice<\/em><\/strong>, who will challenge the candidacy. A Historical Commission<\/strong><\/em> is also appointed to collect documents, alongside two Theological Censors<\/strong><\/em> assigned to analyse them. The Bishop concludes this first phase with a closing session in which all testimonies are sealed.<\/p>\nRoman Phase: From Servant of God to Venerable<\/h3>\n
The material gathered in the Diocesan Phase is sent to Rome to the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints<\/em>. Here the Postulator is assisted in drafting the Positio<\/em>,<\/strong> the volume that compiles the collected evidence and attests to the Servant of God\u2019s reputation for holiness.
\nThe Positio<\/em> is examined by a group of theologians and a historical commission<\/strong>\u2014if the candidate has been deceased for some time and there are no direct witnesses to their life. If positively evaluated, it proceeds to the Dicastery<\/strong>, and if the Cardinals and Bishops approve what has been declared, the Pope<\/strong> proclaims the Servant of God Venerable<\/em><\/strong>, issuing the Decree on the Heroic Virtues<\/em> or Martyrdom<\/em>, which confirms that the candidate lived the three theological virtues<\/strong> (faith, hope, and charity) and the four cardinal virtues<\/strong> (prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance) to a \u201cheroic\u201d degree, or that they were martyred.<\/p>\nBeatification: From Venerable to Blessed<\/h3>\n
At least five years<\/strong> must pass after the candidate\u2019s death before they may progress from Venerable to Blessed<\/strong>. Martyrs achieve this automatically, while for others, a miracle<\/a> <\/strong>must be recognised\u2014usually a miraculous healing<\/strong> confirmed by a Medical Commission<\/strong><\/em> composed of both believing and non-believing specialists.
\nBishops and Cardinals then confirm the miracle, and the Pope proclaims the Venerable as Blessed<\/em>.<\/strong> With this new designation, the person is included in the liturgical calendar<\/strong> of their diocese and may be venerated there.<\/p>\n - martyrs<\/a>,<\/strong> who are persecuted and sometimes killed in the name of their Creed, refusing to renounce it even in the face of death.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
- confessors,<\/strong> who bear witness to their Faith;<\/li>\n
![\"Recognized](\"https:\/\/blog.holyart.it\/com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2025\/05\/Recognized-Miracles-by-the-Church.jpg\")
<\/p>\n