Saints LightHow Does Someone Become a Saint?
The Church recognizes saints through a careful investigation of their lives and miracles, but God makes saints, and he calls every one of us to be one.
What this lesson teaches
- God makes saints; canonization is the Church's solemn recognition that a person is in heaven.
- The usual steps are Servant of God, Venerable, Blessed, and Saint.
- Normally one approved miracle is needed for beatification and a second for canonization; martyrs need none for beatification.
- Every Christian is called to holiness, and saints come from every age.
Catechism paragraphs this lesson cites
- CCC 828
- CCC 957
- CCC 2013
CCC means the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Saints Light teaches it in its own words and never quotes it. Look up any paragraph in a printed copy or at vatican.va. See every lesson by paragraph in the Catechism index.
Scripture read in this lesson: Romans 1:7; Matthew 5:48.
A sample question from this lesson
What does canonization actually do?
- It sends a person to heaven
- It makes a person holy after death
- It recognizes that a person is in heaven and may be honored by the whole Church
- It is required for anyone to be in heaven
Show the answer
It recognizes that a person is in heaven and may be honored by the whole Church. The lesson explains that God makes saints and canonization is the Church's solemn recognition (CCC 828).
The lesson in the app has three questions, each with an explanation.
Words to know
- Canonization
- The pope's solemn declaration that a person is in heaven and may be honored by the universal Church.
- Beatification
- The step before canonization, after which a person is called Blessed.
- Venerable
- The title of a person whose heroic virtue has been officially recognized.
More terms in the Catholic glossary. More passages in the Scripture index.
Read the full lesson in the app
"How Does Someone Become a Saint?" is lesson 8 of Mary and the Saints. In Saints Light you get the whole teaching, the Scripture quoted in full, all three questions and a step to live it this week.
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Related lessons
- Mary and the Saints: The Family of God (Start Here, free)
- the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints (The Creed, free)
- Why Do Catholics Pray with the Saints and the Angels? (Learning to Pray)
- Holiness for Ordinary People (Grace and Virtue)