What is a Saint?

Understanding sainthood in the Catholic tradition

Vatican Definition

The Vatican does not provide a concise, singular definition of a saint. Instead, the understanding of sainthood is derived from various Church documents and the canonization process. A saint, in Catholic tradition, is someone who has led a life of exemplary holiness and virtue, and who has been officially recognized by the Church through the process of canonization. This process involves a rigorous examination of the person’s life, virtues, and miracles attributed to their intercession. Read more about the canonization process.

Catechism of the Catholic Church

The Catechism teaches that the communion of saints encompasses the Church in all her states: the faithful on earth (Church Militant), the souls being purified in purgatory (Church Suffering), and the blessed in heaven (Church Triumphant). These three states are united in Christ, and the saints in heaven intercede for us while we on earth can pray for the souls in purgatory (CCC 954–959).

Relevant sections of the Catechism:

CCC 946 — Explanation of “the communion of saints”
CCC 823-828 — The holiness of the Church; CCC 828 on canonization as recognition of heroic virtue

CCC 946: “After confessing ‘the holy catholic Church,’ the Apostles’ Creed adds ‘the communion of saints.’ In a certain sense, this article is a further explanation of the preceding: ‘What is the Church if not the assembly of all the saints?’ The communion of saints is the Church.”

CCC 823: “The Church . . . is held, as a matter of faith, to be unfailingly holy. This is because Christ, the Son of God, who with the Father and the Spirit is hailed as ‘alone holy,’ loved the Church as his Bride, giving himself up for her so as to sanctify her.”

CCC 828: “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.”

These passages reflect the Church’s understanding that sainthood is not limited to those who have been canonized but extends to all the faithful who strive to live a holy life in communion with God and the Church. The interpretations of sainthood may vary slightly among different documents and teachings, but the essence remains consistent: a life of holiness, virtue, and communion with God and the Church.

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