Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-05-01
THE MAKING or 4 SAINT.
1t Is a Difficult. Slow and Expensive
Procedure.

JOAN Of Arc haa long been popularity
mshrined III tj hearts Of the French
people as I same, coming second to tEe
official patron saint. SL Geneyieye.
though. ny matter Of f4ct This Go-
cided fcmme incomplete ha@ never
even reached tine FIRST stsp If the
sanity hierarahy-be How
ever, Che official journal " Tie vatican
announces thut the formal bin NC
.canonization of Jeanne G'Arc will
shortly Ne promulgated. AT The pres
emit juncture ibis step comes, indeed.
rather as a surprise 10 French Clthp-
lies, MS her popularity has distinctly a.
cliucd within tie last few wears. The
insertion Of new saint iii ,he calcn-
dar duly followed by ICY inclusion in
the indispensable Whitaker'D is GER
tainly little regarded by the ordinary
reader. Even those who give 2 second
thought TO the question Of the origin
Of these saints have probably some
vague notion that the inclusion Of the
name az q noN saint is fortuitous ana
arbitrary. ana imagine that Che va
cancies in this hasiol0gic0l livre dor
are in the Gift of the Pope and the
Sacred Culle2a. In short, il is supposed
that the honor az sanctity Is a kind Of
sacred analogue of the lay orders DC
hnighthood. The average layman
naturally fails TO appreciate the
significance of the numerous stages Of
the two Qualification and
canonization-whic have TO be passed
through before candidate for saint
ship can become a duly accredited
saint.
Very few OF those who are admitted
into the lower grade of the sanity
lGcation-aetually reach
the stage Of a eanonization, and on
what principle q selection il made
from the ranks Of the venerated for full
saintshiD is known only to the Pope
and the Sacred College. AT al events.
centuries usually elapse before tho
apoth6osis of bcati6ed takes place
Tor instance st. Vincent de Paul, one
Of the most famous saints III the calen-
Oar. the founder of the Order az lit
tie Sisters Of the Poor who was born.
in 1876. did not attain fun saintship till
l7f1. Originally. martyrdom was an
essential qualification Tor canonization.
those whose claims we're based chiefly
on miracles seldom reaching "a higher
stage than beatiiioation of these
miracles two were considered the cir
reducibe minimum" Perhaps the
most famous lay saint in the hagiologl-
cal calendar is Louis *. But, though
the claims of the King who built the
Sainte Chapelle and brought the Sacred
Grown of Thorns to France might be
supposed to be sufficiently strong. vet
the bull Of colonization was only
granted after n most searching inquiry
into the veracity Of the & miracles at
tributed 10 his relics.
The procedure in the inquiry into a
saints claim to concentration is curious.
1T is submitted to as SEARCHING am
examination ana scrutiny y ,re those
q claimant to 2 iapsed "A rage in
the English House Of Lords III fact
before the saint can be formally in
scribed on the Canon Sanctorun he
must survive the ordeal Of 26 process
es, including those for the preliminary
staGe(f Qualification. In the first in
stanccN.commissioners are appointed BY
the Poe to institute preliminary IN
quiries- Their report is submitted to
~ e''Ai 'ilDuiidl VI ClSftcs, WHO Gecff9
II the candidate is worthy of the first
degree Of hierarchical rank, which is
callcd qualification. A second tribunal
after a considerable interval-in The
case of the latest canonfzed saint, Rita
De Casca, over 270 years-then con-
slders the question OF the admittance
of the saint to fun canonization. AT
inis trial the candidates interests are
looked after BY an official who IS
styled the DEF Advocatus. VINO is Oh
posed by the Promoter Fidei, popularity
known as the Diaboli Advocatus.
Probably many persons who use the
phrase are unaware that the familiar
expression devils advocate owes its
origin To Roman Catholic ceremony.
After the decision OF this tribunal ii
the candidates favor the final ratifca-
ton by the Pope is alone required for
the admittanee of the saint into the
Roman Catholic calendar.
Since the Reformation The admit
tanee Of fresh saints into the calendar
is a comparatively rare event. one
reason for the paucity OF claimants for