WEBVTT - How does someone become a saint?

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Brainstuff from houst works dot com where smart Happens.

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<v Speaker 1>Hi Am Marshall Brain with today's question, how does someone

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<v Speaker 1>become a saint? Many of the world's religions bestows special

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<v Speaker 1>status on people who demonstrate a life of almost perfect virtue.

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<v Speaker 1>Religions differ on the title assigned to these people. The

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<v Speaker 1>Catholic Church calls them saints. So how does someone become

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<v Speaker 1>a saint? In the Catholic Church? The process is called canonization.

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<v Speaker 1>The Catholic Church is canonized about three thousand people. The

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<v Speaker 1>exact number is unknown because not all saints were officially canonized.

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<v Speaker 1>According to the Church, the pope does not make someone

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<v Speaker 1>a saint. The designation of sainthood only recognizes what God

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<v Speaker 1>has already done. For centuries, saints were chosen through public opinion,

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<v Speaker 1>and in the tenth century Pope John the fifteenth developed

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<v Speaker 1>an official canonization process. Canonization has then been revised in

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<v Speaker 1>the past one thousand years, most recently by Pope John

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<v Speaker 1>Paul the Second. In ninety three, Pope John Paul the Second,

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<v Speaker 1>who canonized some three people, made several procedural changes to

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<v Speaker 1>the canonization process, including the elimination of the devil's advocate

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<v Speaker 1>from the review process. The devil's advocate was the person

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<v Speaker 1>designated to attack the evidence offered in favor of canonization.

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<v Speaker 1>The process of becoming a Catholic saint is lengthy, often

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<v Speaker 1>taking decades or centuries to complete. The canonization process has

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<v Speaker 1>been in the news off and on over the past

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<v Speaker 1>few years, primarily because of the movement to make Mother

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<v Speaker 1>Teresa a saint. Soon after her death in nine Mother

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<v Speaker 1>Teresa's followers began pressing the Vatican to waive the rule

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<v Speaker 1>that prevents the process of canonization from beginning until five

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<v Speaker 1>years after the candidate's death. This rule has traditionally been

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<v Speaker 1>used to allow for a more objective look at the

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<v Speaker 1>person's life and achievements. In the Pope did waive the

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<v Speaker 1>five year rule, allowing the candonization process to begin. Here

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<v Speaker 1>are the steps that must be followed in the process

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<v Speaker 1>of canonization. First, a local bishop investigates the candidate's life

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<v Speaker 1>and writings for evidence of heroic virtue. The information uncovered

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<v Speaker 1>by the bishop is sent to the Vatican. Step two,

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<v Speaker 1>a panel of theologians and the cardinals of the Congregation

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<v Speaker 1>for a Cause of Saints evaluate the candidate's life step three.

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<v Speaker 1>If the panel approves, the Pope proclaims that candidate is venerable,

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<v Speaker 1>which means that the person is a role model of

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<v Speaker 1>Catholic virtues. Step four. The next step towards saint hood

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<v Speaker 1>is beatification, which allows a person to be honored by

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<v Speaker 1>a particular group or region. In order to beatify a candidate,

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<v Speaker 1>it must be shown that the person is responsible for

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<v Speaker 1>a posthumous miracle. Martyrs, those who died for their religious cause,

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<v Speaker 1>can be beatified without evidence of a miracle. On October twenty,

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<v Speaker 1>two thousand three, Mother Teresa was beatified. She is now

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<v Speaker 1>known as Blessed Mother Teresa. Step five. In order for

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<v Speaker 1>the candidate to be considered a saint, there must be

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<v Speaker 1>proof of a second posthumous miracle. If there is, the

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<v Speaker 1>person is canonized. These alleged miracles must be submitted to

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<v Speaker 1>the Vatican for verification. Sister Teresa Benedicta of the Cross,

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<v Speaker 1>was canonized in after the Vatican verified that a young

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<v Speaker 1>girl who ate seven times the lethal dose of thailand

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<v Speaker 1>all was suddenly cured. The girl's family was said to

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<v Speaker 1>have prayed to the spirit of Sister Teresa so for

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<v Speaker 1>help in Mother Teresa's case. Her supporters are arguing that

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<v Speaker 1>she has performed at least two posthumous miracles. In one case,

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<v Speaker 1>a frenchwoman in the United States broke several ribs in

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<v Speaker 1>a car accident. Reportedly, her wounds were healed because she

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<v Speaker 1>was wearing a Mother Teresa medallion. Another possible miracle occurred

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<v Speaker 1>when Mother Teresa appeared in the dreams of a Palestinian girl,

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<v Speaker 1>telling the girl that her cancer was cured. Once a

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<v Speaker 1>person is a saint, he or she is recommended to

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<v Speaker 1>the entire Catholic Church for veneration. Some saints are selected

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<v Speaker 1>as patron saints, special protectors, or guardians over particular occasions, illnesses, churches, countries,

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<v Speaker 1>or causes. For example, in two thousand and six, the

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<v Speaker 1>Pope named a patron saint of Internet users and computer programmers.

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<v Speaker 1>Several saints were considered, but the Pope eventually settled on

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<v Speaker 1>Saint Isidore of Seville, who is credited with writing the

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<v Speaker 1>world's first encyclopedia. So the next time you can't find

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<v Speaker 1>a Wi Fi hot spot, the person to pray to

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<v Speaker 1>would be Saint Isidore of Seville. Be sure to check

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