Canonizing a Protestant?

[Yarb]

Could the Pope canonize a Protestant?

(I submitted that to the “apologists” a few days ago. I don’t know how to tell whether it was decided not to answer it or it’s still being considered.)

An example arising from something I was reading lately, is whether C. S. Lewis could some day be recognized by the Catholic Church as a saint or maybe even a doctor of the church.

 

[JamestheOlder]

No.

 

[MarkThompson]

Could the Pope canonize a Protestant?

(I submitted that to the “apologists” a few days ago. I don’t know how to tell whether it was decided not to answer it or it’s still being considered.)

An example arising from something I was reading lately, is whether C. S. Lewis could some day be recognized by the Catholic Church as a saint or maybe even a doctor of the church.

I think the practical answer is no – i.e., it’ll never, never happen – while the theoretical answer is probably.

First, one must remember that “canonizing somebody” doesn’t do anything to them – it doesn’t “make them a saint” – it is simply a declaration, generally understood to be infallible, that the person is in Heaven. Therefore, it is a prerequisite to canonization that the person be in Heaven, and so your question can be divided into two parts: (1) is it possible for a Protestant to be in Heaven?, and (2) if so, could the Pope declare it by means of canonization?

The first part is the hard part, and I won’t attempt to answer it, except to say (1a) with God all things are possible, and (1b) that said, I sure wouldn’t want to risk the odds of trying to make it to Heaven as a Protestant. With regard to the second part, well, the pope can do whatever he wants, except err in matters of faith and morals, because in such exercises of his office he has the charism of infallibility. All the rules about submitting documents to various curial offices, investigating miracles, and so on, are merely disciplinary can be dispensed with at the stoke of the pope’s pen, that’s not the issue. And as I explained at great length in this post about St. Simon of Trent, the pope can also canonize people when it is not a particularly good idea. “He couldn’t do it because it would be controversial and scandalous” is not a correct argument. What the pope cannot do is canonize someone who is not in Heaven.

Consequently, to the question of what it would take for the pope to canonize C.S. Lewis, the answer is, first, that Lewis must be a saint, and, second, that the pope should wish to declare him such.

 

[Tsuwano]

It’s an interesting question. I seem to recall that recently the Pope canonized or beatified three Catholic priests who were martyred for their faith in Nazi Germany. Murdered along with these Catholic priests was a Protestant minister. All four died for their Christian faith and witness. Though the Protestant minister was not listed as canonized or beatified ( I can’t remember which it was ), he was mentioned by the Holy Father as a servant of God and as a companion to the three Catholic priests. In cases such as martyrdom, I have no doubt that there is room to declare a protestant a saint in heaven and I have no doubt that there are such men and women in the presence of our Lord.

 

[PbloPicasso]

Not possible. Those outside the Catholic Church are only saved through the Church. There is no promise of salvation outside the Church. However, the Church teaches that it is possible and we won’t judge them. Som’n like dat.

 

[Edmundus1581]

It’s an interesting question. I seem to recall that recently the Pope canonized or beatified three Catholic priests who were martyred for their faith in Nazi Germany. Murdered along with these Catholic priests was a Protestant minister. All four died for their Christian faith and witness. Though the Protestant minister was not listed as canonized or beatified ( I can’t remember which it was ), he was mentioned by the Holy Father as a servant of God and as a companion to the three Catholic priests. In cases such as martyrdom, I have no doubt that there is room to declare a protestant a saint in heaven and I have no doubt that there are such men and women in the presence of our Lord.

I recall reading somewhere that anyone who who is not baptised and is martyred for Christ receives “Baptism of Blood”. It would follow then, possibly, that if a person were baptised but not a Catholic that by martyrdom they become fully in communion with the Catholic church.

I think it very unlikely that the Pope would ever formally canonize such a person though, as that could be viewed as overstepping into the affairs of another denomination.

 

[Mattapoisett64]

It’s an interesting question. I seem to recall that recently the Pope canonized or beatified three Catholic priests who were martyred for their faith in Nazi Germany. Murdered along with these Catholic priests was a Protestant minister. All four died for their Christian faith and witness. Though the Protestant minister was not listed as canonized or beatified ( I can’t remember which it was ), he was mentioned by the Holy Father as a servant of God and as a companion to the three Catholic priests. In cases such as martyrdom, I have no doubt that there is room to declare a protestant a saint in heaven and I have no doubt that there are such men and women in the presence of our Lord.

Yes. As I recall, when St. Maximillian Kolbe was canonized, I believe the Pope also, in his remarks, referred to the Lutheran pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who was also killed by the Nazis, as “also sharing the same reward.” However, the Church clearly has no authority to formally canonize a non-Catholic.

 

[Tsuwano]

I recall reading somewhere that anyone who who is not baptised and is martyred for Christ receives “Baptism of Blood”. It would follow then, possibly, that if a person were baptised but not a Catholic that by martyrdom they become fully in communion with the Catholic church.

I think it very unlikely that the Pope would ever formally canonize such a person though, as that could be viewed as overstepping into the affairs of another denomination.

Yeah, I think you’re right. I wonder what the formal view from the Vatican is on the subject.

 

[fred_conty]

Hi,
St. Dismas, the good thief, is one.
How about the 40 Holy Innocents?

 

[Yarb]

Consequently, to the question of what it would take for the pope to canonize C.S. Lewis, the answer is, first, that Lewis must be a saint, and, second, that the pope should wish to declare him such.

In some ways this seems to get as directly at the heart of the matter as one could hope.

 

[Bob_Crowley]

Could the Pope canonize a Protestant?

(I submitted that to the “apologists” a few days ago. I don’t know how to tell whether it was decided not to answer it or it’s still being considered.)

An example arising from something I was reading lately, is whether C. S. Lewis could some day be recognized by the Catholic Church as a saint or maybe even a doctor of the church.

I could go into a prediction by my old Protestant pastor with some bearing on this, but for the time being I think it would be better unpublished.

As a former Protestant myself, I am aware of how many good Christians there are amongst them, some of whom would have been as godly as the canonised Catholic saints.

At the moment though, I think the answer is “No”. But if the churches reuniited so that they were in communion with Rome, even if they retained some distinctiveness (I’d prefer the Salvos to retain some of their own unique flavour for example), then I think it would be a distinct possibility. Then it would boil down to Christ’s declaration to Peter and his spiritual descendants, “What you bind on earth will be bound in heaven; and what you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

That is, I think that if the Protestant churches were to agree to communion with Rome, then I think it would be possible for saintly Protestants to be canonised. I’d nominate my old pastor for a start, even if he did discourage me somewhat badly at times…

 

[Claire_from_DE]

The response about C.C.Lewis was correct and to the point. However, the purpose of canonization is not just to declare that the person lived a life of heroic virtue and is in heaven. It is, in a way, to hold them up as worthy of imitation.

It is most unlikely that a Protestant would be set forth as a person for Catholics to imitate because that person was not in a state of complete union with the Church. That said, there are many saintly Protestants who are likely in heaven and whose virtues are worthy of imitation. But it would be inappropriate for the pope to canonize them.

Also, canonization means that a person could have a ‘feast day’ in the Catholic calendar and Mass could be celebrated in his honor. I think you gotta be Catholic for that to happen.