Replies

I suppose you would have us do without canonizing one because we cannot canonize all. You must see this is a logical hairpin. We agree the list of saints is incomplete, the Church agrees. You see this as a flaw, we see this as reason to be grateful for what we do have.

I think you're still missing my point here (which I deem my fault).

Imagine that you are a pro baseball writer who inducts players into the Hall of Fame. By the rules of the process, you can only vote for someone who's been retired X number of years. Now who does that automatically eliminate?

It eliminates those who been retired less than whatever that "magical" number is, plus it eliminates current players (not only in the US but Japan as well), plus it eliminates t-ballers who are going to eventually make it big in the Big Leagues.

Now if I complained about this process, your response might be: "So you're saying that we shouldn't vote any players into the Hall of Fame just because our criteria excludes so many. You're saying that because our criteria or knowledge of certain players is flawed or incomplete, we shouldn't do it at all."

And my response is, "No, that's not what I'm saying. I am saying that anyone who has, is, or will be in the 'Big Leagues' in any country is defacto a special, set-apart player!!! (Do we realize how few make it this far?)"

My point is that all true Christians (no matter where they are right now) are the bride of Christ! They are set apart for a special eternal holy purpose! They are betrothed to the Son of God for eternity!

I am saying that the average Roman Catholic grassroots member, rather than envisioning themselves as wearing the same wedding garment as the "super-saint" of the past, instead they see a spiritual caste system. When you ask them, "are you a saint?" They reply, "What? No way!"

All true Christians are saints and need to be recognized (your word for canonization) as such!

I am saying that the average Roman Catholic grassroots member, rather than envisioning themselves as wearing the same wedding garment as the "super-saint" of the past, instead they see a spiritual caste system. When you ask them, "are you a saint?" They reply, "What? No way!"

Your attempt at imagining "grassroots members" is in error. I can't count the times I have heard "s/he is a saint; my mother is/was a saint.." We ARE in the Communion of Saints after all. We have our saints, non-canonized saints in heaven as part of our Church, now with us in communion. We speak often of them - saints, canonized and non; we ask them to pray for us - canonized and non-canonized saints.

I would argue completely the opposite, the non-canonized saint in heaven is much more a part of Catholocism than Protestantism. And I think your posts illustrate this extremely well.

In short, canonized Saints = all saints is Protestant confusion, not a Catholic one.

You have illustrated this well also.