There
is a joke that says, “To become a saint, you’ve got to die first.” In
fact, that joke is one hundred percent true. We’ve prepared a brief Q&A for
you to know what else you’ll need to do, aside from that.
01.
Canonization is a
process whereby a person is included in the “canon”, or list, of recognized
saints. It makes veneration of a reposed righteous person legitimate. From the
standpoint of the Church, it isn’t the canonization per se that makes one a
saint but his or her actions and faith. Canonization is the declaration of that
person’s sanctity to all Christians and a call to venerate him or her.
02.
The Holy Synod,
ruling bishops, or lay people. In the latter case, people must contact their
bishop who will send their case for inspection into the diocesan canonization
commission. It it that commission that oversees the collection of historical
data about that person and forwards it to the Patriarch or to the Synodal
Canonization Commission.
03. Who deals with the case?
The Synodal Commission for Canonization of Saints.
It looks into applications and
examines the biography of the candidate for canonization thoroughly. The Commission
was established on April 11, 1989 by a decree of the Holy Synod. It consists
of bishops, monks, and priests. By the way, the Commission itself cannot
initiate canonization; it can only investigate submitted applications.
04. Who decides?
His Holiness the
Patriarch, the Synod of Bishops, or the Local Council, based on the verdict of
the Synodal Commission for Canonization of Saints. The Patriarch can grant
ecclesiastical honor to a locally venerated saint (i.e., a saint who is
venerated in one diocese or one region), while the Synod of Bishops or the
Local Council can canonize saints for all Russian Church.
05.
The list of the
main criteria for canonization in the Russian Orthodox Church includes a life
of piety, strict adherence to Orthodox canons, popular veneration, and
miracles. Martyrdom is a separate case. All facts are collected and recorded to be
investigated by the canonization commission. Witnesses and those who received
healing (if any) are surveyed.
06.
Not necessarily. Relics (uncorrupted remains of a human body) are not
the definitive criterion, just an additional proof. However, if relics exist,
they are subjected to careful scrutiny. The Commission for Canonization invites
scholars (archaeologists, historians, anthropologists) to examine the remains.
07.
The Russian
Orthodox Church does not have a fixed period after which a righteous person can
be canonized. However, the canonization commission “must not be hasty in
canonizing recently reposed venerated clerics and laymen. The provisional
investigation into their lives and works must be thorough, extensive, and based
on documents.”
08. What does the saint get out of his or her
canonization?
Nothing. Canonization isn’t a postmortem church
award. Saints are canonized to
be examples for other Christians, so that we could look up on them and invoke
their intercession before God. Also, according to the Russian tradition, people
receive their Christian names only in honor of canonized saints.
09.
No. It may or may not be saintly. Saints are canonized not because of their sinless life
but for their acts of faith. For instance, many martyrs had persecuted
Christians or even killed them before they repented and suffered martyrdom, and
thus became saints.
10.
There is
a book called Menologium. It contains an exhaustive list of officially recognized
Orthodox saints from all over the world. A shorter list can be found at the end
of the Orthodox Church calendar for each year, sold in every church booth.
By Kirill Baglai
Translated by the Catalog of Good Deeds
Source: https://foma.ru/kak-stat-svyatyim-ofitsialno.html
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