canonization
CulturalExplanation
Canonization is the official act by which the Roman Catholic Church or other Christian denomination declares a person to be a saint. It's only after the person has died that canonization can occur. One way to define canonization is "officially placing in the canon of saints," from the Latin canon, "church rule or calendar of saints." In the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions, only the Pope can complete a person's canonization, adding the new name to the church's list of saints. But the process has many steps and can take years: The well-known saint Joan of Arc died in 1431, but her canonization wasn't official until 1920.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The methods for affirming this miracle are the same as those followed in Stage II. Canonization allows for public veneration by all faithful within the Roman Catholic Church.
From Washington Times • Dec. 2, 2017
Canonization requires a second miracle, although the pope may waive some of these requirements.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 27, 2012
Canonization of saints is a Roman Catholic practice that for Protestants was swept away with the Reformation.
From Time Magazine Archive
Can the Church err in the Canonization of a Saint?
From Baltimore Catechism, No. 3 by Anonymous
Canonization is the solemn and definitive act by which the pope decrees the plenitude of public honours.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 5, Slice 2 "Camorra" to "Cape Colony" by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
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