Vatican issues guide to making saints

[Xenia]

I find the following to be quite hilarious AND sad...


February 19, 2008 - 1:01PM

The Vatican has issued a new guide to saint making that it hopes will clarify and streamline the process of singling out souls for Catholicism's highest honor.

The instructions for bishops range from identifying possible miracles to more worldly, bureaucratic concerns, such as using computers and recording devices to archive testimony about the life of a potential saint.

The rest of the story:
http://tinyurl.com/24otp7

[Ransom v. Unman]

/shrug

Nothing new here... :rolleyes:

[Derby]

I understand that the Roman Catholic belief of devotion to saints is based on the view that they are close to God because of their holiness, and accessible to man because of their humanity. It is linked to the view that The Church of Christ includes the living and the dead, a unity of souls caring for each other. The dynamic to make someone a saint comes from popular demand, not from the Church authorities.

It is connected to the idea of Purgatory, where a Catholic believes that a Christian goes at death to be purged, made fit for heaven. I think it is believed that a saint goes straight to heaven. So a Catholic can pray for a soul in Purgatory.

Typically, praying to a dead saint may produce a miracle. It is claimed that miracles of healing occur at Lourdes for instance. Some non-Catholics restrict their belief in miracles to those recorded in the Bible. Others believe that miracles are still happening.

Perhaps the article that you quote is not a Catholic article as such, but a slightly cynical ‘take’ on one. I think it is better to try to understand the thinking behind beliefs that seem odd to us - leading to mutual understanding. I would guess that the Catholic Church really tries to fight the popular enthusiasm to beatify someone – this might be the reason for the new guidelines.

This post is bits and pieces and input from a Catholic would be useful.
I think that you will find that a Catholic, likewise, will see some non-Catholic beliefs as equally strange.

[Xenia]

I think that you will find that a Catholic, likewise, will see some non-Catholic beliefs as equally strange.Perhaps I was a bit insensitive... If so, my apologies.

[Derby]

Xenia

No problem!

I expect that the article source [Google current events?] was being like much of the media; trying to build up readership. What sells newspapers?

I wrote an item around this subject, getting on for 4000 words, called "The Idea". My local Creative Writing group gave me some ideas to improve it. I think I will revise it and try to post it for critique to www.christianwriters.com . I may not be eligible yet to do this but I will try.

Best wishes, Derby.

[ProfessorAlan]

The saint-making process has changed over the years. For the first thousand years or so, one was made a saint by local acclaimation, but the process has become more and more centralized and standardized recently.

The doctrine of saints does not just regard Purgatory, but ia also an interpretation of "the great cloud of witnesses" of Hebrews 12, and the belief in the "communion of saints" affirmed in the Apostle's Creed.