In Roman Catholic practice, the saints are
revered, prayed to, and in some instances, worshipped (although this is
vehemently denied by Catholics). In the Bible, saints are called to
revere, worship, and pray to God alone.
********************************************************************************
Scripturally speaking, the “saints” are the body of Christ,
Christians, the church. All Christians are considered saints. All Christian are
saints—and at the same time are called to be saints. First Corinthians 1:2
states it clearly: “To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in
Christ Jesus and called to be holy…” The words “sanctified” and “holy” come
from the same Greek root as the word that is commonly translated “saints.”
Christians are saints by virtue of their connection with Jesus Christ.
Christians are called to be saints, to increasingly allow their daily life to
more closely match their position in Christ. This is the biblical description
and calling of the saints…………….
**********************************************************************************
Recently Pope Francis had good words to now St. Teresa according of the
Catholic Church; he proclaimed Mother Teresa a saint on Sunday of 4th
Sep 2016, bestowing the Catholic Church’s highest honor on one of the most
widely admired public figures in recent history.
**Catholic beatification and canonization not biblical …………………….
In his homily, Pope Francis recalled the new saint as
“committed to defending life, ceaselessly proclaiming that the unborn are the
weakest, the smallest, the most vulnerable.” But he also said she confronted
the “powers of this world” with “their guilt for the crime of poverty they
created.”
Mother Teresa was widely hailed as a saint even during her lifetime and won
many worldly accolades, including the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. Only 18 months
after her death in 1997, St. John Paul II cut short the usual five-year waiting
period to start the canonization process. He beatified her, bestowing the
church’s highest honor short of sainthood, in 2003.
All Saints' Day is a solemn holy day of the Catholic Church celebrated annually
on November 1. Who is a Saint?
According to Roman-catholic-saints.com and many other
Catholic sites wanting us to learn and know the church's saints........ not
left out is Pope(s) Francis deserves speedy veneration because 1st as a Pope he is assured to live in heaven as
a saint, 2nd because he has bn active with Catholic regeneration and evangelism
to a dwindling church in numbers......
like St Teresa he is a living saint to many . Affirmed in his words while
saying Mass, Pope Francis said “Saints are examples to imitate”. And noting
that saints are not only those who have been canonized (against catholic
teachings), but can be anyone from next door neighbors, to members of our own
families or others we have met as we live our ordinary lives; the Pope said we
must be grateful to them and to God for having given them to us as examples of
how to live and die in fidelity to God and to the Gospel......... (Obviously he
meant himself coz ordinary Catholics cannot and hv never bn canonized) .
The Catholic Church says throughout history the Church has
produced great saints, proving that the Church is holy and able to provide us
with what we need to reach sanctity..........
They say in reading the lives of the saints, we see that the
saints each reflect, in a unique way, a special facet or virtue of God Himself.
Learning about Catholic saints and their lives can inspire us to reach the
summit of perfection that God wills for each of us.
A saint is also a person of remarkable holiness who lived a
life of heroic virtue, assisted by the Church, during their pilgrimage on
earth. They are as varied and exceptional as only God could create them, and
each has his own distinct story....................REALLY!!
Question: "What
are Christian saints according to the Bible?"
Answer: The word
“saint” comes from the Greek word hagios, which means “consecrated to God,
holy, sacred, pious." It is almost always used in the plural, “saints.”
"…Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he did to
Your saints at Jerusalem" (Acts 9:13). "Now as Peter was traveling
through all those regions, he came down also to the saints who lived at
Lydda" (Acts 9:32). "And this is just what I did in Jerusalem; not
only did I lock up many of the saints in prisons …“ (Acts 26:10). There is only
one instance of the singular use, and that is "Greet every saint in Christ
Jesus…" (Philippians 4:21). In Scripture there are 67 uses of the plural
“saints” compared to only one use of the singular word “saint.” Even in that
one instance, a plurality of saints is in view: “…every saint…” (Philippians
4:21).
The idea of the word “saints” is a group of people set apart
for the Lord and His kingdom. There are three references referring to godly
character of saints: "that you receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy
of the saints …" (Romans 16:2). "For the equipping of the saints for
the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ" (Ephesians
4:12). "But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named
among you, as is proper among saints" (Ephesians 5:3).
Therefore, scripturally speaking, the “saints” are the body
of Christ, Christians, the church. All Christians are considered saints. All
Christian are saints—and at the same time are called to be saints. First
Corinthians 1:2 states it clearly: “To the church of God in Corinth, to those
sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy…” The words “sanctified” and
“holy” come from the same Greek root as the word that is commonly translated
“saints.” Christians are saints by virtue of their connection with Jesus
Christ. Christians are called to be saints, to increasingly allow their daily
life to more closely match their position in Christ. This is the biblical
description and calling of the saints.
How does the Roman Catholic understanding of “saints”
compare with the biblical teaching? Not very well. In Roman Catholic theology,
the saints are in heaven. In the Bible, the saints are on earth. In Roman
Catholic teaching, a person does not become a saint unless he/she is
“beatified” or “canonized” by the Pope or prominent bishop. In the Bible,
everyone who has received Jesus Christ by faith is a saint. In Roman Catholic
practice, the saints are revered, prayed to, and in some instances, worshipped.
In the Bible, saints are called to revere, worship, and pray to God alone.
Excerpts from **Gotquestions.org
Question: "What is beatification and canonization and are they
biblical?"
Answer: Beatification and canonization are acts of the Roman
Catholic Church declaring that a deceased person led a holy life. People still
living can then request the blessed (if beatified) or saint (if canonized) to
intercede with God on their behalf. The blessed or saint is honored and revered
due to their actions while living, but they are not worshiped as God is. Honors
may include feasts and masses performed in their name, as well as images and
relics displayed to inspire the worshipers.
Beatification is an administrative act whereby a nominee is
authorized to have a “cultus” or a specific group of people who identify with,
and request favors from, the beatified. The nominee can be a martyr killed in
the service of Christ or a confessor. A confessor’s life and writings must be
inspected for heroic virtue (bravery and distinction marked by godly motives
and not human desire), sanctity, and adherence to Roman Catholic doctrine. The
deceased confessor must also have had part in a verifiable miracle. The
presence of an unauthorized cultus disqualifies both the martyr and confessor
from consideration.
The formal process for confirmation has changed greatly in
the last several hundred years. Originally, the church required fifty years
between the time of the nominee’s death and the beginning of the investigation.
This has been decreased to five years. After a long inquiry, the pope
authorizes the beatification, the newly beatified person is labeled “blessed,”
and people of the area identified with the beatified are allowed to perform
limited actions in the blessed’s name.
Canonization is a decree announcing a person has qualified
for sanctification. The decree publically declares the nominee is holy and in
heaven with God. Where the veneration of the beatified is limited in scope,
canonization binds the universal church to honor the saint. The qualifications
include all those included in beatification plus another miracle occurring due
to the intercession of the person, which is seen as God’s confirmation of the
nominee’s sanctity. Additional honors include specific liturgies performed and
churches dedicated in the saint’s name.
The core of beatification and canonization is in the belief
that very good people of the church go straight to heaven, rule with Jesus, and
intercede with God on behalf of the people on earth and in purgatory. James
5:16 is used to justify the practice: “Therefore confess your sins to each
other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a
righteous person is powerful and effective.” But nowhere does the Bible
encourage seeking the attention or favor of those who have died, and praying to
the dead is strictly forbidden.
Beatification, singling someone out for special status among
the deceased believers, is unbiblical. All believers, whether dead or alive,
are called “saints” in Scripture (1 Corinthians 1:2; Acts 9:13, 32; Ephesians
4:12). All believers are equally holy and righteous, not by our own acts, but
by virtue of the righteousness of Christ imputed to us at the cross (2
Corinthians 5:21). All believers are equally precious in the sight of God and
there is none who can boast of any special place before Him. Finally,
developing a “cultus” (from which we get the word “cult”) around a deceased
person to whom we offer prayers and petitions borders on necromancy,
(consulting the dead) which is also strictly forbidden in Scripture
(Deuteronomy 18:11).
Beatification and canonization are rites and traditions of
the Roman Catholic Church and are based on a misunderstanding and/or
misinterpretation of Scripture. Saints are the body of Christ, Christians, the
church. All Christians are considered saints. All Christians are saints—and at
the same time are called to be saints. In Roman Catholic practice, the saints
are revered, prayed to, and in some instances, worshipped (although this is
vehemently denied by Catholics). In the Bible, saints are called to revere,
worship, and pray to God alone.
Excerpts from **Gotquestions.org
