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- For hundreds of years, starting with the first martyrs of the early Church, saints were chosen by public acclaim. Though this was a more democratic way to recognize saints, some saints' stories were distorted by legend and some never existed. Gradually, the bishops and finally the Vatican took over authority for approving saints.
catholicexchange.com/when-did-the-church-start-honoring-saints/When Did the Church Start Honoring Saints? - Catholic Exchange
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Fact: In the early Church, saints were recognized through public acclaim, not formal canonization. In the first few centuries of Christianity, saints were declared through popular acclaim. Martyrs, in particular, were immediately considered saints by the Christian community.
Canonization is the declaration of a deceased person as an officially recognized saint, [1] specifically, the official act of a Christian communion declaring a person worthy of public veneration and entering their name in the canon catalogue of saints, [2] or authorized list of that communion's recognized saints.
The saints show us that holiness is not just holding on to the right ideas or belonging to the right group so much as being “hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3). Since the closer we get to Christ, the closer we get to God and to all those in the love of God in Christ. This is the peace the world of itself can never give.
“Saint” is used to refer God’s disciples in both the Old Testament (e.g., 2 Chron. 6:41; Ps. 16:3) and New Testament (e.g., Matt. 27:52; Heb. 13:24). From these examples, we see that “saint” is used equivocally, i.e., for the saints on earth (Church) and also those in heaven (Church Triumphant).
In the first centuries the popular fame or the vox populi represented in practice the only criterion by which a person’s holiness was ascertained. A new element was gradually introduced, namely, the intervention of the ecclesiastical authority, i.e., of the competent bishop.
Dec 1, 2023 · The basic procedure began when a cult arose from the people. This was based not only on miracles but holiness of life. The greater the authority of the Church official who performed the rights of elevatio and translatio , the more God was glorified and the more the saint was recognized.