追諡圣人(canonization)

基督教会正式宣布已故信徒有资格受公众崇敬并将其姓名登录在圣人名册上的行动。早期教会崇敬各地殉教烈士的事在在皆有。10世纪时，教会当局觉得諡圣有必要由罗马教廷正式确认，这项改变至13世纪教宗格列高利九世时成为定法。教宗西克斯图斯五世（1585～1590在位）决定，由罗马教廷机构专门负责主办宣福礼（此为諡圣中的一个步骤，受过宣福者即可享受有限度的公众崇敬）和諡圣。正式宣福礼有四个主要步骤︰调查了解、推荐、教宗审核、四点明断。有关候选人的调查了解范围，包括搜集有关其人圣洁、美德的声誉的全部资料、其人的着作以及有关其人生前或逝世後所行神蹟的资料。諡圣程序大致与此相同，但是，申请諡圣者必须在宣福之後又有两件神蹟被发掘出来而经过核实。东正教的諡圣侧重於宣布而不太注重程序。信徒对於某人产生自发的崇敬，此点即可成为諡圣的根据。

English version：

canonization

Official act of a Christian church declaring a deceased member worthy of veneration and entering his or her name in the canon (authorized list) of saints. The cult of local martyrs was widespread in the early church, and by the 10th century church authorities were considering the need for formal recognition of saints by Rome, a change that was formalized by Gregory IX in the 13th century. Responsibility for beatification (declaring a person worthy of limited veneration) was assigned to the Roman Curia under Sixtus V (r. 1585-90). A candidate's writings, miracles, and reputation for sanctity are investigated: one official gathers evidence in favor of beatification; another (the “devil's advocate”) is charged with seeing that the entire truth is made known about the candidate. Canonization requires proof of two miracles subsequent to beatification. The process in the Eastern Orthodox Church is less formal; popular devotion by the faithful serving as the usual basis for sainthood.