Calling Someone a Saint When They Aren't?

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So a little girl at my school recently died of cancer. Everyone was upset for the day, and we said a decade of the rosary. This is all great, but during what we call “reflection”, they said “St. (her name here) pray for us”. We are all pretty confident she is in heaven and I definitely don’t have any problems asking her to pray for us… but calling her saint?
 
My principal at my elementary school used to do that all the time. Anytime someone died she would say Saint so-and-so. I don’t think it’s that big a deal.
 
I think it might be a little misleading to children. Not really sure.
 
But is everyone in heaven is a saint, then shouldn’t there be a different name for ones who are canonized?
 
JMJ4me said:
We are all pretty confident she is in heaven and I definitely don’t have any problems asking her to pray for us… but calling her saint?
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I see no issue with this.

This is the way Saints were proclaimed for the first 1,000 years of Christianity, and it’s still an important part of the canonization process today (the cultus of the Saint in the sensus fidelium).
 
We usually reserve the title “Saint” to somebody who is formally canonized.
We refer to as “saint” anybody who is in Heaven, but usually as a general term.
My brother died right after birth and was baptized before he died. I have prayed to him for years because baptized babies go straight up to Heaven, but I don’t call him “Saint ___”.
It’s problematic to go calling somebody a saint who hasn’t been canonized, but I prolly wouldn’t make waves when there is a grieving parent right there…
 
JMJ4me said:
But is everyone in heaven is a saint, then shouldn’t there be a different name for ones who are canonized?
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No.

Saint is the English of the Latin Sancte which is a translation of the Greek Agios which means “holy One.”

The Saints, or holy One’s, are holy by virtue of their being in the Beatific Vision and living directly in the Blessed Presence of God.
 
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There are canonized, recognized saints- John Paul II, Faustina, Peter…

There are also personal saints, or saints in the process- my grandmother, Pier Giorgio Frassati etc.

They’re all together 🙂
 
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0Scarlett_nidiyilii said:
It’s problematic to go calling somebody a saint who hasn’t been canonized, but I prolly wouldn’t make waves when there is a grieving parent right there…
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Not if you have a good understanding of the history of the canonization process.

It isn’t even the least bit problematic for you, in the situation you described, to be praying “Saint Scarlett Brother, pray for me.”
 
Maximilian75 said:
There are also personal saints, or saints in the process- my grandmother, Solanus Casey, etc.

They’re all together 🙂
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An explanation I’ve heard and like to imagine is that each and every Canonized Saint is the figurehead for a group of thousands of saints just like him.

In other words, for every St. Therese of Lisieux, there are thousands of other Little Flower’s whose names and souls are known only to God and those in Heaven.
 
Scripture refers to both the living and deceased as saints… the living certainly haven’t attained heaven yet.
 
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0Scarlett_nidiyilii said:
We usually reserve the title “Saint” to somebody who is formally canonized.
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We dont…St paul referred to early Christians as saints, as another poster accurately noted, all saints are people in heaven…if only the canonized were saints, heaven woukd be a pretty empty place!

St. June (my mother) pray for us!
 
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You’re right about the early Christian Era.
But in modern times, not so much.

In my heart I would feel confident that a little child (do we know her age?) is in Heaven. I probably wouldn’t say it out loud, because maybe she still needs prayers to get out of Purgatory and I wouldn’t want to delay that blessed day for her!
But I go to a lot of funerals where everybody assumes the deceased is in Heaven…

I’ve told my family to assume I’m in purgatory and to keep on assuming it and never stop praying for me. I pray for my deceased loved ones no matter how spiritual they were.

We’re all just human after all!
 
I see the word “ hero “ thrown around a lot.
Especially on the tv news -
I saw one story where they called a dog - a hero.

I’ve been called a Saint - a few times, over the years,
I know, I know, preposterous!
And I don’t like it - either - I don’t want to be seen as such !
Or on EWTN - and my local Priests - they are starting to say that we all are possible future saints -
 
0Scarlett_nidiyilii said:
You’re right about the early Christian Era.

But in modern times, not so much.

In my heart I would feel confident that a little child (do we know her age?) is in Heaven. I probably wouldn’t say it out loud, because maybe she still needs prayers to get out of Purgatory and I wouldn’t want to delay that blessed day for her!

But I go to a lot of funerals where everybody assumes the deceased is in Heaven…
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What I usually do for someone who isn’t officially canonized, but who I feel is in Heaven, is pray thus:

“O God, have mercy on, forgive the sins of, and bless the soul of Mother Angelica;
Saint Mother Angelica, pray for us.”

It’s a safe bet to assume Mother Angelica wasn’t damned. So that means she’s either already in heaven, or heavenbound. I see no issue with referring to a soul in purgatory as a Saint given their teleological end. Even if they’re unable to intercede at this moment, they will be eventually, and rest assured they will.
 
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Seagull said:
’ve been called a Saint - a few times, over the years,

I know, I know, preposterous!

And I don’t like it - either - I don’t want to be seen as such !
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Both signs that you probably are a Saint.

Technically, anyone in the State of Grace is a Saint - a holy One living in God’s Grace - however, I would say that the moment a person goes around and says “I’m so holy I’m a saint” then they have fallen from grace by pride.

I feel it’s okay to call other people saints if we see they’re holy, but it’s wrong and a sign of pride if we proclaim ourselves as being saints.
 
Everyone who arrives in heaven is a saint.
Not a canonized one, but indeed, a saint. Recall the “communion of saints?” That’s everyone who has gone before us to heaven.
Such statements by grieving people are mostly sentimental and mean no harm. Certainly no scandal.
Be at peace. This child likely is in heaven. Maybe you shoudl ask her to say a little prayer for you the journey.
 
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