CANONIZATION in its widest sense, an act by which in the Christian Church the ecclesiastical authority grants to a deceased believer the honour of public cultus. In the early Church there was no formal canonization. The cultus applied at first to local martyrs, and it was only in exceptional circumstances that a kind judiciary enquiry and express decision became necessary to legit imate this cultus. The peculiar situation of the Church of Africa explains the Vindicatio martyrum, which was early practised there (Optatus Milevit, i. 16). Gradually the canonization of saints came to be included in the centralizing movement which reserved to the pope the most important acts of ecclesiastical power. The earliest acknowledged instance of canonization by the pope is that of Ulric of Augsburg, who was declared a saint by John XV. in A.D. 993. From that time the pontifical intervention became more frequent, and, in practice, the right of the bishops in the matter of canonization grew more restricted. In i 17o the new right was sufficiently established for the Pope Alexander III. to affirm that the bishops could not institute the cultus of a new saint without the authority of the Roman Church (Cap. Audivimus, Decret. De Rell. et venerat, Sanctorum, I15). In the 12th and 13th centuries the method of canonization was summary and the in quiry was as rapid as the judgment; e.g., St. Thomas of Canter bury (died 1170, canonized 1173), St. Peter of Castelnau (died Jan. 15, 1208, canonized on Mar. 12 the same year), St. Francis of Assisi (died 1226, canonized 1228), and St. Anthony of Padua (died 1231, canonized 1232).
At this period there was no marked difference between canoniza tion and beatification. In modern practice, as definitively settled by the decrees of Pope Urban VIII. (1625 and 1634), the two acts are totally distinct. Canonization is the solemn and definitive act by which the pope decrees the plenitude of public honours. Beatification consists in permitting a cultus, the manifestations of which are restricted, and is merely a step towards canonization.
The procedure at present followed at the Roman curia is either exceptional or common. The approval of immemorial cultus comes within the category of exceptional procedure. Urban VIII., while forbidding the rendering of a public cultus without author ization from the Holy See, made an exception in favour of the blessed who were at that time (1625) in possession of an im memorial cultus, i.e., dating back at least a century (1525). The procedure per viam casus excepti consists in the legitimation of a cultus which has been rendered to a saint for a very long time. The causes of the martyrs (declarationis martyrii) also are ex ceptional.
The common procedure is that in which the cause is prosecuted per viam non cultus. It is, in reality, a suit at law, pleaded before the tribunal of the Congregation of Rites, which is a permanent commission of cardinals, assisted by a certain number of sub ordinate officers and presided over by a cardinal. The supreme judge in the matter is the pope himself. The postulator, who is the mandatory of a diocese or ecclesiastical commonalty, is the solicitor. He must furnish the proofs, which are collected accord ing to very stringent rules. The promoter of the faith, popularly called "the devil's advocate" (advocates diaboli), is the defendant, whose official duty is to point out to the tribunal the weak points of the case.
The first decisive step is the introduction of the cause. If, by the advice of the cardinals who have examined the documents, the pope pronounce his approval, the servant of God receives the title of "Venerable," but is not entitled to any manifestation of cultus. The essential part of the procedure consists in three distinct pro ceedings : to establish a reputation for sanctity, (2) to estab lish the heroic quality of the virtues, (3) to prove the working of miracles. A favourable judgment on all three of these tests is called the decree de tuto, by which the pope decides that they may safely proceed to the solemn beatification of the servant of God (Tuto procedi ad solemnen V.S.D.N. beatificationem). In the ceremony of beatification the essential part consists in the reading of the pontifical brief, placing the Venerable in the rank of the Blessed, which is done during a solemn mass, celebrated with special rites in the great hall above the vestibule of the basilica of St. Peter.
The process of canonization, which follows that of beatification, is usually less lengthy. It consists principally in the discussion of the miracles (usually two in number) obtained by the intercession of the Blessed since the decree of beatification. After a great num ber of formalities and prayers, the pope pronounces the sentence, and indicates eventually the day on which he will proceed to the ceremony of canonization, which takes place with great solemnity in the basilica of St. Peter.
The Greek Church, represented by the patriarch of Constanti nople, and the Russian Church, represented by the Holy Synod, also canonize their saints after a preliminary examination of their titles to public cultus.
See J. Fontanini, Codex Constitutionum quas summi pontifices ediderunt in solemni canonizatione sanctorum (Rome, 1729, a collec tion of original documents) ; Pr. Lambertini (Pope Benedict XIV.), De servorum Dei beatificatione et beatorum canonizatione (Bologna, 1734-38) , several times reprinted, and more remarkable for erudition and knowledge of canon law than for historical criticism ; Al. Lauri, Codex pro postulatoribus causarum beatificationis et canonizations, recognovit Joseph Fornari (Romae, 1899) ; F. W. Faber, Essay on Beatification, Canonization, etc. (1848) ; A. Boudinhon, Les Proces de beatification, et de canonisation (29o5) ; F. Golubinskij, Istorija Kanonizacii sviatich v russkoj cerkvi (Moscow, 1903). (H. DE.)