In the earliest centuries of Christianity, the path to sainthood was both simple and severe. To be recognized as a saint, one generally needed only two things: unwavering belief in Jesus Christ and death as a result of that faith.
In the earliest centuries of Christianity, the path to sainthood was both simple and severe. To be recognized as a saint, one generally needed only two things: unwavering belief in Jesus Christ and death as a result of that faith. The most notable exception, of course, is the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Saint Stephen (often called Stephen the Protomartyr) was the first Christian to be martyred after the death of Christ. He was stoned to death while praying for forgiveness for his attackers, setting a powerful precedent for Christian martyrdom. His death marked the beginning of a long history of persecution against followers of Christ - a reality that, in various parts of the world, continues even today.
During these early centuries of the Church, there was no formal or centralized process for canonization. Local Christian communities would honor martyrs and holy individuals by praying for their intercession, especially those who had died for the faith and were widely known for their holiness and virtue.
It was not until the 12th century that the Catholic Church established formal authority over the declaration of saints. Around 1100 AD, Pope Alexander III intervened in a controversial case in Sweden, where a local lord had been declared a saint by his followers after dying in a pub fight.
Concerned by this misuse of sainthood, Pope Alexander III issued a letter to the King of Sweden titled Quod magno nobis fuit horrori (“Which was a matter of great horror to us”). This decree established that the authority to canonize saints belongs exclusively to the Pope, laying the foundation for the formal canonization process that exists in the Catholic Church today.
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