In the early days of the Church the cult of the saints formed at a very decentralized level. A saint would grow to a level of fame in a Christian community and most stayed at local levels but some saints which had enough influence may have spread to be honored and venerated by the Universal Church. With the coming of the modern age the Church felt the need to better understand and keep track of who are saints and who are not. There was a necessary step in which the Church began to keep more intact and up to date martyrologies especially in Rome.
While there was a formal process beforehand, we didn’t get an institution in Rome to deal with the canonizations of saints until 1588 when Pope Sixtus V instituted the Sacred Congregation of Rites. From then on this office was tasked with the solemn process of canonizations. Although the rules have changed since, in the past, to even be considered, three reported miracles through the intercession of a potentially canonized saint would have had to occur. On top of this there would have to be a trial held in which the life of the saint was examined and their works and holy efforts in life would be debated. One well known and interesting note of this is what was known as the “devil’s advocate.” This phrase of course is common in modern parlance but the origin is not as well known. Someone tasked as the “devil’s advocate” would be required to argue against someone’s cause for canonization in order to better strengthen the legitimacy of holy men and women.
Once someone was formally decided to be canonized the actual ceremony would need to take place. The ceremony was the Solemn Papal Mass and Canonization, usually lasting about four hours. The Pope would celebrate Solemn Mass from the throne, accompanied by all the curia and members of the Papal Court. In addition to the normal solemnity and splendor of the Papal Mass, there were additional ceremonies which accompanied the canonization of a particular saint. During the offertory members of the curia would present the Pontiff as an offering which is an ancient custom present in the early Church. Fr. Thomas Macken’s work, “The Canonisation of Saints,” published in 1909 explains these items: “There are five wax candles beautifully painted. In the centre is an image of the saint for whom the offering is made, and underneath the Papal arms. Then there are two large loaves, placed on silver salvers with the Papal arms in relief; two small barrels, one gold, containing the offering of wine, the other silver, containing the offering of water; three cages, the first containing two turtle doves, the second, two pigeons, and the third, small birds of different species.”
Following the Second Vatican Council there were several changes introduced to the process of canonizing saints. Firstly, only one miracle is now required to put in a cause for canonization and the office of the “devil’s advocate” has been abolished. The previous ceremonies of offerings as described have also been suppressed.
These beautiful ceremonies show the gravity of what it means for someone to be declared a saint and the rigour that we had in verifying saints testifies to the great mystery which we believe that they have attained. An example of this ceremony can be seen in the photo accompanying this article which shows the canonization of St. Joan of Arc who was declared in heaven by Pope Benedict XV on May 16, 1920.
Born and Raised to Jewish parents in New York City, Kai Breskin is a recent convert to the Catholic Faith. A member of the Boston College class of 2026, he is studying Political Science, Philosophy, and History. His intellectual passions include Christian theology, history, and liturgical study. His hobbies include sailing, playing the piano, and singing, with a specific focus in Gregorian Chant.
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