Raising the bar for sainthood candidates

The Vatican will soon send bishops a set of instructions intended to promote “greater caution and more accuracy” in starting the process that leads to sainthood. The instructions will affect the start of the process at the local level; they do not appear to imply any tightening of the Vatican’s own final standards for canonization. […]

The Vatican will soon send bishops a set of instructions intended to promote “greater caution and more accuracy” in starting the process that leads to sainthood.

The instructions will affect the start of the process at the local level; they do not appear to imply any tightening of the Vatican’s own final standards for canonization.

John Paul II canonized a record 482 saints in his 26-year pontificate.


Benedict XVI has proclaimed saints at less than 75 percent his predecessor’s rate, canonizing 14 since his election in April 2005.

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