means a person eminent for piety and virtue, and is generally applied by us to the apostles and other holy persons mentioned in Scripture. But the Romanists make its application much more extensive. Under the word Canonization we have already said something on their practice of creating saints. Our readers, however, will not, we trust, be displeased with the following more enlarged account, which they themselves give of the matter. The canonization of saints, then, they tell us, is the enrolment of any person in the canon or catalogue of those who are called saints; or, it is a judgment and sentence of the church, by which it is declared, that a deceased person was eminent for sanctity during his lifetime, and especially towards the end of it; and that consequently he must now be in glory with God, and deserves to be honoured by the church on earth with that veneration which she is wont to pay to the blest in heaven.

The discipline with regard to this matter has varied. It would seem that in the first ages every bishop in his own diocese was wont to declare what persons were to be honoured as saints by his people. Hence St Cyprian, about the middle of the third century, B. 3. ep. 6. requires that he be informed of those who should die in prison for the faith, that so he might make mention of them in the holy sacrifice with the martyrs, and might honour them afterwards on the anniversary day of their happy death. This veneration continued sometimes to be confined to one country; but sometimes it extended to distant provinces, and even became universal all over the church. It was thus that St Lawrence, St Ambrose, St Augustine, St Basil, and many others, appear to have been canonized by custom and universal persuasion. In those ages none were reckoned saints but the apostles, the martyrs, and very eminent confessors, whose sanctity was notorious everywhere.

Afterwards it appears that canonizations were wont to be performed in provincial synods under the direction of the metropolitan. It was thus that St Isidore of Seville was canonized in the 7th century, by the 8th council of Toledo, 14 years after his death. This manner of canonization continued occasionally down to the 12th century. The last instance of a saint canonized in that way, is that of St Walter abbot of Pontaise, who was declared a saint by the archbishop of Rouen in the year 1153.

In the 12th century, in order to prevent mistakes in so delicate a matter, Pope Alexander III. judged it proper to reserve this declaration to the holy see of Rome exclusively; and decreed that no one should for the future be honoured by the church as a saint without the express approbation of the pope.

Since that time, the canonization of saints has been carried on in the form of a process; and there is at Rome a congregation of cardinals, called the congregation of holy rites, who are assisted by several divines under the name of consultors, who examine such matters, and prepare them for the decision of his holiness. When therefore any pontiff, province, city, or religious body, think fit, they apply to the pope for the canonization of any person.

The first juridical step in this business must be taken by the bishop in whose diocese the person for whom the application is made had lived and died, who by his own authority calls witnesses to attest the opinion of the holiness, the virtues, and miracles, of the person in question. When the deceased has resided in different dioceses, it may be necessary that different bishops take such depositions; the originals of which are preserved in the archives of their respective churches, and authentic copies sealed up are sent to Rome by a special messenger, where they are deposited with the congregation of rites, and where they must remain for the space of ten years without being opened. They are then opened, and maturely examined by the congregation, and with their advice the pope allows the cause to go on or not as he thinks proper. The solicitors for the canonization are then referred by his holiness to the said congregation, which, with his authority, gives a commission to one or more bishops, or other respectable persons, to examine, on the spot and in the places where the person in question has lived and died, into his character and whole behaviour. These commissioners summon witnesses, take depositions, and collect letters and other writings of the venerable man, and get all the intelligence they can concerning him, and the opinion generally entertained of him. The report of these commissioners is considered attentively and at length by the congregation, and every part of it discussed by the consultors, when the congregation determines whether or not they can permit the process to go on. If it be allowed to proceed, a cardinal, who is called ponent, undertakes to be the principal agent in that affair. The first question then that comes to be examined is, whether or not the person proposed for canonization can be proved to have been in an eminent degree endued with the moral virtues of prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance; and with the theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity? All this is canvassed with great deliberation; and there is a distinguished ecclesiastic called the promoter of the holy faith, who is sworn to make all reasonable objections to the proofs that are adduced in favour of the canonization. If the decision be favourable, then the proofs of miracles done to show the sanctity of the person in question are permitted to be brought forward; when two miracles must be verified to the satisfaction of the congregation, both as to the reality of the facts, and as to their having been truly above the power of nature. If the decision on this comes out likewise favourable, then the whole is laid before before the pope and what divines he chooses (A). Public prayer and fasting are likewise prescribed, in order to obtain light and direction from heaven. After all this long procedure, when the pope is resolved to give his approbation, he issues a bull, first of beatification, by which the person is declared blessed, and afterwards another of sanctification, by which the name of saint is given him. These bulls are published in St Peter's church with very great solemnity.

A person remarkable for holiness of life, even before he is canonized, may be venerated as such by those who are persuaded of his eminent virtue, and his prayers may be implored; but all this must rest on private opinion. After his canonization, his name is inserted in the Martyrology, or catalogue of saints, of which the respective portion is read every day in the choir at the divine office. A day is also appointed for an yearly commemoration of him. His name may be mentioned in the public church service, and his intercession with God besought. His relics may be enshrined; he may be painted with rays of glory, and altars and churches may be dedicated to God in honour of him, and in thanksgiving to the divine goodness for the blessings bestowed on him in life, and for the glory to which he is raised in heaven.

The affair of a canonization is necessarily very expensive, because so many persons must be employed about it; so many journeys must be made; so many writings for and against it must be drawn out. The expense altogether amounts to about 25,000 Roman crowns, or £1,000 Sterling. But it is generally contrived to canonize two or three at a time, by which means the particular expense of each is very much lessened, the solemnity being common.

It often happens that the solicitors for a canonization are unsuccessful. Thus the Jesuits, even when their interest at Rome was greatest, could not obtain the canonization of Bellarmine; and it is remarkable, that the objection is said to have been, his having defended the indirect power of the pope over Christian princes even in temporal matters.

Several authors have written on canonization, and particularly Prosper Lambertini, afterwards pope under the name of Benedict XIV, who had held the office of promoter of the faith for many years. He published on it a large work in several volumes, in folio, of which there is an abridgment in French. In this learned performance there is a full history of the canonization of saints in general, and of all the particular processes of that kind that are on record: an account is given of the manner of proceeding in these extraordinary trials; and it is shown, that, besides the assistance of providence, which is implored and expected in what is so much connected with religion, all prudent human means are made use of, in order to avoid mistakes, and to obtain all the evidence of which the matter is susceptible, and which must appear more than sufficient to every impartial judge. See Pope, Popery, &c.

Saint-Poin, in botany, a species of the hedyotarum. See Hedyotarum; and Agriculture, n° 180.

SAINT Januarius's Blood. See Chemistry, n° 800.