The papal track to sainthood.

Like politicians and police, might popes take care of their own first? That certainly is the impression these days as the trend toward canonizations for those who sat in the chair of Peter this past century and a half grows. Pius IX, Pius XII, and John XXIII are actively named for canonization.

It made me wonder how many popes have been sainted by the church. I was amazed to learn that 81 popes have the designation saint. On the surface, it looks like popes do very well taking care of their predecessors. Of 260 eligible popes, almost a third are saints. Not bad.

Looking beneath this statistic, however, another story emerges. Of the first 48 popes, all but one are officially sainted (Liberius, who served as pope from 352 to 366 never made sainthood, but that's another story). These 47 all served before 500 A.D. Thirty more popes named saints reigned before 1100 A.D. That leaves only three popes who were declared saints in the last 900 years: Celestine V (who reigned for five months in 1294 and then abdicated), Pius V (1560-1572), and Pius X (1903-1914). Thus these past 900 years, dead popes rarely achieved sainthood.

During the first 1,100 years of the church, the process of being named a saint--whether pope, peasant, or pauper--did not involve the now usual extensive investigation, detailed testimony, presence of a devil's advocate, and, ultimately, decision--yea or nay--by the pope himself. Rather, local communities knew holy living when they experienced it in their midst. Therefore, saints were proclaimed by popular acclamation of the faithful. The process was local, community-based, and lay-involved.

It was Pope Gregory IX who decreed in 1234 A.D. that only a pope can create a saint. The canonization process then began to take on the centralized regimentation known today in the church.

When I was in Rome some years ago, it was obvious what popes the People of God had already informally canonized from flowers and other memorabilia left at their graves. John XXIII and John Paul I received many tributes while most other papal graves were barren. Whether or not the institutionalized church catches up with the people some day remains to be seen.

If this current pope or a future pontiff canonizes Pius IX, Pius XII, and John XXIII, he will double the ranks of popes sainted since 1100 A.D. Should it happen, however, I doubt whether the People of God will make beaten tracks to the graves of Pius IX and Pius XII with offerings.

In the end, I don't think the possible proliferation of papal canonizations will do much to alter the sensibilities of the People of God. Official saints or not, John XXIII and John Paul I will continue to function as saints in the hearts and minds of the faithful.

PETER GILMOUR ([e-mail]) teaches at the Institute of Pastoral Studies of Loyola University Chicago.