Fast Track To Being A Saint
There is no waiting list to become a saint. Instant access, like the internet, is now available if one can prove a few miracles and get enough people to rally in ones' behalf to become a saint in less than a few years. On May 9, 2005, Pope Benedict read a letter in which "he asked the head of the Vatican Congregation, for the causes of saints, Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins, to waive the five-year waiting period between the time of a person's death and when the process for beatification, a key step toward sainthood, can begin (Fisher and Goodstein1). There are certain requirements to become a saint that must be adhered to before beatification, (being blessed) can be sanctioned by the church.
"The first requirement is that the deceased enjoy a genuine ?reputation for holiness' among the faithful. The church then interprets this as the work of the Holy Spirit" (Woodward 9). A beatification requires that the candidate has performed a miracle during his lifetime. "It must then certify a miracle attributed to his intercession after his death for him to be beatified" (Winfield 1). Peter Gould describes that the findings are reviewed by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints who will present their conclusions to the pope. The blessed may be given a day of feast, and personal items and relics are attained from the candidate. The last step for canonization is proof of a second miracle (4). The Vatican laws are explicit regarding steps required to be canonised, and the required time to process potential candidates. "At one time, the process of creating saints took decades, if not centuries" (Gould 1). The fast track approach to beatify and canonise John Paul before due process of church doctrine demonstrates the inconsis ...