The Devil’s Advocate

“Let me play the Devil’s Advocate.” Has that come up in a conversation?? I’m sure it has at some point. Taking the opposing side in an argument to make your point. It’s part of our vernacular now. While you guys were all growing up, I’m sure I brought this fun fact out at some point

Every single person who lived on earth and made it to heaven is a saint. We are all called to be Saints. You’ve heard that your whole life. 

 But the church recognizes that a very few people have etched out lives of extraordinary heroic virtue that they can be declared a saint in heaven.    (Think Mother Theresa)

For the church to recognize a saint in heaven. That person’s life must undergo the most incredible amount of scrutiny as well assistance of the supernatural (In the form of miracles) for the church to declare that a person is actually in heaven, which is sainthood.

So, the Church in Her wisdom goes out and finds the most educated, holy, experienced, intelligent, priest or layperson from anywhere in the world. That person must be beyond reproach. Then the Church appoints that person as the Devil’s Advocate. Their role, almost like a prosecutor, is to prove that the person is not in heaven and therefore is not a saint. The positive proof must be overwhelming enough that the Devil’s Advocate cannot prove their case.

It could take decades for the work to be done. Mother Theresa, was short at 19 years. Pope John Paul II set the record at 9 years. Why is this even important? Because the Church doesn’t create saints, God does. The Church just recognizes them. Of course, we don’t worship saints in heaven, we ask for their prayers. The Church doesn’t take that lightly! The wonderful thing about Cause for Sainthood, the process inside the Church which is some 1200 yrs old, is that all the cases are incredibly well documented, and most cases are truly amazing.