How to become a saint? This topic is of interest to almost everyone who converts to Christianity, becoming a believer. Now in the Orthodox Church about five thousand people are recognized as saints, and almost half of them were canonized relatively recently. Because of this, cases of accusation of the Russian Orthodox Church that this process has been put on the assembly line have become more frequent: the process itself is carried out too quickly, and many people become ambiguous saints. For example, the figure of the last Russian emperor Nicholas II raises doubts. We will describe how the church defines a holy person and what needs to be done to fall under all these criteria in this article.
Qualities of a saint
The priests of the Russian Orthodox Church know in detail how to become a saint. Its representatives note that holiness is determined not by one day, not by some bright and noble deed, but by many years of prayers, labors, and the desire to fulfill all the commandments.
It is believed in the church that in response to such godly behavior, God sends a person his gifts, which the Apostle Paul lists in the Bible. This is goodness, love, peace, joy, mercy, patience, meekness, faith, abstinence. It is on the basis of these human qualities, as well as some supernatural gifts (they include passionlessness, love for enemies, true humility) that we can judge human grace.
And this is not about standard love and joy in the understanding of an ordinary person. This is temporary. The apostle spoke of enduring joy. For example, when a person is tortured, and he feels joy from a relationship with God. New martyrs who became saints in the 20th century can also be cited as an example. Their diaries and letters have reached our time, in which people tell how they were in terrible conditions, they were in prisons, in camps awaiting the imminent execution, but at the same time they felt joy, happiness, admit that they had never felt so close and tangible God with you. This, according to the priests of the Russian Orthodox Church, is one of the main evidence that man can find eternal bliss only in God.
The sincerity of these thoughts and feelings is determined by ascetics who have a sharpened concept of "sobriety." Over time, they develop a special skill to acutely feel the truth, to distinguish it from lies. Since it is very difficult to become a saint, in a religion with special respect and reverence they treat those people who have been awarded this title.
Can a robber be a saint?
The issue put to the subtitle recently has been increasingly discussed after the Russian Orthodox Church decided in 2000 to canonize the family of the last Russian emperor, including Nicholas II himself. After that, many began to wonder how the saints became saints, whether they could become people guilty of deaths and murders.
There are examples when a dashing person becomes a saint in the Bible itself. For example, the robber who hung on the cross next to Jesus Christ. In the church this is explained by the fact that this person went through repentance, he confessed, and then meekly endured all the suffering. Although all these events took place in just a few hours, they turned out to be so vast in spiritual terms that even the robber received forgiveness and eternal bliss.
The main claims against Nicholas II are that he gave permission to shoot a peaceful demonstration in 1905, this event went down in Russian history as Bloody Sunday. The Russian Orthodox Church does not agree with this interpretation, emphasizing that the emperor himself did not give the order to shoot the workers ’demonstration. This was invented later by the Bolsheviks, it was one of the popular myths of the Soviet government, denigrating the previous leadership.
In general, giving the rank of saints to Nicholas II and his family is in no way connected with the state activities of the Russian Tsar himself. As a rule, there can be no reason at all for endowing a person with the status of a saint.
Nicholas II received this status because he suffered in custody, carried his cross to the end, and received martyrdom at the hands of the executioners. True, the emperor did not die for Christ, usually for such reasons a person is canonized, then no one questions why the saints became saints. In the case of Nicholas II, the situation was different, in the church about this heated debate has been waged for more than one year. This decision had many opponents inside the Russian Orthodox Church. Therefore, it was decided to carry out their canonization not as martyrs, but as martyrs. These are those who suffered innocent suffering and death, in Orthodoxy such people also become saints. Now it should be clear to you how Nicholas became a saint.
However, not all innocently killed people can expect that they will be canonized in the future. In the case of the imperial family, it is reliably known that they led a pious church life, regularly went to confession, based on their diary entries, you can find out that they showed Christian qualities, for example humility, to the very end.
Who decides to canonize
People who have become saints, as priests themselves claim, are determined by God. So that the remaining people do not have any doubts, he sends a sign in the form of a miracle. The holiness of man in most cases is evident even during his lifetime.
The saint works miracles through prayers, foresees the future, has the ability to heal people. On the basis of miracles, a special reverence is born, which people around him experience for this person. Therefore, they have no question why the saints became saints. For most, the holiness of man is clearly noticeable during his lifetime.
People constantly come to him for advice and support, and seek help. Some time after his death, the bishop, to the diocese of which this ascetic belonged, instructs him to draw up a biography. All testimonies of the miracles performed by him are carefully collected, as well as the blessed help that he provided to his neighbors. It is important to find out if all the miracles that happened are real, whether it was a false reverence. This is how the saints became saints.
False saints
Cases of false worship in this world are not so rare. One of the most striking examples of recent years is the discussion of the possible canonization of the Bulgarian prophetess Vanga. They are convinced in the Russian Orthodox Church that this is one of the examples of false reverence for a person during his life.
Although it is claimed that she worked miracles, but this is not enough for priests. After all, miracles happen not only from God, but also from the devil. In addition, the Russian Orthodox Church most often glorified ascetics on the basis of miracles that happened after their death, and not during their lifetime. As a rule, this happened when divine grace began to act as a result of prayers addressed to him, or through his relics. It happened when the relics were exhibited in the temple, but nothing happened, then the decision to canonize such a person was postponed until God unequivocally affirmed his holiness.
On what basis is a person recognized as a saint?
In order to understand how a person becomes a saint, it is also necessary to understand the principle of the commission of the Russian Orthodox Church, which makes this decision.
To do this, priests carefully work with documents and archives, study the memories that remained about this man, establish their authenticity, and analyze periodicals.
The process of canonization itself is compared with a thorough and rigorous study. It is necessary to study a large volume of documents that testify to the veneration of the righteous, about his prayer help, miracles and intercession. If we are talking about new martyrs, investigative cases are carefully studied, since many of them took the suffering for faith from the Soviet government. Materials collected by the commission are sent to the Synodal Canonization Commission, signed by the ruling bishop. A discussion is organized, as a result of which the materials are either rejected or sent for revision if the commission members conclude that there is not enough data to make a decision, or they begin the process of making a final decision on the glorification of the saint.
Who is on the canonization commission?
The composition of the Synodal Commission for Canonization changes from time to time, someone leaves it, new people appear. Currently it includes about 15 people. Often, on certain issues, the commission decides to attract third-party specialists to help them sort out some nuances. The main thing is that all members of the commission are appointed by the decision of the Holy Synod.
Among them are researchers, scientists, and teachers who study the question of whether a person is worthy of the title of saint and give their reasoned expert assessment. Among them are also bishops, church administrators, whose tasks include the careful observance of Holy Tradition.
The commission meets several times a year, usually three to five times. Particularly intense work was carried out in the 2000s, when they began to open archives hidden for decades from the public. At that time, hundreds of issues had to be considered; now there are several times fewer calls and candidates.
At the same time, the opinion that the Russian Orthodox Church has recently ranked everyone as a saint, erroneously, insists in the Russian Orthodox Church. The canonization commission quite often refuses due to non-compliance with the canonization criteria or due to a lack or low level of preparedness of materials. There is no specific time that canonization can take. This can last from several years to centuries; there can be no hard and concrete terms here. So when you think that you want to become a saint, be prepared that this process can be very long in time after your death. In addition, the desire during life to receive the rank of saint is not encouraged by the church, it is pride, which refers to one of the sins inappropriate for a holy person. Be sure that none of the saints who have now been counted during their lifetime dreamed of posthumous canonization. Beneficial deeds were done for another purpose, which is why they began to be so appreciated after their death.
Can a non-Orthodox be a saint?
How to become a holy man, if you do not believe in God, is this possible, is it enough to do good and can be godly for canonization? To this question, which concerns many today, the church answers that it is necessary to distinguish between service to the material and spiritual spheres.
All wise rulers, brave military leaders, philanthropists and philanthropists who helped hundreds of people, philosophers and writers who taught good and justice, are respected and appreciated for their outstanding talents, but it is worthwhile to understand that they all belong to the sphere of earthly existence. They are remembered, streets and cities are named after them, and monuments are erected.
But all service to the material sphere passes temporarily and sooner or later. With the help of saints, the Church glorifies God and his deeds in this world. In the affairs of the people who were canonized, indisputable gifts are observed, the sources for which became God and faith. They made it possible to resist any trials, led to humility, contempt of everything earthly, self-destruction, renunciation of wealth, human glory, comfort, and even sometimes their own lives. So the service to the material and spiritual spheres is completely different things, which in no case can be confused.
Therefore, canonization is a recognition that a person has lived a righteous life with God at the same time, and now he himself becomes an example and a role model for many followers. Only following the teachings of the Church exactly did the saints become saints. In temples around the world, they are now venerated and extolled.
First saints
The first Russian saints were brothers Boris and Gleb. These are Russian princes who were sons of the Kiev prince Vladimir Svyatoslavich. According to the official version, confirmed by most historians, they died in the internecine war, which began in 1015 after the death of their father. In order to eliminate any competitors that could prevent him from becoming a sovereign ruler, they were killed by their older brother Svyatopolk, who later received the nickname Cursed.
Boris and Gleb became the first Russian saints, they were canonized as martyrs, making them patrons of the Russian land. There is no consensus on when this happened. According to the most common version, they were counted among the saints after the transfer of the relics to the new stone church. According to the annals, this solemn ceremony took place in 1072, it was initiated by the children of Yaroslav the Wise Svyatoslav, Izyaslav and Vsevolod, as well as the Kiev Metropolitan George. For the brothers, they immediately established general church veneration, making them patrons of the Russian land. Now you know who became the first Russian saint.
According to the canonical version, Boris was the first to be killed. He was called to Kiev when Prince Vladimir fell ill. However, it soon became known about the Pecheneg invasion, and his father sent him to repel the raid. Boris Pechenegov never met, on the way back he stopped on the Alta River. Then he learned about the death of his father and the accession of Svyatopolk. The team loyal to him suggested going to Kiev, but Boris did not want to violate the sanctity of kinship, and rejected this option. After that, the combatants left him, leaving only with a few close ones.
Svyatopolk sent the Vyshegorodsky boyars to kill Boris, since he was a dangerous rival, he was sympathetic to the squad and people. They reached the tent on Alt 24 July. When the prince went to bed, the killers burst into the tent and stabbed him with spears.
Having dealt with Boris, Svyatopolk called Gleb to Kiev, fearing that he would take revenge, since he was his uterine brother. Staying near Smolensk, Gleb learned from another brother, Yaroslav, about the death of his father, the reign of Svyatopolk and the murder of Boris. Yaroslav strongly advised him not to go to Kiev, fearing for his life.
The young prince began to pray for his brother and father with tears in his eyes. At this moment, people sent to him by Svyatopolk appeared to him. Gleb was killed on September 5, 1015, he was buried there, on the banks of the Dnieper near Smolensk. Only in 1019, when Yaroslav occupied Kiev, the prince’s body was found and transported to Vyshgorod to be buried with Boris. That's who became the first saints.
Anthony Kareisky
Among Orthodox saints there are many special personalities, for example, Anthony Kareisky. This is an example of a sinner who has become a saint.
St. Anthony, who was named Onufry at birth, was born in the second half of the 15th century in Volhynia. His parents raised him in piety, but when he became a youth, he began to lead a wild life. Then he did not think how to become a saint. Onufriy was engaged in robberies and robberies, even committed murder.
But after that, his conscience woke up. He began to repent, renounced the wealth and family that he had, entered the Annunciation Supraly monastery, located in the vicinity of Bialystok. Only the memory of the crime did not give him rest.
He decided to follow the path of the new martyrs, who testified of their faith in the lands captured by the Turks. He decided to go this route to free himself from guilt. His spiritual mentor advised Onufriy to continue his ascetic feats, fearing that he would not endure the torment, but he was adamant. Finally, he was tonsured a monk under the name Anthony and sent to Athos to find out the opinion of his fathers.
The elders advised him to shut off from the outside world, observe strict fasting and constantly pray. Anthony followed this advice, having made great progress in spiritual asceticism. Once he learned the story of Serb John, who had been tortured for 11 months, the desire for martyrdom again took possession of him.
Anthony went to Thessalonica, entered the church converted into a mosque, openly began to pray and be baptized. The Turks immediately seized and beat him. The local governor of the city ordered to carve the saint and put him in jail without food. Having learned ten days later that he was still alive, Pasha ordered him converted to Islam. Anthony rejected the religion of Muhammad, linking it to war and violence. Pasha sent him to a judge, but he considered the accused not guilty enough to impose a death sentence.
Then Pasha made another attempt to convert him to Christianity, and having failed, he ordered to be burned.Anthony calmly went to the place of execution, in spite of offers of help and salvation. He spat at the executioners, one of them hit the saint with an iron stick on the head, and after he was thrown into a red-hot oven.
When the body of the martyr burned to the ground, the Turks scattered his ashes in the wind, so that Christians, even desperately wanting this, could not collect it.
Matrona Moscow
Among the saints are many women. In 1881, Matron Nikonov was born into a peasant family in the Tula province. From birth, she was blind, the girl did not have eyeballs.
From the age of 8, Matrona had a deep faith, she had the ability to heal the afflicted and predict the future. At the age of 17, her legs were taken away.
After the revolution, she and her friend went to Moscow. Took up to 40 people a day, giving them advice and healing. Even during her lifetime, monks of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra began to revere her. That is why Matrona became a saint.
There is a legend that she met with Stalin after the Germans appeared near Moscow and predicted victory in the Great Patriotic War. In the canonical life of the saint, this meeting is not described. Matron died in 1952.