COMMUNION OF SAINTS.

Saints and Canonization

1. What is a Saint?

In its general and traditional meaning a saint is a holy person who has led a life in union with God through the grace of Christ, and after death receives the reward of eternal life. In its more technical meaning a saint is someone who has been canonized by the Church. [glossary; cf. 828].

2. How is the word saint used in the New Testament?

In the New Testament the Christians are sometimes referred to as holy ones or saints (Acts 9:13; 1 Cor 6:1; 16:1). [823].

3. What is canonization?

Canonization is the solemn declaration of the Pope that a deceased member of the faithful may be proposed as a model and intercessor to the Christian faithful to be venerated as a saint on the basis that the person had lived a life of heroic virtue or remained faithful to God through martyrdom. [glossary; 61; 828].

4. What is beatification?

Beatification is a step on the way to canonization, making the person acceptable for limited veneration. A beatified person is called blessed. Quite often, but not always, beatification is eventually followed by canonization.

Communion of Saints

5. What is the communion of saints?

The communion of the saints is the unity in Christ of all the redeemed, those on earth and those who have died. This term has two closely related meanings: communion in holy things, and communion among holy persons. There is a communion in the faith, of the sacraments, of charisms, and in charity. [glossary; 960*-962*, 946-953].

6. Where is the communion of saints professed?

The communion of saints is professed in the Apostles Creed, where it has been interpreted as referring to unity in the "holy things", especially the unity of faith and charity achieved through participation in the Eucharist. [glossary; 946*].

7. What are the three states of the Church?

The three states of the Church consist of those members who are pilgrims on earth, the dead who are being purified in purgatory, and the communion of the blessed in heaven, all together forming one Church. Thus the overall Church comprises a pilgrim church, a suffering church, and a glorified church. Prior toVatican II the pilgrim church was called the church militant. [962*, 954].

8. What mutual benefits accrue from the Communion of Saints?

The prayer of the members of the pilgrim Church is capable of helping those in purgatory to become loosed from their sins, and this prayer can also make the intercession of the faithful in heaven effective for us here on earth. We believe that in this communion the merciful love of God and his saints is always attentive to our prayers. [962*; 958].

Veneration of Saints

9. What is veneration of the saints?

Veneration consisted initially in showing devotion and respect to Mary, the apostles and the martyrs, who were viewed as faithful witnesses to faith in Jesus Christ. Later it was expanded to include those who led a life of prayer and self denial in giving witness to Christ, whose virtues were recognized and publicly proclaimed in their canonization as saints. Such veneration is often extended to the relics or remains of those recognized as saints, and to other sacred objects and images. Veneration must be clearly distinguished from adoration and worship, which are due to God alone. [glossary; 2141*, 828; 1674; 2132].

10. What is the intercession of the saints?

Those who dwell in heaven do not cease to intercede with the Father for us. They proffer the merits which they acquired on earth through the one mediator between God and man, Christ Jesus, so that by their fraternal concern our weakness is greatly helped (Cf. 1 Tim 2:5) [glossary; 962*, 956].

Particular Saints

11. Which saints are doctors of the Church?

Doctor of the Church is a title given to some saints who exhibited not only a high level of holiness, but also made important intellectual contributions to the development of the faith. In the ancient Church the doctors of the West were Ambrose, Augustine, Gregory the Great and Jerome, and those of the East were Athanasius, Basil, Gregory Nazianzen and John Chrysostom. Several subsequent Doctors of the Church are Albert the Great, Anselm, Bonaventure, John of the Cross, Robert Bellarmine, Teresa of Avila, Thérèse Lisieux, and Thomas Aquinas. There is a total of 33 Doctors of the Church.

12. Name some saints who were martyrs.

A martyr is someone who endured death to be faithful to Christ. Examples are: all the Apostles except John; Blase, Clement I (pope), Edith Stein, Ignatius of Antioch, Irenaeus, Joan of Arc, John the Baptist, John Fisher, Justin, Maria Goretti, Maximillian Kolbe, Polycarp, Sebastian, Stephen deacon and first martyr, Thomas Becket, Vincent.

13. Name some saints who founded religious orders.

Anthony d356 and his followers were hermits in Egyptian deserts.

Benedict d550 founded many monasteries.

His sister St. Scholastica d547 founded many convents of nuns

Bruno d1101 founded the Camaldolese.

Francis of Assisi d1226 and Dominic d1221 founded mendicant (begging) orders of friars.

Clare d1253 founded the Poor Clare nuns, the women Franciscans.

Angela Merici d1540 founded the Ursuline order of nuns.

Ignatius Loyola d1556 founded the Jesuits.

Philip Neri d1595 founded the Oratorians.

Jane Frances de Chantel d1641 founded the Visitation nuns.

Vincent de Paul d1660 founded the Vincentians.

John Baptist de la Salle d1719 founded the Christian Brothers.

Paul of the Cross d1775 founded the Passionists

Alphonsus Liguori d1787 founded the Redemptorists.

Elizabeth Ann Seton d1821 founded the Sisters of Charity.

Don Bosco d1888 founded the Salesians.

Frances Xavier Cabrini d 1917 founded the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart.

Mother Teresa d1950 founded the Missionary Sisters of Charity.