Shall We Invent the Saints We Need? Pope Francis, the Politics of Canonization, and Vincentian Saints

As the Church reforms and includes more laypeople in its power structure, a similar movement for inclusion should be made among the people who are considered for sainthood. In the past, most saints have been European men who led consecrated lives or who were martyred. This reflected the Church’s previous priorities, ideals, and demographics. But clericalism does not guarantee holiness, as recent sexual abuse revelations have shown, and martyrdom is an uncommon experience. Pope Francis and others have recognized that laypeople can lead extremely holy lives on both a small and large scale. Even the fulfillment of ordinary duties of daily life, if done with love, can be considered holy work. The recognition of the holiness of lay life would also allow for greater gender parity among future canonizations. As the number of clerics decreases and the number of Church members in the Global South increases, more non-European laypeople should be put forward as saints. This would be more representative of the Church’s contemporary makeup and would reflect the common life experiences of its members. This article also explains Vincentianism’s role in the lives of saints and in the lives of people who should be made saints.