canonization

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The canonization of Fr. Gaetano Errico, Sr. Maria Bernarda Bütler, Sr. Alfonsa of the Immaculate Conception and Sr. Narcisa de Jesús Martillo Morán on October 12, 2008 in St. Peter's Square

A canonization ( canonization , also canonization ; to Latin canon , canon , binding directory ' [meaning the Martyrologium Romanum ] from ancient Greek κανών kanōn , German ' standard, norm ' ) is a canonical and dogmatic act in the Roman Catholic Church , in to whom the Roman Pope declares that after appropriate examination, the Roman Catholic Church has the certainty that a certain deceased is in the so-called “salvation-making divine vision” and may therefore be called a saint and should be venerated as such . The prerequisite for this is either the suffering of martyrdom or the proof of a heroic degree of virtue of the person concerned. Proof of a miracle is also required for candidates who were not martyrs . In the Roman Catholic Church, canonization has liturgical significance insofar as it is no longer possible to pray for the person concerned, but to pray to him for his intercession and with him to God. The phrase "elevation to the honor of the altars" is also used as a synonym for beatification or canonization. In the Roman Catholic Church, canonizations are regarded as irreformable sentences of the solemn magisterium. Therefore, the Kanonisierungsformel corresponds to call the Trinity and with reference to the Pope authority of the formula with which a theorem for dogma is charged.

The term canonization only describes the formal act of canonical law, not the Pauline address of all baptized as "saints" (cf. 1 Cor 1,EU ).

History of the process

Originally it was customary to celebrate the Eucharist at the grave of every deceased (cf. the report of St. Augustine from the early 5th century on the burial of his mother in the Confessiones ). Even during the times of persecution, this could be repeated undisturbed on the anniversary of the death, since funeral meals at the graves were common practice and did not attract attention. One only had to know the date of death of a particular martyr to be sure of meeting other Christians at his grave that day. The custom of celebrating the Eucharist at the graves of the martyrs became so common that, during the turmoil of the Great Migration Period, the bones were brought from the graves in front of the cities to the churches in the inner cities.

Finally, the question arose whether other particularly venerated believers could also be buried under the altar of a church, e. B. Saint Martin , who did not die a martyr. Since the Church answered in the affirmative, criteria had to be found that ultimately led to today's form of canonization, which ultimately means nothing other than the liturgical veneration of the relics and the liturgical invocation of the deceased. This also resulted in a change in Roman law, according to which mortal remains could not be excavated.

Especially in the transition period between the diocesan elevation, in which the local bishop canonized a person (until around 1000 AD), and the now customary papal elevation (canonization, from around 900), in which only the Holy See was entitled to there were significant differences over jurisdiction. The canonizations by the Pope were initially the exception, Pope Alexander III. made it the rule from 1170 onwards. Pope Gregory IX confirmed the exclusive right of the Pope in a decree in 1234.

Ulrich von Augsburg is the first saint confirmed by canonization . His canonization is to be on February 3, 993 by Pope John XV. have been proclaimed. The charter of canonization has only survived in later copies, the credibility of which is doubted by historians today.

As the first woman in the Roman process, Wiborada was canonized by Pope Clement II in 1047 . The canonization of Hildegard von Bingen , promoted by Pope Innocent IV and his predecessors , was repeatedly delayed by the Bishop of Mainz, who would have liked to keep the competence of canonization to himself. Hildegard was only included in the saints calendar by the Pope towards the end of the 16th century and without canonization .

The procedure in the present

The canonization is preceded by the beatification of a venerable servant of God (Latin: venerabilis servus dei ). The process of beatification and canonization is largely the same. Since Benedict XVI. Beatification will again be carried out by the Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, as was customary before 1975. The canonization remains the sole responsibility of the Pope. Canonization is followed by an entry in the martyrology , the list of saints.

The starting point for a canonization is the request of a diocese or religious order . The applicant (s), the so-called actor, who must always be a natural person, obtains a declaration of no objection (Latin: nihil obstat ) from the Apostolic See . If nothing stands in the way of the initiation of a procedure, the actor names a postulator (Latin for “demander”), who is used with the consent of the responsible local bishop. This postulator compiles biographical information, writings of the person as well as written and oral testimonies from contemporaries and provides relevant information during the procedure. The result (Latin: Transumptum ) is submitted to the Congregation for the Processes of Beatification and Canonization . If the person concerned is historically significant, historians are also consulted. If the person was not a martyr , there must also be a miracle, usually a healing miracle, which is examined by doctors.

In the last instance, an attorney of faith , who himself does not have the right to vote, must prepare a report and give his opinion as an expert. If at least two-thirds of the assembled theologians vote for canonization, the final decision rests with the Pope. If all conditions are met, nothing stands in the way of canonization, the act of canonization , by the Pope within the framework of a separate liturgy .

“In honor of the Most Holy Trinity, for the glory of the Catholic faith and for the promotion of the Christian life, we decide, after careful consideration and invocation of divine help, following the advice of many of our brothers, by virtue of the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, the holy Apostles Peter and Paul and in the authority of the office entrusted to us that the blessed N. is a saint. We will add him (her) to the register of Saints and determine that he (she) be venerated as a Saint throughout the Church. In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. "

- Canonization formula

numbers

During the pontificate of John Paul II (1978-2005) 482 people were canonized. On May 12, 2013 Pope Francis canonized Antonio Primaldo and his companions - the 800 martyrs of Otranto - at the first canonization of his pontificate .

The costs for the procedure must be borne by the applicants ( dioceses , religious orders ). According to estimates, an amount of at least 50,000 euros must be set for this, which consists of fees and taxes at the Congregation for the beatification and canonization processes , fees for (e.g. medical) experts, payment of the postulator , cost reimbursement for witnesses, preparation of the Documentation, translation work, printing costs, decoration during the celebrations, etc.

In 1997 about 1,500 beatings and canonization procedures were processed, with costs of about 250,000 euros per procedure. However, if that much cannot be raised, a fund has been set up at the Congregation for the Canonization in order to always enable proceedings from poor church regions.

Canonizations in Orthodoxy

The Orthodox Churches do not have a uniform procedure for canonization. This is handled differently from particular church to particular church. In part, the veneration by the people develops spontaneously without ever having been officially recognized.

Criticism of beatifications and canonizations

Objections from politics and society

The canonization of Gianna Beretta Molla and the beatification of Elisabetha Canoni Mora as "models of Christian perfection" have been criticized on various occasions . Molla had sacrificed her own life by resisting surgery during pregnancy that would have resulted in the death of the child. Mora remained loyal to her husband, who abused her mentally and physically. Josemaría Escrivá's canonization was criticized because the founder of Opus Dei had openly shown admiration for the Franco dictatorship and described the overthrow of Chilean President Allende by Pinochet as “necessary bloodshed”. Also the beatification of Pope Pius IX. (1792–1878), who, according to some Jewish associations, showed anti-Semitic attitudes, was criticized.

Criticism from the Reformation churches

Criticism from Reformation churches is mainly passed down through Martin Luther , who rejected the function of the saints as mediators between God and man, as well as the role model function implied by it (cf. 1 Tim 2,5  LUT ): “There is a God and a mediator between God and man, namely the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself for all for redemption. ”Part of this knowledge was that even saints are not free from sin. Other reformers went even further and, like Johannes Calvin and Ulrich Zwingli, rejected any veneration of saints as the work of the devil and a violation of the ban on images. The common conviction of all Reformation movements (and later churches) is therefore that there can be no canonization by the church.

In the New Testament there are three words translated “holy”: hagios (the Holy Spirit and the saints called by God), hosios (refers to the sanctification of the way of life) and hieros (that belongs to or belongs to divine power fulfilled). In all cases the vocation or the way of life to holiness precedes the inner attitude of the believer: “... A person sees what is in front of his eyes; but the LORD looks at the heart. "( 1 Sam 16,7  KJV )

See also

literature

  • Winfried Schulz : Canonization . In: Walter Kasper (Ed.): Lexicon for Theology and Church . 3. Edition. tape 4 . Herder, Freiburg im Breisgau 1995, Sp. 1328-1331 .
  • Rupert Berger : Pastoralliturgisches Handlexikon, Freiburg, Herder 2008, sv canonization, beatification , pp. 200–201.
  • Marcus Sieger: The canonization. History and current legal situation. Würzburg 1995, ISBN 3-429-01746-7 .
  • Stefan Samerski : "As in heaven, so on earth"? Beatification and canonization in the Catholic Church from 1740 to 1870. Kohlhammer, Stuttgart 2002, ISBN 3-17-016977-7 .
  • Georg Gresser : Papal canonization policy in the 11th century. In: Wilhelm Rees, Sabine Demel, Ludger Müller (Hrsg.): In the service of church and science. Festschrift for Alfred E. Hierold on the completion of the 65th year of life (= canonical studies and texts 53). Berlin 2007, pp. 97-112, ISBN 978-3-428-12478-7 .

Web links

Wiktionary: canonization  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations

Individual evidence

  1. See Bernhard Schimmelpfennig: Papstum und Heilige. Neuried 2005, pp. 418-422.
  2. Divinus perfectionis magister , II. 9)
  3. Statistics from the Vatican on the pontificate of John Paul II (English).
  4. ^ Vatican Radio, May 12, 2013 .
  5. ^ Spiegel Online: John Paul II. Turbo canonization for the record Pope . Retrieved April 22, 2014.
  6. Why Protestants Don't Need Saints. Article on the website of the media center of Ev. Church in Germany: evangelisch.de