Saint
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Saint is a term used to describe a person who is perceived of being an example of exceptional holiness. It is predominantly used within Christian religions, which have specific usages for the term depending on the denomination involved. The word is derived from the use of the word "hagios" (Greek άγιος meaning "holy" or "holy ones") in the New Testament, where it is used to describe the followers of Jesus of Nazareth.[1]
As Christianity developed, the word "saint" became to be used more commonly to designate specific individuals who were held to be exemplars of the faith, and who were commemorated or venerated as an inspiration to other Christians. Within the Roman Catholic tradition, a formal process of canonization developed for identifying individuals as saints. Within Protestant traditions, "saint" is also used to refer to any born again Christian.
Abbreviation for the term Saint is usually “St”; in cases where multiple Saints are referenced “SS.” is the norm.
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[edit] Christianity
[edit] Roman Catholicism
There are more than 10,000 Roman Catholic saints. The older term for saint is martyr, meaning witness, or more specifically, witness for God. However, as the word martyr took on more and more the meaning of "one who died for the Faith," the term saint, meaning holy, became more common to describe the whole of Christian witnesses, both martyrs and confessors. The Catholic Church teaches that it does not, in fact, make anyone a saint. Rather, it recognizes a saint. In the Roman Catholic church, the title of Saint - with a capital 'S' - refers to a person who has been formally canonized (officially recognized) by the Church.
This particular form of recognition formally allows the person so canonized to be listed in the official Litany of the Saints during Mass. Formal canonization is a lengthy process often taking many years, even centuries. The process includes a thorough investigation of the candidate for Sainthood. This investigation examines and confirms (or disproves) any number of visions or miracles attributed to candidate, or of the general holiness or specific good deeds that he or she may have done while alive. The Church, however, places special weight on those miracles or instances of intercession that happened after the individual died and which are seen to demonstrate the saint's continued special relationship with God after death. Also, by this definition there are many people believed to be in heaven who have not been formally declared as Saints (most typically due to their obscurity and the involved process of formal canonization) but who may nevertheless generically be referred to as saints (lowercase 's'). Anyone in heaven is, in the untechnical sense, a saint. Unofficial devotions to thus far non-canonized saints do exist in certain regions.
The veneration of saints, in Latin, cultus, or the cult of the saints, describes a particular popular devotion to the saints. Although the term "worship" is often used, it is intended in the old sense meaning to honor or give respect (dulia). Divine Worship is properly reserved only for God (latria) and never to the Saints. In Roman Catholic theology, since God is the God of the Living, then it follows that the saints are alive in Heaven. As "special friends of God" they can be asked to intercede or pray for those still on Earth. A saint may be designated as a patron saint of particular causes or professions, or invoked against specific illnesses or disasters. They are not thought to have power of their own, but only that granted by God. Relics of saints are respected in a similar manner to holy images and icons.
Once a person has been declared a saint, the body of the saint is considered holy. The remains of saints are called holy relics and are usually used in Churches. The saints' personal belongings may also be used as relics. Some of the saints have a symbol that represents their life.
[edit] Eastern Orthodox
- Further information: Glorification
In the Eastern Orthodox Church a Saint is defined as anyone who is in Heaven, whether recognized here on earth, or not. By this definition, Adam and Eve, Moses, the various Prophets, the Angels and Archangels are all given the title of "Saint".
Orthodox belief considers that God reveals his Saints through answered prayers and other miracles. The formal recognition of Saints can happen after they have already been recognized by local communities. Many local saints are not recognized by the entire Orthodox church. The formal process of recognition involves deliberation by a synod of Bishops. If successful, this is followed by a service of Glorification in which the Saint is given a day on the church calendar to be celebrated by the entire church.
This was the case with the sainthood of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and his family. The members of the Royal family were recognized as martyrs by the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad in 1981. Believers in Russia began to pray to the Tsar and his family. Miracles were reported, including a 'miraculous icon' which prompted an immediate local glorification. In 2000, the Tsar and his family were officially Glorified by the Russian Orthodox Church.
It is believed that one of the ways in the holiness (saintliness) of a person is revealed is through the condition of their relics (remains). In some Orthodox countries (such as Greece, but not in Russia) graves are often reused after 3 to 5 years because of limited space. Bones are washed and placed in an ossuary, often with the person's name written on the skull. Occasionally when a body is exhumed something miraculous is reported as having occurred; exhumed bones are claimed to have given off a fragrance, like flowers, or a body is reported as having remained free of decay, despite not having been embalmed (traditionally the Orthodox do not embalm the dead) and having been buried for some years in the earth.
The reason relics are considered sacred is because, for the Orthodox, the separation of body and soul is unnatural. Body and soul both comprise the person, and in the end, body and soul will be reunited; therefore, the body of a saint shares in the “Holiness” of the soul of the saint. As a general rule only clergy will touch relics in order to move them or carry them in procession, however, in veneration the faithful will kiss the relic to show love and respect toward the saint. Every altar in every Orthodox church contains relics, usually of martyrs. Church interiors are covered with the Icons of saints.
Because the Church shows no true distinction between the living and the dead (the Saints are considered to be alive in Heaven), saints are referred to as if they were still alive. Saints are venerated but not worshipped. They are believed to be able to intercede for salvation and help mankind either through direct communion with God, or by personal intervention.
When a person is baptized in the Orthodox Church, he or she is given a new name, always the name of a saint. Regardless of the name a person was born with, the person begins to use his saint's name as his own during Communion. This saint becomes one's personal patron, and his saint's day is also celebrated as a personal holiday.
[edit] Protestantism
In many Protestant churches, the word is used more generally to refer to anyone who is a Christian. This is similar in usage to Paul of Tarsus's numerous references in the New Testament of the Bible. In this sense, anyone who is within the Body of Christ (a born-again believer) is a 'saint' because of their relationship with Jesus. Because of this, many Protestants consider prayers to the saints to be idolatry or even necromancy.
A number of Protestant groups believe that the dead will not rise until the Last Judgment, so they do not accept the Catholic/Orthodox belief that saints are in heaven. High church Anglicans and Episcopalians use the term "saint" similarly to the manner in which other Catholics use it. However, some Anglicans and Episcopalians are arguably more influenced by Protestant thought, and regard saints in a less strict or specific sense. Anglican#Catholic and Reformed
- See also: Priesthood of all believers
[edit] Anglicanism
- Main article: Saints in Anglicanism
In the Anglican Church, the title of Saint - with a capital 'S' - refers to a person who has been elevated by popular opinion as a pious and holy person. The saints are seen as models of holiness to be imitated, and as a 'cloud of witnesses' that strengthen and encourage the believer during his or her spiritual journey (Hebrews 12:1). The saints are seen as elder brothers and sisters in Christ, and it is reasoned that just as believers may ask their living brothers and sisters on earth for intercessory [prayer], the prayers of the saints thought to be in Heaven can be requested as well.
Official Anglican creeds recognise the existence of the saints in heaven. Although technically forbidden by Article XXII of Anglicanism's Articles of Religion as being without Biblical foundation, in practice some Anglicans pray to the Saints or ask them to intercede with the Lord Christ.
[edit] Latter-day Saints
The beliefs of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with regard to saints are similar to the Protestant tradition described above. In the New Testament the saints are all those who by immersion baptism have entered into the Christian covenant. Therefore members refer to themselves as "Latter-day Saints", or simply "Saints", most often among themselves. The qualification "Latter-Day" Saints refers to the doctrine that members are living in the "latter days" before the second coming of Jesus Christ, to distinguish the Mormon church from the ancient Christian church.
[edit] Santeria - Voodoo
The veneration of Roman Catholic saints forms the basis of the Cuban Santería religion. In Santería, saints are syncretised with Yoruban deities, and are equally worshipped in churches (where they appear as saints) and in Santería religious festivities, where they appear as deities (orishas); however, this practice is condemned by the Roman Catholic Church.
Santeria, Haitian Vodou, Brazilian Umbanda and other similar religions adopted the Roman Catholic Saints, or the images of the saints, as representations of their own spirits/deities or 'Orishas' in Santeria and 'Lwa' in Vodoun. Although there are many similarities between Vodoun and Santeria, they are different in respect to origin and language (Vodou is French, Santeria is Spanish). The adoption of Catholic Saints was fairly common in the religions that were adapted by the slaves in the New World. It can be understood as a more recent example of the absorption of pre-Christian elements into European "Catholicism". Different regions of the world where Catholicism is practiced have varying ways of practicing their faith.
[edit] Other religions
The concept of sainthood developed in the Christian tradition. However, there are parallel concepts in other religions that recognize certain individuals as having particular holiness (or enlightenment). Judaism speaks of a class of (unidentified) individuals known as Tzadik. Hindus recognize certain individuals as mahatma and paramahamsa. Buddhists hold the Arhats in special esteem. While there are parallels between these (and other) concepts and that of sainthood, it is important to remember that each of these concepts has specific meanings within their given religion, and not all of those meanings are identical with the meaning of the idea of sainthood.
[edit] See also
- Calendar of saints
- Catholic calendar of saints
- Communion of Saints
- Congregation for the Causes of Saints
- List of saints
- List of canonizations
- Martyrology
- Patron saint
- Intercession of saints
- Secular saint
- Hagiography
- Symbology of the Saints
[edit] Bibliography
- Cunningham, Lawrence S. The Meaning of Saints. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1980.
- Hawley, John Stratton, ed. Saints and Virtues. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1987.
- Hein, David. "Saints: Holy, Not Tame." Sewanee Theological Review 49 (2006): 204-17.
- Hein, David. "Farrer on Friendship, Sainthood, and the Will of God." In Captured by the Crucified: The Practical Theology of Austin Farrer. Edited by David Hein and Edward Hugh Henderson. New York and London: T & T Clark / Continuum, 2004. 119-48.
- Perham, Michael. The Communion of Saints. London: Alcuin Club / SPCK, 1980.
- Woodward, Kenneth L. Making Saints. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1996.
- Jean-Luc Deuffic (éd.), Reliques et sainteté dans l'espace médiéval [1]
[edit] References
- ^ F.W. Danker, et. al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and other Early Christian Literature, 3rd edition (Chicago:University of Chicago Press, 2000), entry for άγιος esp. definition 2.d.β.
[edit] External links
- Saints & Angels (catholic.org)
- Internet Medieval Sourcebook - Saint's Lives (fordham.edu)
- Vaishnava Saints (vrindavan.org)
- Patron Saints (scborromeo.rg)
- Saint of the Day (americancatholic.org)
