What Is Beatification and Canonization?
Short answer
Beatification is the intermediate step before canonization that declares a deceased person Blessed and normally needs a recognized miracle (Vatican News). Canonization is the solemn decree that proclaims the person a saint, which normally follows a miracle that occurred after beatification (for a non-martyr, a second miracle). Catechism paragraph 828 defines canonization as the Church solemnly recognizing that a person practiced heroic virtue.
Beatification is the formal intermediate stage in the Catholic Church that declares a deceased person Blessed, while canonization is the subsequent proclamation of sainthood. At Find A Prayer, we wrote this explainer from the Vatican News description, the 1983 and 2017 Holy See documents and the Catechism. The difference between beatification and sainthood centers on the level of recognition and the miracles required along the path.
Canonization proclaims a saint and normally follows a second miracle that takes place after beatification. Paul addresses living Christians as saints in Romans 1:7 and Ephesians 1:1. Catholic teaching also gives the title to those the Church canonizes (CCC 828).
Beatification and Canonization in One Paragraph
As Vatican News, the Holy See's news service, describes current practice, beatification is the intermediate stage before canonization. If the candidate is declared a martyr, he or she immediately becomes Blessed without the requirement of a verified miracle. Otherwise, a miracle attributed to the candidate's intercession must be recognized, consisting of a healing deemed scientifically inexplicable by a medical commission composed of specialists who are both believers and non-believers. In order for the Blessed to be declared a saint, a second miracle that occurred after beatification must normally be attributed to his or her effective intercession.
Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraph 828 describes what canonization is and why the Church undertakes it. The text states that by solemnly proclaiming that certain believers practiced heroic virtue and lived in fidelity to God's grace, the Church recognizes the power of the Spirit of holiness within her. Through this decree, the Church sustains the hope of all believers by proposing the saints to them as heavenly models and intercessors.
The Steps of the Beatification Process
The beatification process begins with a formal inquiry conducted by a diocesan bishop. Pope John Paul II established the foundational norms for bishops in the 1983 apostolic constitution Divinus Perfectionis Magister. Under article 1 of the norms, the diocesan bishop investigates the life, virtues or martyrdom, and the reputation of sanctity of the person whose cause is introduced.
The apostolic constitution requires that the inquiry into alleged miracles must be conducted separately from the inquiry into virtues or martyrdom. Vatican News outlines four distinct titles that mark the journey toward formal recognition. A candidate begins as a Servant of God when the competent authority formally opens the cause.
The person becomes Venerable when the Pope authorizes the decree confirming heroic virtue, martyrdom, or the offering of life. After a miracle is confirmed by theological consultors, cardinals, bishops, and the Pope, the candidate is declared Blessed, and finally a Saint upon canonization.
Martyrs and Everyone Else
The requirements for beatification depend on the path through which the candidate lived or surrendered life. For a martyr who suffered death for the Christian faith, Vatican News notes that the candidate immediately becomes Blessed. Since 2017, a third pathway exists under the apostolic letter motu proprio Maiorem hac dilectionem issued by Pope Francis.
Article 1 defines the offer of life as a new cause for the beatification and canonization procedure, distinct from causes based on martyrdom or the heroism of virtues. Article 2 sets forth the criteria for this category, including the explicit necessity of a miracle for beatification occurring after the death of the Servant of God through his or her intercession.
When the Second Miracle Is Not Required
While the standard rule requires two separate miracles for someone who is not a martyr, Vatican News details special cases where exceptions occurred. Pope Francis exercised this authority in the canonization of John XXIII. John XXIII became a saint because his reputation for holiness had spread throughout the world for decades, without a second miracle being officially recognized by the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints.
Vatican News also explains that the Pope can choose to proceed by equivalent canonization. In an equivalent canonization, the Pope approves a long-standing devotion without waiting for a miracle. These exceptional cases differ from formal beatifications and regular canonizations, for which the Catholic Church maintains its standard procedural norms.
How the Bible Uses the Word Saint
Scripture uses the term saint frequently, but it applies the word differently than historical ecclesiastical titles. In Romans 1:7, the apostle Paul addresses his readers with apostolic affection: "To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ." Paul directs this greeting to the regular members of the local congregation who were alive and actively walking in faith. Paul employs the exact same terminology in Ephesians 1:1, writing: "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus." In both epistles, Paul writes to living Christians as saints.
What This Means for Praying to a Saint
Understanding beatification and canonization clarifies how Catholic theology structures prayer and communal devotion. Catechism paragraph 828 notes that by canonizing specific members of the faithful, the Church proposes them as tangible models of holy living and reliable intercessors before God. Catechism paragraph 956 explains the theological role of heavenly intercession within the communion of saints.
It states that being more closely united to Christ, those who dwell in heaven fix the whole Church more firmly in holiness. The passage continues by observing that they do not cease to intercede with the Father for us, proffering the merits acquired on earth through Christ, so that our weakness is greatly helped by their fraternal concern.
Who This Page Is Not For
The explainer does not cover what public honors a Blessed may receive, whether a beatification can be revoked, or which individual causes are currently open before the Holy See. This describes current practice as reported by Vatican News, the 1983 apostolic constitution Divinus Perfectionis Magister, and the 2017 motu proprio Maiorem hac dilectionem. New Vatican norms or future legal decrees issued by the Holy See that alter these investigative guidelines would change the procedural requirements outlined here.
Key Bible verses
- To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. — Romans 1:7
- Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus. — Ephesians 1:1
- Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. — Hebrews 12:1
Frequently asked questions
Does beatification make you a saint?
Beatification does not make a candidate a saint. Beatification is the intermediate step that confers the title of Blessed. Full sainthood requires the subsequent decree of canonization, which normally follows a miracle that occurred after beatification (for a non-martyr, a second miracle).
Difference between beatification and sainthood?
The difference between beatification and sainthood lies in the title and the miracles required. Beatification confers the title of Blessed, which normally requires a recognized miracle (though a declared martyr becomes Blessed immediately, and offering of life also requires a miracle). Sainthood results from canonization, confers the title of Saint, and normally follows a miracle after beatification (for a non-martyr, a second miracle).
What is the beatification process?
The beatification process is the formal diocesan and papal investigation into the holiness of a deceased Catholic. A diocesan bishop investigates the candidate's life, virtues or martyrdom, and reputation of sanctity, while alleged miracles are examined separately. If the Pope confirms heroic virtue and approves a verified miracle, the person is declared Blessed.
What is canonization?
Canonization is the definitive papal decree proclaiming that a deceased member of the faithful practiced heroic virtue. Under Catechism paragraph 828, this solemn act proposes the new saint to the universal Church as a model of faith and a heavenly intercessor.
How does the Bible use the word saint?
Paul addresses living Christians as saints in Romans 1:7 and Ephesians 1:1; Catholic teaching also gives the title to those the Church canonizes (CCC 828).