Fast Track To Being A Saint
There is no waiting list to become a saint. Instant access, like the internet, is now available if one can prove a few miracles and get enough people to rally in ones' behalf to become a saint in less than a few years. On May 9, 2005, Pope Benedict read a letter in which "he asked the head of the Vatican Congregation, for the causes of saints, Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins, to waive the five-year waiting period between the time of a person's death and when the process for beatification, a key step toward sainthood, can begin (Fisher and Goodstein1). There are certain requirements to become a saint that must be adhered to before beatification, (being blessed) can be sanctioned by the church.
"The first requirement is that the deceased enjoy a genuine reputation for holiness' among the faithful. The church then interprets this as the work of the Holy Spirit" (Woodward 9). A beatification requires that the candidate has performed a miracle during his lifetime. "It must then certify a miracle attributed to his intercession after his death for him to be beatified" (Winfield 1). Peter Gould describes that the findings are reviewed by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints who will present their conclusions to the pope. The blessed may be given a day of feast, and personal items and relics are attained from the candidate. The last step for canonization is proof of a second miracle (4). The Vatican laws are explicit regarding steps required to be canonised, and the required time to process potential candidates. "At one time, the process of creating saints took decades, if not centuries" (Gould 1). The fast track approach to beatify and canonise John Paul before due process of church doctrine demonstrates the inconsistency of the Roman Catholic Church and its approach to self-serving methods, which is not in the best interest for them or the people.
The Vatican documents several miracles attributed to John Paul. "Among them came from one Cardinal Francesco Marchisano of Italy, who said his vocal chord had been paralyzed by a medical error" (Goodstein and Fisher 1). In a telephone interview with Goodstein and Fisher, the cardinal explained that the pope caressed his throat, and after seven months of therapy Marchisano was able to speak again' (1). In Italy, "Italian newspapers are already reporting supposed miraculous events attributed to John Paul's intercession even though he has been dead for only a week" (Winfield A1).
state police contacted Pope John Paul II querying him to involve and have the Cuban
This demonstrates that although bishops search for honorable qualities in man, an improved system needs to be put in place for the appointment of bishops. Other bishops can provide untrustworthy accounts of candidates, which can lead to an incorrect appointment of bishops. Christianity needs a more fitting structure and Sidonius demonstrates that
A saint is a virtuous person that is honored by church after death who is considered to a degree of holiness and is blessed. In most Christian denominations think all people are saints in the Catholic Church the term saint is given to a person whom which the church has officially been canonized. Furthermore, the Catholic Church explains that they do not create or make a saint; however, they recognize saints. In fact, Frances Xavier Cabrini or as many people refer to her as Mother Cabrini is the first person to be canonized as a saint by the Catholic Church.
Through the close study of two of the aspects shown in the diagram, their contributions allow Christianity to be considered a living religious tradition. The significant contributions of Pope John XXIII, during both his papal and Pre-papal life have had everlasting effects on not only Catholicism, but Christianity as a whole and lead to the sense of Christianity being a living religious tradition. His works include two Papal encyclicals, Mater et Magistra and Pacem in Terris, along with his work being Apostolic Delegate of Greece and Turkey. Moreover, The significant practice of Baptism has further contributed to Christian being considered a living religious tradition as it accounts for the premise of most Christian beliefs to be initiated, especially in terms of salvation and affirming the beliefs in the trinity and following the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Once in power, John Paul immediately displayed an activist approach which was unprecedented in the papacy. Despite advancements in transportation and technology, his activism in the world was still a remarkable attribute, for popes have historically stated their beliefs and principles r...
During the Great Jubilee year, John Paul II gave a relevant speech of apology on behalf of the entire Catholic Church for the serious sins committed by its members for over 2,000 years. Since John Paul II did that, he wished the Church to enter the new millennium with a clean slate, allowing it to speak to and discuss freely with the other religions of the world, including the cultures and nations from a place not only of permanency but also of moral and religious power, having acknowledged in specific ways the crimes, from time to time unbearable, committed by its human origins throughout history. These apologies were hardly accepted, and common apologies for sins committed against the Church and its members have not been imminent. “Catholics distinguish between the holiness of the inevitable sinful nature of men, including the men who serve the Church stated by Thomas E. Woods Jr.” From the Catholic observation point, the Church presents two parts: One representing its divine nature as the untarnished body of Christ, and one directing on the weaknesses of the Church's human members suffering from sin, which does not prevent it from receiving God's forgiveness through the sacraments, however troubled it may be by the sins of its members.... ...
By Christ doing God’s will and dying for us on the cross, we are made holy. The author put it like this, “Holiness, then, is not necessary as a condition of salvation – that would be salvation by works – but as a part of salvation that is received by faith in Christ” (p. 34). While Jesus was here on earth, he lived a life that was perfectly holy. His holiness was not just attributed to the fact that he had no sin, but that he conformed perfectly to the will of God.
Wikipedia. "John Papa 'I'i." Wikipedia Free Encyclopedia. N.p., 2 July 2013. Web. 3 Feb. 2014. .
the pope was questionable and many times overlooked. But once he took on the title of
Vatican rules, though, are clear: For a miracle to be considered in the saint-making process, it has to have occurred after John Paul's death.
Robson, Micheal. Saint Francis of Assisi: The Legend and the Life. London: Geoffrey Chappan, 1997.
For Protestants a saint is “anyone who believes in Jesus as a savior.” To juxtaposition that definition Catholics defines saints to be “a special group of holy people, who are venerated. They may act as intercessors between God and Man and may be invoked in prayer.” This deference in definition really shows the constancy of Protestants and their beliefs that Jesus and God are the only ones who truly have importance and focus of the religion. They deny the pope, deny the Virgin Mary to being anything holy, and reject the idea of holy saints and their ability to be mediums to connect with
In the short story “The Quest for Saint Aquin” by Anthony Boucher, the author writes about the religious beliefs regarding the “never-decaying” saint, Saint Aquin. The Pope is extremely poor and has lost most of the power to
Francis of Assisi lived about eight hundred years ago. He was born in the city of Assisi, Italy, in 1182. He was the son of Piero of Bernadone, who was a wealthy merchant. He received a education and seemed to follow his father's footsteps as a wealthy merchant. In 1201 he took part in an attack on Perugia, was taken hostage, and remained a captive there for a year. After his release, Francis joined the army but couldn't complete his time because he got sick. This period of time would change his life forever. During his sickness, Francis would spend hours meditating on the Lord in an old church, and he felt God drawing near to him. Some people come to Jesus with a memorable experience, but others come to Christ through a process. Francis' conversion wasn't an overnight experience, but it was definitely real.
Vatican City is an international tourist destination for millions of people yearly yet it is home to less than a thousand people. Vatican City’s economy stems most of its annual revenue from tourism. The selling of stamps, museum admissions, tourist souvenirs, and religious publications all contribute to the care taking of the City. Created from the dust of the demolished Cappella Maggiore, the past Papal Temple, the Sistine chapel was constructed beginning in late 1473. Pope Sixtus IV gave breath to the demolition of the old chapel with the intention of building the most beautiful building for god’s people. The chapel is used approximately 50 times per year for a soulful mass. When the time comes for a new pope, the Sistine Chapel is used for the congregation of all the Cardinals for voting. A Cardinals “[is] a high ecclesiastic figure appointed by the pope to the College of Cardinals” (Cardinal). Voting comes in rounds each with different rules regarding for whom one can vote for. “The first being an ordinary ballot at which each Cardinal has to vote ; the second, termed technically the accessus, where it is allowable for a cardinal to transfer his previous vote to any candidate who may have obtained votes on that same previous occasion” (Cartwright 196). Accessus rounds can immediately follow the previous round of normal voting so there is lots of conversation following the announced results of each first round. Cardinals come from all over t...