Vol.10 No.2

Q. I recently read that in a few years the Catholic church is planning to canonize the late Mother Theresa. Will her sainthood make any difference for her or for us?

A. To mark the first anniversary of Mother Theresa’s death, the Roman Catholic Church organized a lavish public tribute. It included a memorial mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, a TV spectacular from St. Peter’s Square and an homage from Pope John Paul II. The Vatican was also careful to announce that the five-year minimum wait required for the church to review any application for sainthood will not be waived in her case. Yet no one expects the Catholic church to deny the application, either.

Mother Theresa was a remarkable person and a devout Catholic. Her life of service is something which no one can take from her. In fact, many would classify her as a living saint.

However worthy mother Theresa or any other person would be, their canonization by the Roman Catholic Church is unbiblical. God alone designates saints and He does this in their life times. It would serve no purpose to do so after death. In every instance the word “saint” is used to describe living beings or to refer to them at the time they were alive. Frequently Paul refers to true believers in Christ as “saints.” Typical is his salutation to the Roman Christians: “To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints” (Romans 1:1).

Across the age, many questionable people have been canonized. While we cannot judge their ultimate fate, not knowing if they truly repented of their evil deeds, there is little doubt that a few “saints” will never be found in heaven.

One such questionable saint is Mary MacKillop of Australia. On January 19, 1995, 120,000 people attended the mass conducted by Pope John Paul II in Sydney, Australia. The purpose of the mass was the beatification of Mary MacKillop.

No Australian has ever been elevated to “sainthood” by the Roman Catholic Church. Mary Mackillop was a strange choice for the first possible “saint.” In 1871 the Roman Catholic bishop of Adelaide disbanded the order of the Sisters of Joseph, founded by Mary in 1866 and excommunicated her. In 1888 she was accused of alcoholism and financial mismanagement, and ordered to leave the state of South Australia. She was received back into the Roman Catholic fold 18 months later when her appeal to Rome was upheld.

Yet the beatification of Mary was uncritically accepted throughout the nation. Australian newspapers praised the mass, the national newspaper, The Australian headlining its report on January 20, 1995 “A Nation Consecrated.” Books and items of memorabilia on Mary MacKillop multiplied.

Few, of different religious persuasions, apparently stopped to consider that the late Miss MacKillop, whatever her spiritual condition when alive, is now simply a skeleton in a grave. She can neither be benefitted by her beatification nor can she benefit us. Apparently the pope believed otherwise. He ascribed the heavy rains in new South Wales and Queensland, which terminated a few years drought, to the blessings bestowed upon the South Wales by Mary.

There are other difficulties in the creation of saints by human authority after death. The Bible tells us that these people, rather than residing in heaven, are “asleep” in their graves. The creation of saints encourages men and women to seek these “saints,” as their mediation with our Heavenly Father. Yet Scripture plainly declares “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5.) To ascribe mediatorial powers to a mere human is to denigrate the work of our Savior and deny the scriptural testimony on the state of the dead.

A spokesman of the Presbyterian Church correctly stated: “That some people should receive particular prominence in that area [of sainthood] and be credited with the ability to twist God’s arm is utterly unbiblical.” The Australian, January 15, 1995.