Non-Saint Intercession?

[hamburglar]

My understanding is that for someone to be beatified, a miracle must be proven to have taken place through the intercession of the candidate.

My question is this: Isn’t it wrong to ask for intercession through someone who is not a Saint?

 

[Tom]

My question is this: Isn’t it wrong to ask for intercession through someone who is not a Saint? Simply because a person has not been canonized (listed) by the Church does not mean they are not a saint. The Church does not teach that it has listed every saint in heaven. Canonization is the process of stating something which already exists. A soul isn’t waiting at the gate for the Church to pronounce them a saint so they can be let into heaven. They are already in heaven; the Church is simply affirming this. I am sure my Mom is in heaven, and I often ask for her intercession and help.

 

[Tom]

My understanding is that for someone to be beatified, a miracle must be proven to have taken place through the intercession of the candidate.
My question is this: Isn’t it wrong to ask for intercession through someone who is not a Saint?

Simply because a person has not been canonized (listed) by the Church does not mean they are not a saint. The Church does not teach that it has listed every saint in heaven. Canonization is the process of stating something which already exists. A soul isn’t waiting at the gate for the Church to pronounce them a saint so they can be let into heaven. They are already in heaven; the Church is simply affirming this. I am sure my Mom is in heaven, and I often ask for her intercession and help.

 

[LilyM]

Exactly - the capital S saints are canonised because, through the evidence of miracles, God has indicated that He wants them to be set up as special rolemodels for us.

Doesn’t mean that there aren’t other people in heaven, or that it’s wrong for us to pray to anyone who we believe to be in heaven. Just like we ask for the prayers of any person on earth who we believe to be good and holy.

In the end all prayers are ultimately directed at God, no matter who we address them through. I don’t believe any of 'em go astray if we’re sincere.

 

[Verbum]

Hi Hamburglar,

You can pray anyone who has passed away, including your friends and relatives.

Verbum

 

[Malcolm_McLean]

My understanding is that for someone to be beatified, a miracle must be proven to have taken place through the intercession of the candidate.

My question is this: Isn’t it wrong to ask for intercession through someone who is not a Saint?

Yes, there is a contradiction here. We are not meant to pray to all and sundry with the risk of creating an ancestor-worship type religious sensibility. On the other hand a candidate for canonisation must produce two miracles.
In practise it isn’t a real problem. It is usually obvious that people like Mother Theresa or John Paul II are, if not saints, at least worthy of serious consideration for canonisation, whilst Bloggs was maybe a nice chap but is not.