We often hear the terms “blessed” and “saint” as if they were two academic degrees in a spiritual career, or simply labels that the Church bestows over the centuries. However, beyond these titles, there is a profound and moving reality: the canonization process is not a bureaucratic examination, but  a path of recognition of the victory of God’s love in a human life.

From a faith perspective, the difference does not lie in their location: both the blessed and the saint are already in Heaven, enjoying God’s presence and serving as living models for us. The distinction is, above all, a pastoral gesture of the Church, inviting us to delve deeper into the mystery of holiness.

The “Step by Step” of an exemplary life

To understand this process, we must see it as a ladder that the candidate climbs under the watchful eye of the Church, whose ultimate goal is to ensure that the proposed life is, in fact, an authentic reflection of the Gospel.

1. Servant of God:  It all begins in the diocese where the person died. Testimonies and writings are collected. If there are indications of holiness, the bishop initiates the cause.
2. Venerable:  After a rigorous analysis in Rome by the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, the Pope confirms that the candidate lived the Christian virtues (faith, hope, charity, prudence, justice, fortitude and temperance) to a  heroic degree .
3. Blessed (Beatification):  This step requires verification of a miracle worked through the intercession of the Venerable. The miracle is, in essence, a “seal” of God confirming that the Church is not mistaken in designating this person as an intercessor. From this point on, veneration is permitted in a regional or specific area.
4. Saint (Canonization):  After beatification, a second miracle occurring  after  the beatification date is required. This second miracle is the final step.  With canonization, the Church declares that the saint is a model for  the entire universal Church , authorizing the dedication of churches to him and his veneration throughout the world.

Why is this process good news?

Sometimes the slowness of these processes is criticized, but there is an intrinsic beauty in this prudence. The Church, as a wise mother, does not seek to “manufacture” saints in haste, but rather to ensure that those presented to us as role models have walked with consistency and truth.

• It is didactic:  It teaches us that holiness is not for supermen, but for ordinary people who, with the grace of God, did ordinary things in an extraordinary way.
• It’s constructive:  By canonizing someone, the Church is telling us, “Look, it’s possible to live the Gospel today.” They aren’t museum pieces; they are our brothers and sisters who, from Heaven, continue to help us walk on earth.
• It is profoundly positive:  Each canonization process is a light that shines in the history of humanity, reminding us that, despite the shadows of the world, holiness is the true vocation of every baptized person.

Ultimately, the difference between blessed and saint is a matter of  pastoral scope , but the essence is the same: a triumph of God’s love in a person who said “yes” to the very end. Looking to the blessed and saints is not looking to the past, but to our own future, reminding us that, if they could, we too are called to the same fullness.

A constructive invitation for today

Why are these processes vital? Because in a world sometimes clouded by pessimism, saints are beacons of reality. They remind us that holiness is not about being perfect, but about being authentic; about not being afraid to fall, but having the courage to get up again and again thanks to Love.

Looking to a saint is not looking at a static figure on an altar, but at an elder brother who tells us,  “Do not be afraid, the path I followed is the same one God offers you .” Each new process is, in essence, good news that confirms that, no matter the times, heaven is still full of friends of God willing to help us reach our goal.