Holiness is the common ideal of every Christian on this earth, because through it the gates of Heaven are opened to us. Therefore, in her pastoral solicitude, it is up to the Church not only to provide us with the means to obtain beatitude, but also to present us with models of a good life, which is one of the primordial roles in the mission entrusted to her by the Divine Redeemer.
This last point falls particularly to the Supreme Pontiff, who has the responsibility of being the supreme judge to proclaim sanctity of life and efficacy of intercession in those who have distinguished themselves by the heroic practice of the virtues and by their witness to the faith, sometimes consummated in the act of martyrdom. However, this was not always the case.
The cult of martyrs
Nowadays, it seems normal for the Pope to proclaim the holiness of a Servant of God and to present him as a model and intercessor. In the early centuries of the Church, however, when the dogma of papal infallibility was still a long way from being defined, the “processes” of canonization took place more quickly and simply.
Gathered inside a catacomb, the first Christians prayed around the body of the last martyr to give his life in defence of the Faith. Only the previous day, that holy man or chaste young woman had lived among them, praying and attending Mass in secret, unbeknownst to the Roman authorities. And now, everyone believed that he or she was in Heaven, but their presence was felt by their brothers and sisters – perhaps it had never been felt so closely.
Thus, in an entirely organic way, devotion to yet another saint was established in those distant first centuries of persecution of the nascent Church.
Exalting other forms of holiness
The years passed, and with them the persecutions. Martyrdom was no longer the only form of sanctity recognized by the faithful. Firstly, the confessors of the Faith began to be venerated: those who, having suffered the torture typical of martyrs, had been left as dead by their executioners or set free before breathing their last. These were men and women who bore in their bodies, for the rest of their lives, the price of their perseverance: the lack of a limb or the scars of the torments they had suffered.
The bishops who stood out most for their union with God were soon added to the list of the blessed, as a token of gratitude from their spiritual children for the example of their lives. In fact, it is to these first pastors that we owe the expansion of the Church and the establishment of the foundations of Catholic doctrine.
Soon monks and hermits, kings and nobles, virgins and mothers of families were also included in what gradually became an extensive and magnificent catalogue of saints venerated in specific regions, and some throughout the Church, without the Pope ever having canonized a single one!
“Vox populi, vox Dei”
Until then, canonizations took place by acclamation of the people, based on the reputation for sanctity of a baptized person, to which the bishop associated himself – usually by transferring to a church the mortal remains of the person who had left in the memory of all, exemplary acts of virtue, worthy of imitation – and by instituting some special liturgical prayer for him.
The custom of popular canonizations lasted until the 17th century. Only gradually was the proclamation of a new blessed reserved to the Roman Pontiff. Just to have an idea, it is enough to mention that one of the first canonizations by a Pope was that of Ulrich, Bishop of Augsburg, who was declared a saint by John XV only in the 10th century!
It was Urban VIII who, in 1634, put an irrevocable end to popular canonizations, reserving this sublime task to the Successor of Peter.
Dubious canonizations
This is how the cult of the Saints has developed over the years, until reaching the form we know today. However, despite the progressive institutionalization of canonizations, questionable devotions sometimes arose to deceased people whose lives were not always properly analysed.
In one of his documents, Pope Alexander III lamented the veneration in a certain region of a deceased person who had been “martyred” while drunk. Others were venerated without ever having existed. This is the case, for example, of “St. Viar”, who was honoured in Spain after the decaying inscription “S VIAR” was found on the outside wall of an old church. Many years passed before the plaque was restored, allowing its original meaning to be discovered: “praefectuS VIARum”, which probably referred to the person in charge of public roads…
Furthermore, what about those deceased who are venerated only in certain regions or by certain institutes? Why does the Church prohibit their public cult on a universal level? For example, it is known that between the years 1209 and 1500 there were 965 Franciscans venerated at a local or restricted level, that is, only by their Order or monastery. Devotion to many of them, however, was never confirmed by ecclesiastical authority.
Now, after these considerations, many questions may be running through our minds… How can all these cases be explained? How can I be sure that my patron saint really is in Heaven? What value does a canonization have? Is the Church infallible or not when proclaiming a saint?
The dogmatic value of canonizations
The truth is that the question remains open, since the Popes have never pronounced themselves definitively on the subject. Therefore, we will only find elements to answer these questions by referring to the corresponding theological debates.
First of all, it is worth asking: on which occasions is a Pope infallible? The Dogmatic Constitution Pastor Æternus makes it clear that he is infallible only “when, carrying out the duty of the pastor and teacher of all Christians by virtue of his supreme apostolic authority, he defines a doctrine of faith or morals to be held by the universal Church.”1 And the Catechism reminds us of a detail that we wish to emphasize: “This infallibility extends as far as the deposit of divine Revelation itself.”2
These are called ex cathedra pronouncements, very different from a homily or catechesis, which are not infallible, even when pronounced by the Pope. An ex cathedra pronouncement occurs, for example, in the proclamation of a dogma, such as the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady, which must be believed by all as a revealed, defined and infallible truth of faith, once it has been declared as such by the Holy Father.
This brings us to another question: do canonizations fall within the scope of ex cathedra pronouncements? Are they part of the revealed truths, or those that are necessary to faithfully guard and expound the deposit of the Faith?
Before answering, we should consider that canonizations have two aspects. The first is a general principle: the certainty that anyone who, following the example of Our Lord Jesus Christ, practises virtues to a heroic degree receives the crown of beatitude, which means obtaining eternal salvation. The second is the application of this rule to concrete cases – in other words, the proclamation that a particular soul is in Heaven.
Pius XII during the canonization ceremony of St. Vincent Strambi, in 1950
What if a canonized saint is not in Heaven?
It is easy to demonstrate that the first aspect – the general one – is contained in Revelation, since it was promised to us by Jesus Christ. However, can we say the same about its application to individuals? If a canonized person were not really in Heaven, would there be any serious damage to the deposit of the Faith?
For some theologians,3 despite the unpleasant aspect that this would necessarily entail, it would not, however, result in grave damage to Catholic dogma. Adherence to a doctrine averse to the Faith would be grounds for condemnation for members of the Church, but the cult of a dubious saint would not present serious risks, because the mistaken veneration would be rendered only inasmuch as we believe him to be a friend of God.
Furthermore, our prayers would not be jeopardized by having recourse to his intercession, since they have the Lord as their ultimate and principal end. In the absence of a mediator, God would accept them directly.4 Of course, this is no reason to reject the valuable intercessions of the saints, who pray for us without ceasing.
The position of St. Thomas Aquinas
Many centuries before the dogma of pontifical infallibility was proclaimed and even before canonization processes were regulated, St. Thomas Aquinas had already been questioned about the relationship between the two. However, he was so prudent in the matter that his arguments are used both by those who defend the infallibility of canonizations and by those who question it. The best approach, then, is to resort directly to his words in the only mention that the Angelic Doctor makes on the subject.
With the wisdom that characterizes him, St. Thomas affirms that there are two distinct situations with regard to the judgement of those governing the Church: first, declarations about the truths of the Faith, such as dogmas, and second, pronouncements made by the Pope about particular facts, that is, about human affairs. The Angelic Doctor emphasizes that the former are the fruit of divine intervention and therefore we should have no doubt about their veracity. In the second case, however, error is possible.
However, “the canonization of saints lies between these two situations.” When the Pontiff elevates a deceased person to the honour of the altars, he ascertains his status through an investigation into his life and his miracles, but above all through an “instinct of the Holy Spirit.” From this the Aquinate concludes: “It must be firmly believed that the Church’s judgement cannot err in this either.”5
It should be noted that St. Thomas himself refrains from issuing an absolute judgement on such a delicate matter. Although he does not say that canonizations are infallible, he does say that we should believe them to be certain, since the Divine Holy Spirit sees to it that the Church does not err.
Therefore, there is no reason to be alarmed about our devotions just because no Pope has ever declared that canonizations are an application of the charism of infallibility. On the contrary, God himself sees to it that the Holy Church fulfils her mission of presenting models of virtue to her children without error. And He himself welcomes our supplications, because He is first and foremost our Father. ◊
Attending a Canonization Ceremony
During a trip to Rome in 1950, Dr. Plinio received some invitations from Msgr. Giovanni Batista Montini, the future Paul VI, to attend the canonization of St. Vincent Strambi, from the tribune reserved for the diplomatic corps. He tells us about the beautiful ceremony he witnessed.
Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira
A crowd filled St. Peter’s Basilica, in an attitude of respect and veneration, with the degree of silence that can be obtained from thousands of people. In other words, everyone spoke softly, in a murmur that was certainly noisy, but measured, different from normal chatter.
At a certain moment, the bells began to ring majestically. And a thrill ran through the entire assembly, because it was the signal that the Pope, inside his apartments, had sat on the sedia gestatoria – the portable throne on which the Supreme Pontiff was carried by court dignitaries – and the procession towards the basilica had begun.
Shortly afterwards, Michelangelo’s silver trumpets were heard from afar, preceding the papal procession and announcing that the Holy Father was arriving. Then the bronze doors of St. Peter’s Basilica opened and the papal procession began to enter. It was extremely beautiful, and extremely long! The people’s anticipation increased as the sound of the trumpets approached, and the excitement reached its peak when the Pope finally entered the church through the central door. There was great enthusiasm, an acclamation and tremendous emotion.
View of the tribune of the diplomatic corps during the canonization of St. Vincent Strambi, attended by Dr. Plnio (circled)
The long and immense procession spanned the basilica’s aisle from end to end, carrying the Pope to the throne prepared for him at the front. Pius XII, a tall, slender man with very long, white hands that look like ivory, wore the pontifical tiara. He was led to his place, descended from the sedia gestatoria and sat on the throne. Behind him, the flabeli, large and ornate fans that highlight the splendour of the papal presence, were discreetly waved.
The Mass unfolded normally, with great pomp. At the moment of the consecration, the Pope arose and went to the altar. As he passed close to us, all the guests of honour, in their turn, bowed deeply as he went by. The Catholics knelt down, and the non-Catholics remained standing, but all in an attitude of respect.
When the Consecration of the bread began, the silver trumpets could be heard from a kind of circular loft in the dome of St. Peter’s. One had the impression that Angels were playing in Heaven. Intense emotion took hold of those present.
Then, there was a great silence in the Church, because the Blessed Sacrament was present. The Pope returned to the throne, the Mass continued, and then the Supreme Pontiff received Communion. Finally, he gave the blessing to the people. There was another explosion of joy, the fanfares sounded, and shortly after he got up and left.
When everything was over, a new saint, St. Vincent Strambi, shone forever in the Catholic firmament. ◊
Taken, with minor adaptations, from:
Dr. Plinio. São Paulo. Year IV. N.42
(Sept., 2001), p.26-30
Notes
1 DH 1839.
2 CCC 891. The Second Vatican Council reinforces the idea that there is a close link between pontifical infallibility and Revelation: “this infallibility with which the Divine Redeemer willed His Church to be endowed in defining doctrine of faith and morals, extends as far as the deposit of Revelation extends” (Lumen gentium, n.25). We should also remember that Pope John Paul II included in the category of infallibility everything that is required to preserve the deposit of the Faith in a holy manner and to expound it faithfully, even if it cannot be considered part of Revelation stricto sensu (cf. Ad tuendam fidem, n.3-4).
3 Cf. OLS, OP, Daniel. Fondamenti teologici della santità. In: CONGREGATIO DE CAUSIS SANCTORUM. Studium. Corso formativo per istruire le cause dei Santi. Parte Teologica. Roma: [s.n.], 2011, p.39.
4 Cf. INNOCENT IV. Super libros quinque Decretalium. L.III, tit.45, c.1; DELEYAHE, SJ, Hippolytus. Bulletin des publications hagiographiques. In: Analecta Bollandiana. Bruxelles. N.44 (1926), p.233.
5 ST. THOMAS AQUINAS. Quodlibet 9, q.8, a.1.
