Saints?

[searchingforpeace]

I was reading on another part of CF about people's favorite Christians...many were Saints. For those , such as Catholics, who pray to Saints and so on...who decided who is a saint and who isn't? The Pope? How is this decided? What does someone have to do in the eyes of the Catholic church in order to get this title? Once they say someone is a saint, can that title ever be taken away? Just curious, no ill will meant by asking these questions.


I don't know if this belongs here or somewhere else...please move if in the wrong place.

[SeraphimSarov]

Well, I can tell you that the method of identifying saints in the Catholic and Orthodox churches are different. In Orthodoxy, the way it tends to work is that local folks recognize a particular person as having lived a saintly life, and it kind of works its way up until the person is officially named a Saint. So basically, there is no real set list of things a person must do in order to become a saint in the Orthodox Church - there are various reasons people throughout history have been recognized as saints by the Church.

I can't speak to the methodology of the Catholic Church, I'm afraid, except to say that it's not quite the same.

[searchingforpeace]

Well, I can tell you that the method of identifying saints in the Catholic and Orthodox churches are different. In Orthodoxy, the way it tends to work is that local folks recognize a particular person as having lived a saintly life, and it kind of works its way up until the person is officially named a Saint. So basically, there is no real set list of things a person must do in order to become a saint in the Orthodox Church - there are various reasons people throughout history have been recognized as saints by the Church.

I can't speak to the methodology of the Catholic Church, I'm afraid, except to say that it's not quite the same.

Thank you. I have to be honest and say I really have no clue what an Orthodox Church is. Until I came to CF I had never heard of an Orthodox Church and still have no real understanding of it. I thought, which guessing I am wrong, that the Catholic Church and Orthodox were some how related.

Dianna

[MrPolo]

I was reading on another part of CF about people's favorite Christians...many were Saints. For those , such as Catholics, who pray to Saints and so on...who decided who is a saint and who isn't? The Pope? How is this decided? What does someone have to do in the eyes of the Catholic church in order to get this title? Once they say someone is a saint, can that title ever be taken away? Just curious, no ill will meant by asking these questions.

Hi, good question. My answer pertains to Catholics. The declaration of a Saint is ultimately that those persons are in heaven and their lives demonstrated Christ-like aspects worthy of imitation.

Read here from the Catholic Encyclopedia (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02364b.htm) about canonizing Saints.

[SeraphimSarov]

Thank you. I have to be honest and say I really have no clue what an Orthodox Church is. Until I came to CF I had never heard of an Orthodox Church and still have no real understanding of it. I thought, which guessing I am wrong, that the Catholic Church and Orthodox were some how related.

The Orthodox and Catholic Churches were one and the same (essentially) up until 1054. After that, we parted ways over a number of theological issues. If you have questions about Orthodoxy, feel free to visit us over in The Ancient Way in the congregational fora. :)

[searchingforpeace]

Hi, good question. My answer pertains to Catholics. The declaration of a Saint is ultimately that those persons are in heaven and their lives demonstrated Christ-like aspects worthy of imitation.

Read here from the Catholic Encyclopedia (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02364b.htm) about canonizing Saints.

Thank you for the link, will go and take a look at it :)

[searchingforpeace]

The Orthodox and Catholic Churches were one and the same (essentially) up until 1054. After that, we parted ways over a number of theological issues. If you have questions about Orthodoxy, feel free to visit us over in The Ancient Way in the congregational fora. :)

Great, will look over there. I have been making my way through most of the denomination forums, getting a feel for each one and so forth.