Making Martyrs East and West: Canonization in the Catholic and Russian Orthodox Churches

by Cathy Caridi

Overview

In Making Martyrs East and West, Cathy Caridi examines how the practice of canonization developed in the West and in Russia, focusing on procedural elements that became established requirements for someone to be recognized as a saint and a martyr. Caridi investigates whether the components of the canonization process now regarded as necessary by the Catholic Church are fundamentally equivalent to those of the Russian Orthodox Church and vice versa, while exploring the possibility that the churches use the same terminology and processes but in fundamentally different ways that preclude the acceptance of one church's saints by the other. Making Martyrs East and West will appeal to scholars of religion and church history, as well as ecumenicists, liturgists, canonists, and those interested in East-West ecumenical efforts.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781501768248
Publisher:	Cornell University Press
Publication date:	01/15/2023
Pages:	210
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.62(d)

About the Author

Cathy Caridi holds pontifical degrees in both Latin and Eastern canon law. She practices law and teaches in Rome and maintains a canon-law blog, Canon Law Made Easy.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

Introduction 1

Chapter 1 Christianity's Unified First Millennium (until ca. 1054) 10

Introduction: Preliminary Remarks 10

A Development of a Theological Concept of Martyrdom 12

B Development of a Process by Which a Martyr Was Officially Recognized 17

1 Prelude to a Process: Initially, Spontaneous Local Recognition by the Faithful 17

2 Historical Elements Leading to a Future Process 19

a Liturgical Commemorations: Diptyehs and Calendars 20

b Passiones/Acta Martyrum 28

c Elevatio/Translatio of the Relics to a Church Dedicated to the Martyr 31

C Local Bishops, Civil Officials, and the Need for Authority 36

Preliminary Conclusions 43

Chapter 2 Russian Orthodoxy from the Conversion of Rus (ca. 988) to Today 46

Introduction: Lacunae in Russian Historiography and Some Consequent Methodological Issues 46

Part 1 From the Conversion of Rus' (ca. 988) until the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution 49

A Theological Concept of Martyrdom 49

B Process by Which a Martyr Is Recognized as a Saint 53

1 Spontaneous Recognition by the Local Faithful 53

2 But Simultaneously, a More Official Process Exists 54

a Liturgical Commemorations-Local Calendars 54

b Writing the Zhitie, Composing a Sluzhba 58

c Elevatio/Translatio of Relics and Two Requirements that Subsequently Develop from It 62

i Requirement 1: The Need for Miracles 62

ii Requirement 2: Incorrupt Relics 69

C Authority: Who Makes the Decision to Canonize a Saint? 71

1 The Earliest Russian Martyrs in the First Centuries in the Life of the Church 71

2 The Unprecedented Canonization Councils of Metropolitan Makarii, 1547 and 1549 74

3 The Holy Governing Synod as the Supreme Authority in the Russian Church 78

Part 2 From the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917 to Today 79

A The Restoration of the Patriarchate and the Beginnings of a Procedural Shift 79

1 A Sidebar: The Possibility of "Decanonization" 82

B From the Collapse of the Soviet Union (1990) until Today 83

1 Theological Concept of Martyrdom Revisited 83

2 The Process by Which a Martyr Is Now to Be Recognized, according to the Canonization Commission 84

3 Church Authorities Competent to Canonize: A Return to Prior Praxis 91

Preliminary Conclusions 93

Chapter 3 The Catholic Church from the Great Schism (ca. 1054) to Today 100

Introduction 100

A Theological Concepts of Sainthood/Martyrdom: Refining the Definitions 102

B Elements of the Process by Which a Martyr Is Recognized 106

1 Liturgical Commemorations: Calendars 107

2 Translatio 111

3 Writing a Vita and the Evolution of an Investigatory Process 113

a Development of a Detailed Evidentiary Process 117

b Proofs of Sanctity: Do Martyrs Need Miracles? 120

i Miracles and Incorrupt Remains 126

C Authority: Who Makes the Decision to Canonize a Saint? 128

1 Centralization of Authority, Originally as a Response to Local Abuses 128

a Decretalists and the Evolution of a Canonical/Theological Justification for Papal Canonization 132

b Can a Catholic Saint Be "Decanonized"? The Case of Philomena 133

2 Canonizations with Territorial Limitations: The Development of Beatification 135

a Urban VIII's Caelestis Hierusalem Cives as Another Response to Local Abuse 136

3 Bypassing the Bureaucracy: The Recent Trend of Pope Francis 140

Preliminary Conclusions 141

Chapter 4 Comparisons and Conclusions 145

A Can Saints Canonized in the Russian Orthodox Church Be Accepted as Saints by the Catholic Church? 145

B Can Saints Canonized in the Catholic Church Be Accepted as Saints by the Russian Orthodox Church? 154

C Theological Differences or Cultural/Political Ones? 157

Final Thoughts 160

List of Abbreviations 163

Notes 165

Selected Bibliography 189

Index 197

What People are Saying About This

James Muldoon

This is a very well-written book, clear and with interesting examples of the various forms of canonization over the centuries. It will interest anyone concerned with East-West ecumenical efforts.

John Burgess

Cathy Caridi's thesis is original. I know of no other scholarly work in English that offers such an extensive review of Russian Orthodox and Roman Catholic canonization procedures.

Editorial Reviews

The book discusses what a martyr is, the method by which they are recognized and added to the calendar, and the authority which is able to do this. Without a clear understanding, there is a risk that the mutual recognition of saints might produce some initial goodwill but would create greater problems and suspicion in the longer term.

Journal of Theological Studies

The book discusses what a martyr is, the method by which they are recognized and added to the calendar, and the authority which is able to do this. Without a clear understanding, there is a risk that the mutual recognition of saints might produce some initial goodwill but would create greater problems and suspicion in the longer term.

--Journal of Theological Studies "Journal of Theological Studies"

From the Publisher