SAINT, a name applied in the New Testament to the members of the Chris tian community generally, but restricted by ecclesiastical usage from very early times to those who have been specially remarkable for their personal virtues and their eminent services to the cause of re ligion. In the ages of persecution the quality which most of all challenged the admiration and reverence of the faithful was naturally constancy in the profession and the defense of the Christian faith; and the honors of the martyrs, even be fore the age of persecution had passed, were extended to confessors, and event ually to all who died in the odor of sanctity, and especially to those who also obtained the reputation of performing miracles. In general, the saints of the Catholic Church are distributed into sev eral classes, chiefly in relation to the spe cial character of the ecclesiastical offices appropriated to their honor. Thus we find enumerated (1) apostles and evan gelists; (2) martyrs; (3) confessors, a name applied primitively to those who had courageously undergone imprisonment or pains for the faith without gaining the final crown of martyrdom, but in later times understood of all who, not being martyrs, were eminent for sanctity of life; (4) doctors or saints eminent for sacred learning; (5) virgins; (6) ma trons and widows. Anciently the title of saint was bestowed on an individual by the members of the particular Christian community to which he belonged, or to which his merits were most familiar. It was not till the 12th century that the Pope reserved to himself the exclusive right to add to the roll of saints, or that a regular form of procedure was estab lished in the Roman courts for the pur pose of testing and of solemnly pronounc ing on the title of persons, who had died with a reputation for sanctity, to the pub lic cultus of the Church. A saint, accord ing to the received interpretation, is one who has exercised the three theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity, and the cardinal virtues, prudence, justice, fortitude, in a heroic degree, and has persevered in this exercise till death.
Sanctity may exist without miracles; as, according to one of the most commonly alleged instances, there is no record of John the Baptist having wrought mir acles; and, on the other hand, miracles may be performed by heretics or sinners. Nevertheless, by the existing discipline of the Roman Church, before a decree of canonization can be obtained, the rule re quires evidence of such miracles as an expected fruit of heroic faith and as a confirmatory sign of sanctity after proof has been given of the heroic virtues. The most notable canonization of modern times was that of Joan of Arc in 1920. This was due to the spiritual inspiration rendered by her memory to the French armies and people during the World War.
In Christian art representations of the saints are often marked by the nimbus, aureole, or glory, and many of the saints are pictured as accompanied by emblems, by which they could readily be recog nized. Apart from symbols which only typified the person indicated (as a shep herd for Christ, a gourd or a whale for Jonah), the figure of the saint is given with an added emblem. Thus the four evangelists were symbolized by four riv ers, the four rivers of paradise. The adoption of the four living creatures (Rev. iv. 6) for the same purpose does not appear to have taken place till the 5th century; but soon it became a con stant practice to represent St. Matthew by or with the man, Mark with the lion, Luke with the ox, John with the eagle. The 12 apostles are depicted as 12 men, 12 sheep, or 12 doves. St. Peter (for ob vious reasons) is represented with the keys or with a fish; many of the saints with the instruments by which they were martyred—St. Paul with a sword; St. An drew With a cross; St. Simon with a saw; St. James the with a club; St. Matthew with a lance; St. Catharine with a wheel; St. Lawrence with a gridiron; others with objects connected with their history or in some other way—St. George-, with a dragon; St. Matthew with a purse. St. James the Elder is figured as a pil grim.