What sort of characteristics are exhibited by a Catholic Saint?

Question

Dude! I was visited by Imacatholic2!

Answer 1

Canonized saints "have practiced heroic virtue and lived in fidelity to God's grace."

Saints are people in heaven or on their way to heaven. All Christians dead and alive are saints.

The Catholic Church selects some of the most extraordinary examples, does in-depth research, and canonizes them.

"By canonizing some of the faithful, i.e., by solemnly proclaiming that they practiced heroic virtue and lived in fidelity to God's grace, the Church recognizes the power of the Spirit of holiness within her and sustains the hope of believers by proposing the saints to them as models and intercessors."

For more information, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, section 828: http://www.nccbuscc.org/catechism/text/pt1sect2chpt3art9p3.htm#828

With love in Christ.

Answer 2

Characteristics Of A Saint

Answer 3

Upon examination of a putative saint's life it must be found to have been lived in accordance with the laws of God and the Church, and in concert with Christ's wishes concerning behavior and attitude toward God's creations (ALL of them, not just people).
"Saints-to-be" are prayerful, NOT proud, generous with time and talents, caring of others' sensibilities, non-judgemental, gentle with others failings but tough on their own. Evidence of special graces granted to an individual, such as St. Joseph Cupertino's levitational abilities, or St. Francis' way with wild animals are also authenticated. If the candidate has prophesied, these are carefully researched and their coming to pass or not are recorded. If the candidate was credited with miraculous healings while alive, these too are carefully researched and the results recorded. These days the medical boards for this sorta stuff are positively scary they're so thorough, and they ALWAYS include a number of avowed atheists. Keeps eveybody honest, doncha know.

For a person to be officially declared a saint ie, definitely in heaven, the following MUST be done.

The candidate must be proposed by either a religious community or a diocesan council. Every minute of the candidate's life that can be searched out is, and then is scrutinized to within an inch of its life. If the person so nominated is found to have lived a grace-filled life, His Holiness is apprised of the results and he then requests grace from God via the working of a miracle for someone who invokes the aid of said candidate. Any claims to miracles are analysed and every possible alternate explanation is tried before anyone will admit to a miracle. If it does, by all tests, seem a miracle, then his Holiness will declare that candidate Blessed. Another miracle is required before the appelation "Saint" can be applied to the candidate.

Most miracles are those of healing, and to be considered a healing it has to be one of the following:
A) The illness MUST be either life-threatening or chronically progressive (measles won't do it, advanced leprosy will).

B) The illness MUST be instantly and I DO mean INSTANTLY cured and all evidence of its ravages cleared in a few days. (Drops your teeth to watch a patient without a face due to lupus suddenly sprout a nose and eyelids and cheeks where there was only a gaping hole mere hours before.)

C) If an injury or birth defect, the limb or organ must be normal and healthy in days at most. (Also causes heart palpitations to watch a born-blind girl child start describing what she's seeing, especially when the medicos have shown via MRI's and similar tests that she has NO optic nerves. That'll shake your doubts!)

BTW, most atheist medical personnel we ask to sit on these boards come away from the experience either agnostic or on the way to true conversion. We even warn them. Makes no difference. They sit to scoff and stay to squirm. Poor babies.

Of course, many "cures" are sent on behalf of a candidate and most do NOT fulfill the criteria set out by Holy Mother Church. But when one DOES, hoohahh boychik, does THAT put the cat among the pigeons!

Anyway, once a candidate has those two authenticated miracles to their credit, His Holiness proclaims him/her officially a saint, a resident of heaven and there's a lovely formal presentation and celebratory Mass and then the faithful throw a really spiffy party.

Hope this helped.

Answer 4

As a lapsarian Catholic, I have to say you do a terrible job of presenting Catholic doctrine. All "saints" are considered by the Church to be continuing members of the Church and therefore as capable of praying on behalf of others as living members of the Church. That's what "communion of saints" means, Christians living AND dead. Catholics honor the saints (dulia), a practice grown out of the veneration of departed martyrs in the early Church. Mary is given extra veneration (hyperdulia) because of her intimate connection to Christ. None of them are "worshipped" (latria) under any definition. People who think they are "worshipping" Mary are not following Church teaching. No one but God has any supernatural power. Saints can only pray along with the Church to God. If anything, you've created MORE confusion.

Answer 5

"We must, therefore, pay all the more attention to this warning upon which I have commented; especially since the Popish doctors display their excessive stupidity by saying that it is not a sin to think evil, or to be tempted, as long as one does not consent to do it. A man could be tempted to wrong his neighbour in some way; he may have a grievance or frustration which makes him want to avenge himself upon the person who has offended him. If the occasion were to arise, he would be delighted. This is not sin, they tell us, unless he has consented to the temptation with resolve. They are only wiping their mouths like whores, or showing their snouts like sows, after they have wallowed in the mire and dirt. A man may murmur against God and be angry with him, and doubt whether God will look after him; he may be troubled by many mistrustful thoughts, so that he cannot find refuge in God; but none of these things are sin according to the Papists. I am not saying that the common herd are the only ones to be deceived in these matters, for all of their schools hold to the doctrine and belief that this is not sin. They do say that all is sin before baptism; but after baptism, all becomes virtuous, however much we may doubt God, or however many grievances we have against him. We may be very impatient with him, or agitated about this matter or that — but we cannot be accused if we have not been moved to practise evil outwardly! In short, if we are inclined to all that God condemns and reproves in his law — all that is unlawful — it is nothing. They are well suited to believe such stupid things! After all, they have made idols and grotesque statues to worship, and now their minds have become darkened as they make merry around their gods, scoffing at us, as at a little child holding forth about righteousness and integrity. We must not, therefore, be surprised if such people behave like this. Because they have falsified the glory of God and destroyed it, they must be completely brutish."

Answer 6

Their works are examined by a panel at the Vatican to determine whether or not they're "venerated. They also need to have performed a miracle after death (proving that they are in heaven and worthy of prayer.)

Answer 7

Well, first they have to be dead.

We say that saints ran the race with perseverance. They endured this life and its trials and did the best they could- and are counted as in heaven.

Answer 8

Must be able to do Miracles either during his/her life, or even after death.

Or have suffered a Martyr's death.

Answer 9

A tendency to get burned at the stake by religious folk.

Answer 10

I have heard that they must perform some kind of miracle. (Seriously I'm not kidding on this one)

If imacatholic doesn't answer this question maybe you could message him/her. S/he might have some good insight on this particular question.