Definition

Noun: 1. The official act of declaring a deceased person to be a saint: In the Roman Catholic Church and some other Christian traditions, canonisation is the final step in a long process that recognizes an individual as a saint, worthy of public veneration. 2. The state of being canonized: The condition of having been formally admitted into the canon (official list) of saints.

Usage

• Canonisation is a formal ecclesiastical decree. It typically follows a process involving the verification of the person's life of heroic virtue and the authentication of miracles attributed to their intercession.
• The word is used in religious, historical, and academic contexts.

Examples

• The canonisation of Mother Teresa took place in 2016.
• The lengthy process leading to canonisation can take decades or even centuries.
• The Pope presided over the canonisation ceremony in St. Peter's Square.

Advanced Usage

• "To be on the path to canonisation": To be in one of the preliminary stages (e.g., being declared "Venerable" or "Blessed") before full sainthood.
  • After the miracle was confirmed, the blessed was put on the path to canonisation.
• The concept can be used metaphorically in secular contexts to describe treating someone with extreme or unquestioning reverence.
  • The media's canonisation of the celebrity made a balanced biography impossible to write.

Variants and Related Words

• Canonize (verb): To officially declare (a deceased person) a saint.
  • The church voted to canonize the 19th-century missionary.
• Canon (noun): In this context, the official list of recognized saints. (Also has other meanings, such as a general rule or a collection of sacred texts).
• Canonical (adjective): Conforming to a general rule or accepted as being part of a canon.
  • The canonical process involves several stages of investigation.

Synonyms

• Beatification (specifically the step before canonisation where a person is declared "Blessed").
• Enshrinement (in a broader, often non-religious sense of giving someone a revered status).
• Glorification (a more general term for treating someone as glorious or ideal).

Antonyms

• Damnation (condemnation to eternal punishment).
• Excommunication (expulsion from the communion of the church and its sacraments).
• Denunciation (public condemnation).

Noun

1. (Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Church) the act of admitting a deceased person into the canon of saints