Not a Popularity Contest
The Catholic Church has canonised thousands of saints — men and women declared with certainty to be in heaven, worthy of universal veneration, and held up as models for the whole Church. But the process by which someone becomes a canonised saint is not a vote, not a petition drive, and not a popularity contest. It is one of the most thorough investigations any human life can undergo — involving years of research, multiple levels of scrutiny, and the verification of miracles.
Understanding the process dispels two common misconceptions: that the Church “makes” someone a saint (she does not — God does; the Church recognises what God has done), and that canonisation is arbitrary or political (it is not — the process is rigorous, cautious, and deliberately slow).
The Four Stages
The path to canonisation has four distinct stages. Each one requires its own investigation, its own evidence, and its own decision by the Pope.
Stage One: Servant of God
The process begins at the local level. At least five years after the candidate’s death — a waiting period designed to let initial enthusiasm cool and allow a more sober assessment — the bishop of the diocese where the person died can open a formal investigation.
The bishop appoints a team to gather evidence: the candidate’s writings, testimony from people who knew them, evidence of their reputation for holiness. A “postulator” — a kind of advocate — is appointed to present the case. A theological commission examines the candidate’s writings for anything contrary to faith or morals.
If the local investigation is positive, the case is sent to Rome — to the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints (formerly the Congregation). If the Dicastery accepts the case, the candidate receives the title “Servant of God.” This is not a declaration of holiness. It is an acknowledgement that the investigation has officially begun.
Stage Two: Venerable
The Dicastery conducts its own thorough investigation. A “relator” is assigned to prepare a comprehensive biography — the positio — which can run to thousands of pages. This document examines the candidate’s entire life in detail: their virtues, their writings, their actions, and any criticisms or controversies.
The key question at this stage is whether the candidate practised the Christian virtues to a “heroic degree.” Not perfection — the Church does not require that saints never sinned. But heroic virtue: faith, hope, charity, prudence, justice, temperance, and fortitude lived consistently and to an extraordinary degree, beyond what is expected of an ordinary good Christian.
A panel of theologians examines the positio. If they approve, it goes to the cardinals and bishops of the Dicastery. If they approve, the Pope issues a decree recognising the candidate’s heroic virtues. The candidate is now declared “Venerable.”
No public veneration is yet permitted. The declaration means that the Church recognises this person lived a life of exceptional holiness. But one more thing is needed before beatification: a miracle.
Stage Three: Blessed (Beatification)
For beatification, the Church requires evidence of a miracle — typically a physical healing — that occurred through the candidate’s intercession after their death.
The miracle must be scientifically inexplicable. A medical board of doctors — including non-Catholic and non-believing physicians — examines the case. The healing must be instantaneous, complete, lasting, and without medical explanation. If the doctors conclude that no natural explanation is possible, the case passes to a theological commission, which examines whether the healing was genuinely the result of prayer to the candidate.
The standard is deliberately high. The Church does not want to canonise on the basis of coincidence, misdiagnosis, or wishful thinking. The medical investigation is among the most rigorous processes in the entire canonisation system.
Martyrs are exempt from the miracle requirement at this stage. If a candidate died for the faith — was killed out of hatred for Christianity — the martyrdom itself is considered sufficient evidence of heroic virtue and divine favour.
If the miracle is approved, the Pope celebrates a beatification Mass, and the candidate is declared “Blessed.” Limited public veneration is now permitted — typically in the candidate’s home diocese or religious order.
Stage Four: Saint (Canonisation)
For canonisation — the final step — a second miracle is required, occurring after beatification. The process is the same: medical examination, theological review, and papal approval.
If the second miracle is verified, the Pope solemnly canonises the candidate — declaring, with the full authority of the Church, that this person is in heaven and is worthy of universal veneration. The declaration is considered infallible. It cannot be reversed.
A canonisation Mass is celebrated — typically in St Peter’s Square in Rome — and the new saint is assigned a feast day in the liturgical calendar.
How Long Does It Take?
There is no fixed timeline. Some causes move relatively quickly — St Thérèse of Lisieux was canonised just twenty-eight years after her death. Others take centuries — St Hildegard of Bingen, who died in 1179, was not formally canonised until 2012.
Pope John Paul II reformed the process to make it more efficient, and he canonised more saints than all his predecessors combined. Pope Francis has continued at a brisk pace. But even with streamlined procedures, most causes take decades.
The waiting is deliberate. The Church is in no hurry. She has two thousand years of experience and knows that haste leads to errors. A cause that has been examined for fifty years and found sound is more credible than one rushed through in five.
The Devil’s Advocate
Until 1983, the canonisation process included an official called the Promotor Fidei — popularly known as the “Devil’s Advocate.” This person’s job was to argue against the candidate — to find every weakness, every flaw, every reason why the cause should fail. The role was abolished by John Paul II as part of his reforms, though the Dicastery still appoints officials to scrutinise each case critically.
The loss of the formal Devil’s Advocate has been debated. Some argue it weakened the process. Others say the rigour remains, just in a different form. Either way, the principle behind it — that canonisation should be challenged and tested, not rubber-stamped — remains central to the Church’s approach.
What Canonisation Means
Canonisation is not the Church’s opinion that someone was nice. It is a solemn declaration, protected by the charism of infallibility, that a specific person is in heaven and that their life is a model for the universal Church.
This means several things. The saint can be publicly venerated everywhere, not just locally. Churches can be dedicated to them. Their feast day enters the liturgical calendar. And the faithful can pray to them with confidence — knowing that this person is with God and can intercede on their behalf.
It also means that the saint’s life is held up as an example. Not that every detail of their life should be imitated — saints were products of their time and culture, and some of their particular practices are not meant for universal adoption. But the core of their witness — their love of God, their fidelity, their courage, their charity — is presented as a pattern that all Christians can learn from.
Why It Matters
The canonisation process matters because it reflects the Church’s profound seriousness about holiness. She does not declare someone a saint lightly. She investigates, questions, tests, and waits. She requires miracles — not because God needs to prove Himself, but because the Church needs to be sure.
And it matters because the saints themselves matter. They are not historical curiosities. They are living members of the Body of Christ — closer to God than anyone on earth, more powerful in prayer than anyone in the pew. When the Church canonises a saint, she is not honouring the dead. She is introducing you to someone who is more alive than you are — and who is waiting to help you.