How does canonization work?

[jas3]

I recently saw the news that Fr. Seraphim Rose is apparently going to be canonized by ROCOR:

ROCOR Council of Bishops launches canonization process for Seraphim Rose

ROCOR hierarchs have voted to canonize Hieromonk Seraphim Rose.

spzh.eu

Apparently, he was already canonized by a Georgian diocese in 2023. I assume there's a big difference in a canonization from a single diocese vs. a whole council of bishops, though. Thinking about it, I've got a lot of questions about the process.

• What does it mean for someone to be canonized in a diocese? Is it just that the bishop is giving formal permission for the person to be venerated as a saint in his diocese? Does it have any effect outside his diocese?
• Is there a more formal process or service that needs to be held before ROCOR's canonization would be official, or is it just the vote of the Council of Bishops?
• Assuming the news is correct and his canonization is formally announced in the coming days, at that point is he considered a saint throughout all of the Church, or does it apply only to ROCOR? If it applies only to ROCOR, do other jurisdictions then recognize the canonization later? Is there ever a case where one jurisdiction's canonization is rejected by another jurisdiction?

 

[ArmyMatt]

I think any bishop can locally add a saint, but the formal addition comes from the potential saint’s particular synod.

 

[Lukaris]

I found this account on the blog of Russian priest Fr Ioann. He had some publicity as a priest who was censured in 2022 for his opposition to the invasion of Ukraine. Anyway, this is a just an example of matters coming together and not any sense of administration.



IS IT POSSIBLE TO PRAY TO MY GRANDMOTHER?

During the funeral service, the words "may she rest with the saints" are said. Does that mean that an ordinary deceased person is also a saint? Since she's there and with them?

What then prevents me from praying to a photograph of my grandmother?

Answer:
The words "may she rest with the saints" are a wish, while canonization is a confirmation.During the funeral service, we ask God for this. We hope, not assert, that the deceased was a saint.

Note that we do not pray to photographs, nor even to icons of saints. We pray before an icon, addressing the saint depicted on it. And we pray to the saint not in their human essence, but in their, so to speak, "deified form." To the one whose human nature has united with the Divine (through Christ).

This is essential. A photograph conveys a person's physical appearance. An icon reflects their spiritual essence, transformed by the Holy Spirit.

It is no coincidence that they say that an icon is a window into another world. The person depicted on it has become someone greater than they were in their earthly life. Although this transformation began here on earth, it took its final form in the Kingdom of Heaven.

It is still not customary to pray before photographs of canonized saints, although they are sometimes placed in home iconostasis.

That said, if you're certain of your grandmother's holiness, no one prevents you from turning to her with a personal prayer and asking her to intercede for you before God. As far as I know, there are no direct canonical prohibitions against this.

However, I think it's only worth doing if you truly believe in her righteousness. Otherwise, it would seem cruel to someone whose soul may not have found peace.

Generally, canonization also often stems from private veneration. That is, a person is revered as a saint by the residents of a particular area. They may be canonized as a local saint. If this person is a prominent figure and venerated by a large number of Christians, then a church-wide canonization may then be announced.

Incidentally, there was a curious episode in Church history involving such an "arbitrary" canonization.

Simeon the New Theologian, being an ordinary abbot of a monastery, canonized his spiritual father, Simeon the Pious, without any permission from the bishop.

He consecrated a "cell" church in his honor, composed eulogies, prayers, and canons, and annually organized a lavish and well-attended service at the monastery in his memory.

Simeon the Pious was an ordinary, "rank-and-file" monk and was not even ordained. All his merits were purely spiritual (outwardly unnoticeable).

Because Simeon the New Theologian arbitrarily canonized his teacher and venerated him not privately, but on a grand scale, he was expelled from Constantinople and stripped of his abbotship. But he was later fully vindicated and offered the opportunity to return to the monastery or become a bishop. Simeon the Pious was eventually recognized as a saint (his memory is celebrated on March 12).

It happens.

МАРАН АФА Блог Иоанна Бурдина

Блог Иоанна Бурдина Поддержать канал и автора можно лайком или донатом на карту Сбербанка 5484774000660567 (Виктор Валерьевич Бурдин)

t.me

 

[Dogheaded]

I found this account on the blog of Russian priest Fr Ioann. He had some publicity as a priest who was censured in 2022 for his opposition to the invasion of Ukraine. Anyway, this is a just an example of matters coming together and not any sense of administration.



IS IT POSSIBLE TO PRAY TO MY GRANDMOTHER?

During the funeral service, the words "may she rest with the saints" are said. Does that mean that an ordinary deceased person is also a saint? Since she's there and with them?

What then prevents me from praying to a photograph of my grandmother?

Answer:
The words "may she rest with the saints" are a wish, while canonization is a confirmation.During the funeral service, we ask God for this. We hope, not assert, that the deceased was a saint.

Note that we do not pray to photographs, nor even to icons of saints. We pray before an icon, addressing the saint depicted on it. And we pray to the saint not in their human essence, but in their, so to speak, "deified form." To the one whose human nature has united with the Divine (through Christ).

This is essential. A photograph conveys a person's physical appearance. An icon reflects their spiritual essence, transformed by the Holy Spirit.

It is no coincidence that they say that an icon is a window into another world. The person depicted on it has become someone greater than they were in their earthly life. Although this transformation began here on earth, it took its final form in the Kingdom of Heaven.

It is still not customary to pray before photographs of canonized saints, although they are sometimes placed in home iconostasis.

That said, if you're certain of your grandmother's holiness, no one prevents you from turning to her with a personal prayer and asking her to intercede for you before God. As far as I know, there are no direct canonical prohibitions against this.

However, I think it's only worth doing if you truly believe in her righteousness. Otherwise, it would seem cruel to someone whose soul may not have found peace.

Generally, canonization also often stems from private veneration. That is, a person is revered as a saint by the residents of a particular area. They may be canonized as a local saint. If this person is a prominent figure and venerated by a large number of Christians, then a church-wide canonization may then be announced.

Incidentally, there was a curious episode in Church history involving such an "arbitrary" canonization.

Simeon the New Theologian, being an ordinary abbot of a monastery, canonized his spiritual father, Simeon the Pious, without any permission from the bishop.

He consecrated a "cell" church in his honor, composed eulogies, prayers, and canons, and annually organized a lavish and well-attended service at the monastery in his memory.

Simeon the Pious was an ordinary, "rank-and-file" monk and was not even ordained. All his merits were purely spiritual (outwardly unnoticeable).

Because Simeon the New Theologian arbitrarily canonized his teacher and venerated him not privately, but on a grand scale, he was expelled from Constantinople and stripped of his abbotship. But he was later fully vindicated and offered the opportunity to return to the monastery or become a bishop. Simeon the Pious was eventually recognized as a saint (his memory is celebrated on March 12).

It happens.

МАРАН АФА Блог Иоанна Бурдина

Блог Иоанна Бурдина Поддержать канал и автора можно лайком или донатом на карту Сбербанка 5484774000660567 (Виктор Валерьевич Бурдин)

t.me

I'd just add to that this;

It is the case that when someone has beautifully impacted many people by their righteousness that they recognize that. Such that people do privately venerate them and this is noticed. Indications that this veneration is true begins to be seen and eventually lead to formal recognition by the Church.

St. Caedwalla was a genocidal man in life, targeting the Isle of Wight. However, he was baptized seven days before his death (April 17, 689) (stemming from a wound he received during his genocidal campaign.) It seems that after death he was given the opportunity to serve the people who survived his massacres, as many miracles for those people were attributed to him. This lead to him becoming the patron saint of the Isle of Wight. A certainly odd case. It speaks to the power of repentance and baptism.

Edit;

And I'll add, this St. Caedwalla case would be difficult to explain by normal historical causes. People don't usually end up venerating people who commit grave crimes against them. It would be difficult to claim that the Saxon propaganda would lead to it.

 

[The Liturgist]

Also usually its called “Glorification” in Eastern Orthodoxy - I’ve seen the word “canonize” used as a translation of the Greek word for being penanced.

 

[RileyG]

Also usually its called “Glorification” in Eastern Orthodoxy - I’ve seen the word “canonize” used as a translation of the Greek word for being penanced.

Fascinating! Thanks for sharing!

Peace

 

[The Liturgist]

Fascinating! Thanks for sharing!

Peace

And thank you for being so kind

 

[RileyG]

And thank you for being so kind

You're welcome, friend.