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flower_lady
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What is equivalent canonization? A priest on facebook used the term. I never heard of it. Thank you.
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Joe_5859
Guest
From the Old Catholic Encyclopedia’s entry on Beatification and Canonization:
Canonization, therefore, creates a cultus which is universal and obligatory. But in imposing this obligation the pope may, and does, use one of two methods, each constituting a new species of canonization, i.e. formal canonization and equivalent canonization. Formal canonization occurs when the cultus is prescribed as an explicit and definitive decision, after due judicial process and the ceremonies usual in such cases. Equivalent canonization occurs when the pope, omitting the judicial process and the ceremonies, orders some servant of God to be venerated in the Universal Church; this happens when such a saint has been from a remote period the object of veneration, when his heroic virtues (or martyrdom) and miracles are related by reliable historians, and the fame of his miraculous intercession is uninterrupted.
Basically, it is when the Pope chooses to canonize someone without following the complete canonization process (i.e. having verified miracles attributed to their intercession, etc.).
Pope Francis just did this with Peter Faber.
Canonization, therefore, creates a cultus which is universal and obligatory. But in imposing this obligation the pope may, and does, use one of two methods, each constituting a new species of canonization, i.e. formal canonization and equivalent canonization. Formal canonization occurs when the cultus is prescribed as an explicit and definitive decision, after due judicial process and the ceremonies usual in such cases. Equivalent canonization occurs when the pope, omitting the judicial process and the ceremonies, orders some servant of God to be venerated in the Universal Church; this happens when such a saint has been from a remote period the object of veneration, when his heroic virtues (or martyrdom) and miracles are related by reliable historians, and the fame of his miraculous intercession is uninterrupted.
Basically, it is when the Pope chooses to canonize someone without following the complete canonization process (i.e. having verified miracles attributed to their intercession, etc.).
Pope Francis just did this with Peter Faber.
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flower_lady
Guest
Peter Faber was the man that the priest on facebook was speaking of.
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Joe_5859
Guest
I figured that was probably the case since that just happened recently.
Honestly, I had to look up the term myself before posting an answer. 
It’s not that common of a thing. The vast majority of saints are canonized through the regular process.
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flower_lady
Guest
So Joe, all people who are beatified are eventually canonized. Am I correct in making that assumption.I figured that was probably the case since that just happened recently.
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Joe_5859
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Not necessarily. Some people remain “Blessed” for many years. But, of course, if there was enough of a case for beatification, it does usually happen that there’s enough of a case for canonization.
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flower_lady
Guest
Thank you. I’m learning a lot on this site.
God bless you.
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Genesis315
Guest
I just wanted to add to Joe’s good answers that a beatification is a essentialyl permission by the Pope for a certain locality, region, nation, etc. to treat the person as a Saint (ie venerated them in the liturgy, have a feast day on the calendar, etc.). For example, in the US, we celebrate the feast day of Bl. Junipero Serra. Canonization binds the whole Church to acknowledge the person as a Saint. One’s permissive and the other is prescriptive.
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flower_lady
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Could you be ever so kind as to break this down to an ignorant persons view. I didn’t understand that at all. Sorry, I am not formally educated. But thank you for trying. Lol. GOD DID BLESS ME WITH A SENSE OF HUMOR. Especially when you say; One’s permissive and the other is prescriptive. What does that mean. Yea, I’m kinda dumb. I don’t know why God just creates some people smart and others not. God bless you! Brenda
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Joe_5859
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Don’t feel dumb about it. There’s lots of $5 theology words out there that can be tough to make sense of.
What Genesis means by permissive and prescriptive is that – in beatifying a person – the Church is in a sense giving permission for a particular locale to venerate that person (including celebrating a specific liturgy on their feast day). In canonizing the person, it is more prescriptive in the sense that the pope is now asking the entire Church to recognize the person for their holiness and place them on the universal liturgical calendar (i.e. the liturgical calendar that everyone follows).
So basically, beatification is saying “You over there in that spot are free to recognize this person for their holiness” while canonization is saying, “Hey, calling all Catholics! You all should take a look at this person. They are really holy!”
To look at an example, look at Blessed John Paul II. When he was beatified, his feast day was set for October 22nd (the anniversary of his inauguration as pope), but he was not added to the universal liturgical calendar. The U.S. Bishops had to get together, vote on it, and then ask Rome for permission to add it to our local liturgical calendar. When he is canonized next year, he will automatically be on the universal liturgical calendar and no one will need to seek permission to celebrate his feast day.
Does this make sense? Hopefully I did not add to the confusion.
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flower_lady
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Made perfectly good sense. Now I see the difference. Thank you. You are a good teacher. God bless you. BrendaDon’t feel dumb about it. There’s lots of $5 theology words out there that can be tough to make sense of.
What Genesis means by permissive and prescriptive is that – in beatifying a person – the Church is in a sense giving permission for a particular locale to venerate that person (including celebrating a specific liturgy on their feast day). In canonizing the person, it is more prescriptive in the sense that the pope is now asking the entire Church to recognize the person for their holiness and place them on the universal liturgical calendar (i.e. the liturgical calendar that everyone follows).
So basically, beatification is saying “You over there in that spot are free to recognize this person for their holiness” while canonization is saying, “Hey, calling all Catholics! You all should take a look at this person. They are really holy!”
To look at an example, look at Blessed John Paul II. When he was beatified, his feast day was set for October 22nd (the anniversary of his inauguration as pope), but he was not added to the universal liturgical calendar. The U.S. Bishops had to get together, vote on it, and then ask Rome for permission to add it to our local liturgical calendar. When he is canonized next year, he will automatically be on the universal liturgical calendar and no one will need to seek permission to celebrate his feast day.
Does this make sense? Hopefully I did not add to the confusion.
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Joe_5859
Guest
God bless you, too.
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