How do Saints become Saints?

Question

More specifically how did Saint Peter become a saint?

Source this, I need it for school.

Answer 1

Try talking to a priest. Surely there's a church around you.

Answer 2

Hi

Because you need this for school let me do a copy and paste here.

Is there a written set of criteria for canonization? If so, what is the criteria?

Father Michael Mannion responds:

There is a written set of criteria for canonization, the process by which the Church formally recognizes a deceased person as a saint. Remember: it is God who makes saints. The Church's canonization process merely ratifies and proclaims what God has done.

The process formally begins at least five years after the person in question is deceased. The local bishop appoints officials to collect data, documentation, and writings by and about the person. All the testimony and documentation is then sent to the Vatican's Congregation for the Causes of Sainthood. In Rome, a relator oversees the writing of a biography. Eight theologians and a promoter of the faith then judge the cause. If the result is a favorable vote by the members of the congregation and the Pope approves, the candidate is declared "Venerable." For Beatification, one miracle, due to the intercession of the candidate and occurring after his or her death, is required. Medical experts and a panel of theologians must authenticate the miracle.

Finally, for canonization, another miracle must be authenticated - this one having occurred after the beatification. The pope can waive the five-year waiting period as well as the requirement of a miracle. Most important, the entire process is rooted in the Church's belief that the individual in question practiced heroic virtue and lived in fidelity to God's grace. A saint is a model and an intercessor whose holiness is well recognized and whose life is a source of inspiration to all believers.....(1)

Taken from:

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/forum/september97/teresa_9-26.html#criteria

a second informative site is here:

http://www.answers.com/topic/saint(2)

The official site at the vatican is located at:
http://www.vatican.va/ (3)

The process is explained thuroughly at that site.

Several world religions aside from Christianity also have saints.
It is therefore important to specify upon which religion are you going to focus when you address the topic of sainthood.

Wikipedia gives a good explanation of sainthood as it in understood from the perspective of many world religions- not just
Christianity.

You can find information on it here. (4)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint

The life of Saint Peter can be found both at Wikipedia again (5)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Peter

The official Catholic encyclopaedia has this to write about the saint:(6)

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11744a.htm

Hope this helps.

Thanks.
N.

Answer 3

Not ever church or denomination recongizes sainthood in the manner that the Catholic Church has come to. And the Catholic Church recognizes that it does not, in fact, make anyone a saint. Rather, it recognizes a saint. In the Roman Catholic church, the title of Saint - with a capital 'S' - refers to a person who has been formally canonized (officially recognized) by the Church. This particular form of recognition formally allows the person so canonized to be listed in the official Litany of the Saints during Mass. Formal canonization is a lengthy process often taking many years, even centuries. The process includes a thorough investigation of the candidate for Sainthood. This investigation examines and confirms (or disproves) any number of visions or miracles attributed to candidate, or of the general holiness or specific good deeds that he or she may have done while alive. The Church, however, places special weight on those miracles or instances of intercession that happened after the individual died and which are seen to demonstrate the Saint's continued special relationship with God after death. Also, by this definition there are many people believed to be in heaven who have not been formally declared as Saints (most typically due to their obscurity and the involved process of formal canonization) but who may nevertheless generically be referred to as saints (lowercase 's'). Anyone in heaven is, in the untechnical sense, a saint. Unofficial devotions to thus far non-canonized saints do exist in certain regions.

The veneration of saints, in Latin, cultus, or the cult of the saints, describes a particular popular devotion to the saints. Although the term "worship" is often used, it is meant in the old sense meaning to honor or give respect (dulia). Divine Worship properly reserved only for God (latria) is never given to the Saints. In Roman Catholic theology, since God is the God of the Living, then it follows that the saints are alive in Heaven. As "special friends of God," they can be asked to intercede or pray for those still on earth. A Saint may be designated as a Patron saint of particular causes or professions, or invoked against specific illnesses or disasters. They are not thought to have power of their own, but only that granted by God. Relics of Saints are respected in a similar manner to holy images and icons of Saints.

Once a person has been declared a Saint, the body of the Saint is considered holy. In past centuries, the remains of Saints were distributed as holy artifacts. In modern times, however, there is a growing trend to respect the body of a Saint, leaving it alone and buried. Some of the saints have a symbol that represents their life.

Answer 4

bladerman726,
There is more than one rendition of this answer. I'll let the Roman Catholics have their answer, it is different than mine.

A saint is a Christian. It's those who God has saved.

G0040 hagios -- pronounced: hag'-ee-os

from hagos (an awful thing) (compare 53, 2282); sacred (physically, pure, morally blameless or religious, ceremonially, consecrated): KJV -- (most) holy (one, thing), saint.

See Greek No. 53

See Greek No. 2282

Example:
Acts 26:10 Which thing I also did in Jerusalem: and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them.

Romans 1:7 To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 8:27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

Etc.

Answer 5

After there is proof that the person has done good deeds and had a miracle attributed to them than can be attributed to the person the pope will have them canonized as a saint!

Answer 6

He was a martyr.

"He is traditionally believed to have been sentenced to death by crucifixion by the Roman authorities."

"The older term for saint is martyr, meaning witness, or more specifically, witness for God. However, as the word martyr took on more and more the meaning of "one who died for the Faith," the term saint, meaning holy, became more common to describe the whole of Christian witnesses, both martyrs and confessors."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint - definition of Saint
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Peter - story of Saint Peter

Answer 7

A person does something extraordinarily good, oh yeah, you then must die,
there are no living saints.

Answer 8

The Catholic church puts candidates through a canonization process. I do not know how this works.

Answer 9

under the table connection.

Answer 10

ask your priest this question please. ?