Glorification

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Glorification may have several meanings in Christianity. From the Catholic canonization to the similar sainthood of the Eastern Orthodox Church to salvation in Christianity in Protestant beliefs, the glorification of the human condition can be a long and arduous process.

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Catholicism

The Catholic Church teaches that, "at the end of time, the Kingdom of God will come in its fullness. After the universal judgment, the righteous will reign for ever with Christ, glorified in body and soul. the universe itself will be renewed. [...] The visible universe, then, is itself destined to be transformed, 'so that the world itself, restored to its original state, facing no further obstacles, should be at the service of the just'," sharing their glorification in the risen Jesus Christ." [1]

The act of canonization, which in the Catholic Church is not normally called glorification, since in the theological sense it is God, not the Church, who glorifies, is reserved, both in the Latin Church and the Eastern Catholic Churches, to the Apostolic See and occurs at the conclusion of a long process requiring extensive proof that the candidate for canonization lived and died in such an exemplary and holy way that he is worthy to be recognized as a saint. The Church's official recognition of sanctity implies that the person is now in Heaven and may be publicly invoked.

Canonization is a decree that the name of the saint be inscribed in the Roman Martyrology and that veneration be given to the saint universally within the Church. Veneration within the liturgy is regulated by the norms of the individual liturgical rite. On most weekdays of the year, if no solemnity, feast or obligatory memorial is assigned to that day, the Roman Rite allows celebration of the Mass of any Saint inscribed in the Martyrology for that day. [2]

Beatification is a decree permitting public veneration in a limited geographical area or within certain communities, such as a religious institute. [3]

Eastern Orthodox Church

Tsar Alexis of Russia (reigned 1645-1676) praying before the relics of Metropolitan Philip of Moscow (in office 1566-1568) in the Presence of Patriarch Nikon. PhilipandNikon.jpg
Tsar Alexis of Russia (reigned 1645-1676) praying before the relics of Metropolitan Philip of Moscow (in office 1566-1568) in the Presence of Patriarch Nikon.
The incorrupt Relics of St. John (Maximovitch) at the time of his glorification in San Francisco in 1994 RelicsStJohnShanghai.jpg
The incorrupt Relics of St. John (Maximovitch) at the time of his glorification in San Francisco in 1994

The Eastern Orthodox Church, as, for instance, the Orthodox Church in America, uses the term "glorification" to refer to the official recognition of a person as a saint of the Church. [4] See https://www.oca.org/fs/glorification-of-saints#:~:text=The%20formal%20Rite%20of%20Glorification,or%20her%20commemoration%20is%20established.

The Russian Orthodox Church uses both канонизация "canonization" [5] and прославление [6] "glorification." [7]

Oriental Orthodox Church

The Oriental Orthodox Churches also hold a doctrinal tradition similar to the Eastern Orthodox Churches whereby martyrs are not in need of any formal glorification. With time, the greatness of their sanctity which is venerated by the faithful is recognized by the Church. In the words of Armenian Patriarch H. H. Karekin II,

The Armenian Church doesn't sanctify. It recognizes the sanctity of saints or of those people that is already common among people or has been shown with evidence. [8]

This is in conformity with the tradition of other Churches in the Oriental Orthodox family such as Coptic Orthodox Church, Syriac Orthodox Church, Ethiopian Orthodox Church and Indian Orthodox Church. The instances of glorification of the 21 Coptic martyrs [9] [10] in 2015 or the victims of Armenian genocide [11] of 1915 simply serve as official recognition given by the hierarchs to the steadfast faith of those who laid down their lives in defense of their Christian identity.

Reformed Churches

There are two events that occur during glorification, these are "the receiving of perfection by the elect before entering into the kingdom of heaven," and "the receiving of the resurrection bodies by the elect".

Glorification is the third stage of Christian development. The first being justification, then sanctification, and finally glorification. (Rom. 8:28-30) Glorification is the completion, the consummation, the perfection, and the full realization of salvation.

Receiving of perfection

Glorification is the means by which the elect are delivered from their sins before entering into the kingdom of Heaven. [12] According to Reformed Christians, glorification is a continuous, flowing process, whereby believers in Jesus the Christ, who have either died or who are raptured alive (called up into heaven), receive glorified, perfect bodies and souls, sinless and Christlike. [12] It is not a painful process. [13]

Jerry L. Walls and James B. Gould have likened that process to the core or sanctification view of purgatory. [14] "Grace is much more than forgiveness, it is also transformation and sanctification, and finally, glorification. We need more than forgiveness and justification to purge our sinful dispositions and make us fully ready for heaven. Purgatory is nothing more than the continuation of the sanctifying grace we need, for as long as necessary to complete the job". [15]

Glorification is the Reformed alternative to purgatory.[ citation needed ] According to the theologies of most major Protestant groups, purgatory is a doctrine of the Catholic Church, a holding place for those whose lives were dominated by venial sins but not guilty of mortal sins.[ citation needed ]

Receiving of the resurrection bodies

After the final judgement, all the righteous dead shall arise and their bodies will be perfected and will become a glorified body. Only then can they enter heaven. To paraphrase C. S. Lewis's Weight of Glory: "If we were to see them in their glorified forms we would be tempted to bow down and worship them."[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canonization</span> Declaration that a deceased person is an officially recognized saint

Canonization is the declaration of a deceased person as an officially recognized saint, specifically, the official act of a Christian communion declaring a person worthy of public veneration and entering their name in the canon catalogue of saints, or authorized list of that communion's recognized saints.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint</span> Person recognized by a religion as being holy

In Christian belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term saint depends on the context and denomination. In Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, Oriental Orthodox, and Lutheran doctrine, all of their faithful deceased in Heaven are considered to be saints, but some are considered worthy of greater honor or emulation. Official ecclesiastical recognition, and consequently a public cult of veneration, is conferred on some denominational saints through the process of canonization in the Catholic Church or glorification in the Eastern Orthodox Church after their approval.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pope Liberius</span> Head of the Catholic Church from 352 to 366

Pope Liberius was the bishop of Rome from 17 May 352 until his death. According to the Catalogus Liberianus, he was consecrated on 22 May as the successor to Julius I. He is not mentioned as a saint in the Roman Martyrology. That makes him the earliest pontiff not to be venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church and, along with Anastasius II, one of only two popes to be omitted from Catholic sainthood in the first 500 years of church history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Veneration</span> Act of honoring a saint

Veneration, or veneration of saints, is the act of honoring a saint, a person who has been identified as having a high degree of sanctity or holiness. Angels are shown similar veneration in many religions. Veneration of saints is practiced, formally or informally, by adherents of some branches of all major religions, including Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism and Jainism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Divine Liturgy</span> Rite practiced in Eastern Christian traditions

Divine Liturgy or Holy Liturgy is the usual name used in most Eastern Christian rites for the Eucharistic service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beatification</span> Solemn declaration by the pope about the holy life of a person on earth

Beatification is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a deceased person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in their name. Beati is the plural form, referring to those who have undergone the process of beatification; they possess the title of "Blessed" before their names and are often referred to in English as "a Blessed" or, plurally, "Blesseds".

The Venerable is a style, title, or epithet used in some Christian churches.

Glory is used to describe the manifestation of God's presence as perceived by humans according to the Abrahamic religions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Intercession of saints</span> Christian doctrine

Intercession of the Saints is a Christian doctrine that maintains that saints can intercede for others. To intercede is to go or come between two parties, to plead before one of them on behalf of the other. In ecclesiastical usage both words are taken in the sense of the intervention primarily of Christ, and secondarily of the Blessed Virgin and the angels and saints, on behalf of men. The doctrine is held by the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox Churches, the Assyrian Church of the East, the Oriental Orthodox churches, and some Lutherans and Anglicans. The practice of asking saints for their intercession can be found in Christian writings from the 3rd century onwards.

The process of beatification and canonization has undergone various reforms in the history of the Roman Catholic Church. For current practice, as well as a discussion of similar processes in other churches, see the article on canonization. This article describes the process as it was before the promulgation of the Codex Iuris Canonici of 1983.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Feast of the Cross</span> Christian celebration of the crucifix

In the Christian liturgical calendar, there are several different celebrations of the Feast of the Cross, all of which commemorate the cross used in the crucifixion of Jesus. Unlike Good Friday, which is dedicated to the passion of Christ and the crucifixion, these feast days celebrate the cross itself, as the sign of salvation. It is chiefly celebrated by Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Old Catholics, Lutherans and Anglicans, as well as by some Presbyterians, Methodists and Baptists. The most common day of commemoration is 14 September in churches that use the Gregorian calendar or 27 September in churches that use the Julian calendar, Ge'ez calendar, or Coptic calendar.

Oriental Orthodoxy is the communion of Eastern Christian Churches that recognize only three ecumenical councils—the First Council of Nicaea, the First Council of Constantinople and the Council of Ephesus. They reject the dogmatic definitions of the Council of Chalcedon. Hence, these Churches are also called Old Oriental Churches or Non-Chalcedonian Churches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christianity in the 21st century</span>

Christianity in the 21st century is characterized by the pursuit of church unity and the continued resistance to persecution and secularization.

Memory eternal is an exclamation, an encomium like the polychronion, used at the end of a Byzantine Rite funeral or memorial service, as followed by the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches. It is the liturgical counterpart to the Western Rite prayer "Eternal Rest."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Purgatory</span> Religious belief of Christianity, primarily Catholicism

Purgatory is a passing intermediate state after physical death for purifying or purging a soul. A common analogy is dross being removed from metal in a furnace.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">November 29 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)</span> Day in the Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar

November 28 - Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar - November 30

The Christian Council of Sweden is an ecumenical Christian organization in Sweden, established on 15 December 1992.

References

{{https://www.oca.org/fs/glorification-of-saints#:~:text=The%20formal%20Rite%20of%20Glorification,or%20her%20commemoration%20is%20established.}}

Protestantism
  1. ↑ Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1042, 1047
  2. ↑ General Instruction of the Roman Missal, 355
  3. ↑ "Beatification, in the present discipline, differs from canonization in this: that the former implies (1) a locally restricted, not a universal, permission to venerate, which is (2) a mere permission, and no precept; while canonization implies a universal precept" (Beccari, Camillo. "Beatification and Canonization". The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 2. New York, New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1907. Accessed 27 May 2009.).
  4. ↑ "The Glorification of Saints in the Orthodox Church" {{https://www.oca.org/fs/glorification-of-saints#:~:text=The%20formal%20Rite%20of%20Glorification,or%20her%20commemoration%20is%20established.}} by Fr. Joseph Frawley
  5. ↑ "Почему был канонизирован Николай Второй?".
  6. ↑ "Прославление святых – это не дело узкого круга специалистов, это дело всей Церкви".
  7. ↑ "The Glorification of Saints". www.fatheralexander.org.
  8. ↑ "Armenian Apostolic Church to canonize Armenian Genocide victims on April 23 after long interval". 3 February 2015.
  9. ↑ "Christians Mourn Their Relatives Beheaded by ISIS". Time.
  10. ↑ "Coptic Church recognises martyrdom of 21 Christians killed by ISIS - CatholicHerald.co.uk". 23 February 2015.
  11. ↑ "Armenian Church irritates Turkey with plans to canonize genocide victims".
  12. 1 2 "Glorification". Protestant Reformed Churches in America . Retrieved 23 May 2019.
  13. ↑ Walls, Jerry L. (2002). Heaven: The Logic of Eternal Joy. Oxford University Press. ISBN   9780199880553.
  14. ↑ James B. Gould, Practicing Prayer for the Dead: Its Theological Meaning and Spiritual Value (Wipf and Stock 2016), pp. 73−76
  15. ↑ Jerry L. Walls, Purgatory: The Logic of Total Transformation (Oxford University Press 2012), p. 174; cf. Jerry L. Walls, Heaven: The Logic of Eternal Joy (Oxford University Press 2002), pp. 53−62 and Jerry L. Walls, "Purgatory for Everyone"
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