Beatifications/Canonizations and infallibility

[Chris_C]

When the Holy Father beatifies or canonizes a saint, are Catholics bound to hold this as infallible teaching? Anyone know?

Chris C.

 

[Vincent]

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith explains,

The second proposition of the Professio fidei states: “I also firmly accept and hold each and everything definitively proposed by the Church regarding teaching on faith and morals.” The object taught by this formula includes all those teachings belonging to the dogmatic or moral area, which are necessary for faithfully keeping and expounding the deposit of faith, even if they have not been proposed by the Magisterium of the Church as formally revealed."
Besides the canonizations of saints, teachings such as “the legitimacy of the election of the Supreme Pontiff or of the celebration of an ecumenical council…the declaration of Pope Leo XIII in the Apostolic Letter Apostolicae Curae on the invalidity of Anglican ordinations” are to be firmly accepted and held on the basis of ‘faith in the Holy Spirit’s assistance to the Magisterium and on the Catholic doctrine of the infallibility of the Magisterium.’"

 

[John_Henry]

I might as well ask this here. Can anyone tell me when the official process of canonization began? The suppression of the honoring of St. Ursula, who was canonized long before whatever the date was, has been brought forward as an obvious breach of infallibility (i.e., the Church canonized, and now she’s no longer a saint). Not sure if that’s true. Maybe she is still a saint, just no official feast day for her. Anyone???

 

[hawkeye]

Chris C.:

When the Holy Father beatifies or canonizes a saint, are Catholics bound to hold this as infallible teaching? Anyone know?

Chris C.

Yes because the Holy father is directed by the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit is infalliable.

 

[Calvin]

John_Henry:

I might as well ask this here. Can anyone tell me when the official process of canonization began? The suppression of the honoring of St. Ursula, who was canonized long before whatever the date was, has been brought forward as an obvious breach of infallibility (i.e., the Church canonized, and now she’s no longer a saint). Not sure if that’s true. Maybe she is still a saint, just no official feast day for her. Anyone???

Don’t forget St. Christopher.

-C

 

[Chris_C]

Vincent:

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith explains,

The second proposition of the Professio fidei states: “I also firmly accept and hold each and everything definitively proposed by the Church regarding teaching on faith and morals.” The object taught by this formula includes all those teachings belonging to the dogmatic or moral area, which are necessary for faithfully keeping and expounding the deposit of faith, even if they have not been proposed by the Magisterium of the Church as formally revealed."
Besides the canonizations of saints, teachings such as “the legitimacy of the election of the Supreme Pontiff or of the celebration of an ecumenical council…the declaration of Pope Leo XIII in the Apostolic Letter Apostolicae Curae on the invalidity of Anglican ordinations” are to be firmly accepted and held on the basis of ‘faith in the Holy Spirit’s assistance to the Magisterium and on the Catholic doctrine of the infallibility of the Magisterium.’"

Vincent

It’s hard for me to tell which words here are yours and which are CDF’s. I’m not questioning papal infallibility, I’m confirming my understanding that it extends to canonizations. Thanks for any clarification.

C

 

[Chris_C]

If the answer is yes, then why would the Church remove certain saints from the calendar. Is it only pre-congreagation Saints who might suffer this fate? I beleive that the modern procedures for canonization were set down at Trent. Anyone know? Can we accept Saints with the same level of certainty if they predate the current procedure? Please don’t misunderstand, btw. I’m “pro-saints.”

C

 

[Tom]

The Church doesn’t “make” saints. It recognizes them. There are many saints who have never been recognized, and never will be. It doesn’t mean they aren’t in heaven doing Gods will. When the Church removed many saints they are not saying they do not exist, they are saying we can’t prove they exist. Canonization is a recognition process.

 

[Calvin]

Tom:

When the Church removed many saints they are not saying they do not exist, they are saying we can’t prove they exist. Canonization is a recognition process.

Well, apparently at one time someone in the hierarchy thought they existed or else they never would have made it onto the liturgical calendar in the first place!

Is recognizing saints an infallible process?

-C

 

[Vincent]

Chris:

The CDF statement is the one that’s indented. And the paragraph after is my statement, with quotes from the CDF document.

As for your other questions, I think the CDF’s statements apply only to canonizations which are definitively proposed and authenticated by the Church. I think this rules out popular “canonizations”.

As for not including certain Saints in the revised Calendar, Pope Paul VI wrote,

Undeniably, however, over the course of the centuries more feasts of the saints were introduced than was necessary; therefore the Council pointed out: “Lest the feasts of the saints take precedence over the feasts commemorating the very mysteries of salvation, many of them should be left to be celebrated by a particular Church or nation or religious family; those only should be extended to the universal Church that commemorate saints of truly universal significance.”

To put these decrees of the Council into effect, the names of some saints have been deleted from the General Calendar and permission was granted to restore the memorials and veneration of other saints in those areas with which they have been traditionally associated. The removal of certain lesser-known saints from the Roman Calendar has allowed the addition of the names of martyrs from regions where the Gospel spread later in history. In consequence, the single catalogue displays in equal dignity as representatives of all peoples those who either shed their blood for Christ or were outstanding in the heroic virtues.

At least from this document, the Church doesn’t seem to give the appearance of “de-canonizing” Saints.