Protestant heroes for Christ be Saints?

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The Catholic church recognizes saints because they remind us of living holy lives and exemplary character, not to mention the holiness of the church because of them!
Is it therefore reasonable to assume that people such as Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Corey Ten Boom, Rev. Marc Boegn (to name a few) are also saints because of their exemplary devotion to Christ and heroism under extreme circumstances in defense of the Gospel?
 
The Catholic Church isn’t in the business of canonizing those of other faiths. In order for a person to be made a candidate for Sainthood, they must have been a Catholic in life, must have lived a heroic life for Christ, and must have miracles attributed to their intercession. There may well be non-Catholics in heaven, but that part of their lives is not worthy of imitation, and so we don’t presume to know where their souls are at.
 
We do not know either way when it comes to Protestants or even most Catholics. The Catholic Church can only investigate within its members and does so only for the purposes of providing the faithful with worthy examples to follow and intercession.
 
Thom18 said:
The Catholic Church isn’t in the business of canonizing those of other faiths.
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Very interesting response. A very calculated response! Let me respond to you this way.
I believe there are times when church affiliation is irrelevant. It is the strength of our faith that defines us.
 
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Walk-worthy said:
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Thom18:
The Catholic Church isn’t in the business of canonizing those of other faiths.
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Very interesting response. A very calculated response! Let me respond to you this way.
I believe there are times when church affiliation is irrelevant. It is the strength of our faith that defines us.
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The Church does not see it this way. Firstly, we do not (as Dan said) investigate individuals of other faiths. When a person is elevated to the Sainthood, the hope is that it will lead people to live good, Catholic lives. A Protestant does not do this. As such, we only investigate the causes of those of our own faith.
 
It’s reasonable for you to personally assume that these people are in heaven, despite their not being Catholic, and you can personally ask for their intercession, e.g. “Corrie Ten Boom, Pray for Us” in your private prayer. I actually do ask Corrie (and her sister and father) for their intercession, along with a short list of other non-Catholics that sometimes includes my own deceased Protestant family members.

The Church will never give them any kind of formal recognition, such as beatifying them or naming a church or a building after them, because they are not Catholic. We are also not allowed to publicly pray to them (for example, a rosary group at church isn’t supposed to say “Corrie Ten Boom, Pray for Us”) because that’s reserved for beati or canonized saints, or others on the path to sainthood for whom the Bishop has authorized a particular prayer, and these folks will never be saints, beati, or on the path because they are not Catholic. However, individual priests, deacons, lay ministers, other Catholics etc can and do certainly talk and write about their heroic acts.
 
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Walk-worthy said:
Very interesting response. A very calculated response! Let me respond to you this way.
I believe there are times when church affiliation is irrelevant. It is the strength of our faith that defines us.
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Again, you’re entitled to personally pray to whoever you think is in Heaven. The key word is You, Personally. That doesn’t mean the Church is going to publicly endorse them, nor should it.
Thom18 said:
There may well be non-Catholics in heaven, but that part of their lives is not worthy of imitation, and so we don’t presume to know where their souls are at.
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By “We” I think you mean the formal Church performing the formal canonization process. As discussed above, the Church will not investigate a non-Catholic person and will never formally declare they are in heaven.

However, as individuals “we” certainly can have a reasonable thought/ hope that anybody we like is in heaven, and ask for their prayers.

So if the OP is asking “can Corrie Ten Boom be canonized by the Church” the answer is No. If the OP is asking whether one can simply presume, as an individual, that Corrie Ten Boom is probably in Heaven and ask for her prayers , the answer is Yes.
 
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What will happen to efforts toward unity and conversion if Billy Graham or any of the others were canonized? It would lead the faithful astray to a much easier, distinctly innovative faith which so many of our separated brothers and sisters practice.
 
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The people named by the OP didn’t have a “much easier” faith than Catholicism.
Furthermore, they went above and beyond in following Christ’s commandments.
I get your point about not wanting to lead people away from the Church, but there’s a world of difference between Billy Graham and Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
 
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Thom18 said:
The Church does not see it this way. Firstly, we do not (as Dan said) investigate individuals of other faiths.
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I understand completely, and I appreciate your post. It would be very un-orthodox to investigate other faiths. The purpose behind my question was to express a view that I often think about and for anyone else who shares my perspective, that there are believers and warriors of the cross outside Catholicism who, in my opinion, have character worth emulating for the good of the church!
 
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Hello.

Well, there may be Protestants who were devout and brave and holy, but, when a person rejects the Church and Her authority throughout their life and stays seperated from Christ’s body, and dies in that state, well, I don’t know how they can be beatified or canonized. I mean, if you are not a part of Christ’s body and fully keep His teachings, are you truly following Him and remain in Him and He in you?

Remember, outside of the Church there is no salvation(not meant in the literal strict way which means unbaptized babies and people who were ignorant but lived with good morals are damned, but we leave them to the mercy and decision of God).

Peace!
 
CroatCatholic said:
Remember, outside of the Church there is no salvation
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This is a sticky topic. I believe the “church” in this particular reference is a representation of all believers, and not a precise affiliation with Roman Catholicism. The Apostle Paul referred to the church as “God’s field”.
So, your insinuation is that if everyone in the world would sign up as members of the RC church they would be “included” and therefore increase the likelihood of getting into heaven, because outside of this they are doomed! Personally, I don’t think that is part of God’s plan for people, but I’m just one voice. I’d like to hear from others!
 
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Tis_Bearself said:
“Corrie Ten Boom, Pray for Us” in your private prayer. I actually do ask Corrie (and her sister and father) for their intercession,
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That is very inspiring! Thank you for writing that! You gave me an entirely new perspective and I feel there are others out there that share some of my views on this topic!
 
Walk-worthy said:
There’s a push within the church to venerate Dorothy Day, a supposedly convert, and not a very nice person. If successful, that would be a real paradox for the church.
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How so, and what do you mean by “not a very nice person”? Nice is as nice does. Perhaps she could be harsh, but that is not necessarily evil — sometimes, in some circumstances, you have to be harsh, and leave a bad taste in some people’s mouths… I would be more concerned about whether she was holy or not.
Tis_Bearself said:
I get your point about not wanting to lead people away from the Church, but there’s a world of difference between Billy Graham and Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
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What difference would that be?

I know that Rev Graham preached a kind of “mere Christianity” Gospel, but did not John XXIII call for us to seek what brings us together, not what separates us? And I know he was a somewhat wealthy man, but at the same time, I don’t believe he ever asked for money. If people donated to him, it was because they wanted to, not because anyone told them to, or insinuated that they would get any kind of blessing or favor from God if they donated. (And large sums of money can be invested so that they can increase — that’s just good stewardship.)
 
CroatCatholic said:
Remember, outside of the Church there is no salvation(not meant in the literal strict way which means unbaptized babies and people who were ignorant but lived with good morals are damned, but we leave them to the mercy and decision of God).
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Also not meant in the literal strict way which means only unbaptized babies and people who were ignorant but lived with good morals go to Heaven and every other non-Catholic doesn’t.

We leave EVERYONE to the “mercy and decision of God”…this would include large numbers of my deceased non-Catholic immediate family as well as the heroic non-Catholic Christians mentioned in the OP’s first post, and many more heroic non-Catholics I could name.
 
They could not be saved who, knowing that the Catholic Church was founded as necessary by God through Christ, would refuse either to enter it, or to remain in it. - Second Vatican Council, Lumen gentium 14

"“it must be firmly believed that the Church, a pilgrim now on earth, is necessary for salvation: the one Christ is the mediator and the way of salvation; he is present to us in his body which is the Church. He himself explicitly asserted the necessity of faith and baptism (cf. Mk 16:16; Jn 3:5), and thereby affirmed at the same time the necessity of the Church which men enter through baptism as through a door.” - Dominus Iesus

Consider the fact that whoever has not been in the peace and unity of the Church cannot have the Lord…Although given over to flames and fires, they burn, or, thrown to wild beasts, they lay down their lives, there will not be (for them) that crown of faith but the punishment of faithlessness. …Such a one can be slain, he cannot be crowned. …[If] slain outside the Church, he cannot attain the rewards of the Church." - Pope Pelagius II

There is but one universal Church of the faithful, outside which no one at all is saved - Fourth Lateran Council
 
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