View source for Beatification

{{Short description|Solemn declaration by the pope about the holy life of a person on earth}}
{{for|the process of making something beautiful|Beautification}}
{{for|the stages of becoming a Catholic Saint|Canonization#Since 1983}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2023}}
[[File:Pope Pius IX.jpg|thumb|[[Pope Pius IX]] (1792–1878), beatified on 3 September 2000 by [[Pope John Paul II]]]]
[[File:An insignia of the Blessed Fr Michael Iwene Tansi on his relic.jpg|thumb|[[Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi|Blessed Cyprian Michael Iwene Tansi]], first and only [[Nigerian]] to attain any level of official [[sainthood]]. He was beatified by [[Pope John Paul II|Pope St. John Paul II]] on 22 March 1998]]
[[File:Ioannes Paulus II in Germany (1980).jpg|alt=|thumb|[[Pope Saint John Paul II]] (1920–2005) beatified more people than all his predecessors had during the previous 400 years, and was himself beatified six years after his death, on [[Divine Mercy Sunday]] 2011.]]

'''Beatification''' (from [[Latin]] {{lang|la|beatus}}, "blessed" and {{lang|la|facere}}, "to make") is a recognition accorded by the [[Catholic Church]] of a deceased person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to [[intercede]] on behalf of individuals who pray in their name. ''Beati'' is the plural form, referring to those who have undergone the process of beatification; they possess the title of "Blessed" ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|b|l|ɛ|s|ɪ|d}}) (abbreviation "Bl.") before their names and are often referred to in English as "a Blessed" or, plurally, "Blesseds".<ref>{{Cite web|title=American Saints and Blesseds {{!}} USCCB|url=https://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/prayers-and-devotions/saints/american-saints-and-blesseds|access-date=2020-09-20|website=usccb.org}}</ref>

It is the third stage of the ordinary process of [[Canonization#Since 1983|official recognitions]] for Catholic saints: [[Servant of God]], [[Venerable#Catholic|Venerable]], Blessed, and [[Saint]].

== History ==
Local [[Bishops in the Catholic Church|bishops]] had the power of beatifying until 1634, when [[Pope Urban VIII]], in the [[apostolic constitution]] ''Cœlestis Jerusalem'' of 6 July, reserved the power of beatifying to the [[Holy See]].<ref>A. De Meester, ''Juris Canonici et Juris Canonico-Civilis Compendium'' Nova Editio, Tomus Tertius, Pars Secunda (Brugis: Desclée de Brouwer et Sii, 1928) p. 86 (citing the canonist [[Pope Benedict XIV]], ''De Servorum Dei Beatificatione et Beatorum Canonizatione'')</ref><ref>Beccari, Camillo (1907). "[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02364b.htm Beatification and Canonization]." ''The Catholic Encyclopedia''. Vol. 2. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Via ''New Advent''. newadvent.org. Accessed 1 November 2015.</ref>

Since the reforms of 1983, as a rule, (for non-martyred Venerables) one [[Miracle|miracle]] must be confirmed to have taken place through the intercession of the person to be beatified. Miracles are almost always unexplainable medical healings, and are scientifically investigated by commissions comprising [[Physician|physicians]] and [[theologians]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ghose |first=Tia |date=9 July 2013 |title=The Science of Miracles: How the Vatican Decides |url=https://www.livescience.com/38033-how-vatican-identifies-miracles.html |access-date=2019-09-15 |website=livescience.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2000/04/20/miracles-under-the-microscope|title=Miracles under the microscope|date=2000-04-20|newspaper=The Economist|access-date=2019-09-15|issn=0013-0613}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2016/08/31/491937448/how-the-catholic-church-documented-mother-teresas-two-miracles|title=How The Catholic Church Documented Mother Teresa's 2 Miracles|publisher=NPR|language=en|access-date=2019-09-15}}</ref>

The requirement of a miracle for beatification is waived in the case of someone whose [[martyr]]dom is formally declared by the church.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.archokc.org/rothercause/process-of-canonization |title=Sarno, Robert J., "Process of Canonization", Archdiocese of Oklahoma City |access-date=5 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180608134449/http://www.archokc.org/rothercause/process-of-canonization |archive-date=8 June 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The [[feast day]] for a beatified person is not universal, but is celebrated only by territories, religious institutes, or communities in which the person receives particular [[veneration]]. For instance, [[Catherine Tekakwitha|Kateri Tekakwitha]] was especially honored in the [[United States]] and [[Canada]] during her time as Blessed. [[John Duns Scotus]] was honored among the [[Franciscans]], in the [[Archdiocese of Cologne]] and other places. Similarly, veneration of [[Chiara Badano]] is particular to the [[Focolare]] movement.{{Citation needed|date=November 2024}}

The blessed, elected by popular acclamation (the vox populi) enjoyed only local veneration. While the procedure of [[canonization]] was taken in hand from the [[12th century|twelfth century]] by the papacy in Rome, that of beatification continued on a local scale until the [[13th century|thirteenth century]] before settling at the [[Council of Trent]], which reserved to the pope the right to say who could be venerated.<ref>{{Citation |last=Vincent-Cassy |first=Cécile |title=Les joyaux de la Couronne Sainteté et monarchie en Espagne après le concile de Trente |date=2016 |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.4000/books.pulg.8977 |work=Dévotion et légitimation |pages=41–56 |publisher=Presses universitaires de Liège |doi=10.4000/books.pulg.8977 |isbn=9782875621061 |access-date=2022-08-05|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

== Practices under the popes ==
[[Pope John Paul II]] (1978–2005) markedly changed the previous Catholic practice of beatification. By October 2004, he had beatified 1,340 people, more than the sum of all of his predecessors since [[Pope Sixtus V]] (1585–1590), who established a beatification procedure similar to that used today.{{Citation needed|date=May 2020}}

John Paul II's successor, [[Pope Benedict XVI]] (2005–2013), personally celebrated the Beatification [[Catholic mass|Mass]] for his predecessor at [[St. Peter's Basilica]], on the Second Sunday of [[Easter]], or [[Divine Mercy Sunday]], on 1 May 2011, an event that drew more than one million people.

== See also ==
{{Portal|Saints}}
* [[Canonization]] (delineates the process of beatification)
* [[Chronological list of saints and blesseds]]
* [[List of saints]]
* [[List of venerated Catholics]]
* [[List of Servants of God]]
* [[List of beatified people]]
* [[List of people beatified by Pope Francis]]
*[[List of people beatified by Pope Benedict XVI]]
* [[List of people beatified by Pope John Paul II]]
{{NoteFoot}}

== References ==
=== Citations ===
{{Reflist}}

=== Sources ===
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite encyclopedia |last=Beccari |first=Camillo |year = 1907 |title=Beatification and Canonization |encyclopedia=[[Catholic Encyclopedia]] |at=Vol. 2 |publisher=Robert Appleton Company |via=[[New Advent]]. newadvent.org |url = http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02364b.htm }}
* {{CathEncy |wstitle = Beatification and Canonization |url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080606235621/http://oce.catholic.com/index.php?title=Beatification_and_Canonization |last=Beccari |first=Camillo }}
* De Meester, A., J.C.D., ''Juris Canonici et Juris Canonico-Civilis Compendium'' Nova Editio, Tomus Tertius, Pars Secunda (Brugis: Desclée de Brouwer et Sii, 1928)
* Saunders, Rev. William (2003). "[https://web.archive.org/web/20140210131718/http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/religion/re0136.html The Process of Becoming a Saint]". Reprinted from ''Arlington Catholic Herald''. Via Catholic Education Resource Center. catholiceducation.org.
* [https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/csaints/documents/rc_con_csaints_doc_20050929_saraiva-martins-beatif_en.html Vatican website, with new procedures]
{{refend}}

== External links ==
* [http://www.gcatholic.org/saints/bxvi-blesseds2.htm List of all Blesseds in the Catholic Church] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140204030324/http://www.gcatholic.org/saints/bxvi-blesseds2.htm |date=4 February 2014 }} by GCatholic.org.

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{{Saints}}

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[[Category:Beatifications| ]]
[[Category:Beatified people| ]]
[[Category:Catholic theology and doctrine]]
[[Category:Posthumous recognitions]]
[[Category:Canonization]]