The doctrine of the Holy Orthodox Church says that canonized saints are God's servants who defend with the prayers of their companions by faith before the Lord. Believers, in turn, magnify and honor them, worship in their prayers, pray to them, asking for intercession.
What does canonization mean?
The history of Christianity has many recorded miracles and phenomena that are inexplicable to the average person. Many ascetics of the Christian faith have become famous throughout the world for their insight, prophecies and miracles. They are revered, they are prayed, they are asked for help.
To canonize is to proclaim a member of the church who has died a saint. Saints are people who, during their lifetime, were able to completely get rid and be cleansed of their sins, this gave them power and the opportunity to reveal through themselves to the world the power of the Lord. Saints are called those whose life path, which was dedicated to God, is confirmed by the Church as a reliable fact.
To canonize - this in Greek means "legalize on the basis of the rule", or "rank as saints." The Orthodox Church celebrates canonization with a special solemn service in honor of a joyful event - the glorification of a new saint. This procedure has its own rules and laws, and takes place in accordance with certain regulations. There is a special Synodal Commission, which collects materials conducive to canonization.
The practice of the canonization procedure
Previously, when the feat of martyrs for their faith took place before the eyes of many witnesses, and their remains, becoming relics, were able to heal, the canonization process took place immediately, without any commissions or meetings. Now the situation has changed a bit.
The candidacy for worship is first considered by the commission of the diocese, a member of which was a person who became famous because of his faith in God. After the approval of all the necessary documents, they are transferred to the commission at the Synod, where the final decision is made. The day on which the decision on canonization is made is entered in the church calendar and is considered the day when the newly-minted saint is praised. Especially for the newly-minted saint, a church service is subsequently compiled and an icon is drawn.
Materials confirming the holiness of the righteous
To canonize is to complete a procedure that is based on a request to be counted as a saint. In order to make a decision, the commission, in addition to the petition, must consider the full biography of the righteous, which will describe in detail all his miracles and exploits that testify to holiness.
The biography is compiled on the basis of archival documents: medical certificates of healing, testimonies of clergy and laity about lifetime miracles and pious acts of an ascetic, archival evidence of his manifestations to believers after death or even during life. A huge role here is played by how the laity are revered and glorified by the laity.
Criteria indicating that a person can be canonized by the church
The most important and most important criterion will be the merits of man before the church parish and before the whole Christian world. The holiness of the righteous can be confirmed by the faith in him of the Church, as in a person who was pleasing to God and served as the coming of God's son to earth.
Martyrdom for the faith and teachings of Christ also serves as a criterion indicating holiness. In the case of the appearance of miracles to the world, miracles performed through prayer or obtained as a result of worship of the human remains - holy relics - are counted. The relics are the remains or completely preserved bodies of the glorified righteous, the appeal to which in prayers works wonders.
To canonize means to acknowledge that a person has lived a righteous, pious life, because holiness is an example to follow, a feat of martyrdom or great virtues in life.