Here lies our sovereign lord, the King, Whose word no man relies on. Who never said a foolish thing, And never did a wise one. True religious perfection consists in the practice of all the virtues in a heroic degree. A saint conquers weaknesses. Therefore, the Catholic Church has no hesitation in examining minutely everything that a reputed saint has ever done.
Special attention is given to the writings of the one in question.
A man will often express his innermost thoughts freely in writing, while concealing them in conversation. If the Church finds anything in these writings which fails against a prudent regard for the truth, anything which is unbalanced or unkind, then it knows that it is not dealing with a saint. A saint has a well-rounded control of all the virtues. Saints were very individualistic, each one seeking God in the way best suited to his own personality. The circumstances of their lives and their natural abilities brought out one virtue more than others, one method of developing sanctity more than another.