Are saints becoming too commonplace these days? Why is Pope Francis making so many in his pontificate? There is much this pope is doing that is so good. He is bringing people back to God who left Him, and even those who never even knew Him, but what is with his lust for creating so many new saints?
- Pope John XXIII canonised ten saints. …
- Pope Paul VI canonised 84 saints in 21 causes.
- Pope John Paul I did not canonise any saints.
- Pope John Paul II canonised 482 saints in 110 causes.
- Pope Benedict XVI canonised 45 saints. …
- Pope Francis has canonised 942 saints so far!
I’m rather concerned the Church is maybe using such things trying to entice people to God and the Church. They should be coming to church and to God for love of God, not for love of the mystical. There was a time saints were extraordinary people whose deeds and life stood out for a reason over and above normal deeds and life of this world.
How many of these people listed above do we actually know about? Can you name or bring to mind anyone in your lifetime maybe worthy of becoming a saint? If not, shouldn’t we surely have heard of them and their deeds? Shouldn’t their deeds be far more than just doing good things in ways many others do each day?
The saints who touch our hearts and make us re-think our lives, are those whose deeds and works were extraordinary. People whose lives were above and beyond what most people could even aspire to be unless touched by God. People whose deeds were so great, so extraordinary most of us can bring them to mind immediately and have heard about them.
They are people whose works were devoted to God and bringing people to Him. Bringing people to goodness, love and purity. Purity and love as much as one can attain while of this world. They are people we read about and whose way of living and being we wish to try to emulate in our own lives.
They are not like us. They are people almost not of this world when it comes to their life and works. People who are very obviously living with one foot in heaven and one here. Can you name any of the new ones of those many hundreds or why they were made saints apart from Padre Pio?
Vatican II marked the start of the decline in the Church in my eyes and at the time, even as a young child, I said it would be so. Look back and see how since then vocations have almost stopped, people have turned from God, churches are almost empty and far too many other churches have been closed and sold off.
This change all stems from then. By their fruits… Yet the pope responsible for Vatican II is being made a saint. Why? Are there other deeds he did warranting this sainthood that we haven’t heard about?
I have to admit I’m concerned. Maybe it is not for me to question the pope’s reasoning behind this high number of saints he is making, but it also makes me wonder why the Church is also willing to continue to allow so many high numbers of people to visit places of pilgrimage that haven’t been approved. They can make a decision to make a person a saint in just a few years, but can’t make a decision about alleged visionaries for decades?
Why is this excessive fanaticism with the supernatural being allowed with nothing being said when they know Catholics are going to such places in high numbers believing all they see and hear? No one tests a thing anymore and no one is told to.
I am starting to worry the Church is becoming so desperate to bring people back to God, that they’re using the mystical and supernatural to do so without any regard to whether it is genuine or not. Making saints of young people just because of their piety. Is this in order to attract and entice the young maybe? Is this because they’ve seen the world is obsessed with fake spiritual practices that are increasing out of control now and so are following in their footsteps?
No guidance is given on pilgrimage sites for decades, excesses of saints being made each year. Something isn’t right and for all the wonderful things this pope is saying and doing, I am hoping he too isn’t being drawn into the love for magical and mystical high drama most people seem to favour today in order to believe in God.
I leave it to you to decide, but for me, a saint is someone far more than just someone overly pious, as we have many people just like that everywhere. No, there needs to be far more to warrant such an honour. Sadly, fake miracles, fake visionaries and fake everything in the world today is now what people seem to prefer and sadly, it looks like the Church as a body is going the same way.
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