Will Pope Francis, Now Laid to Rest, Be Elevated to Sainthood?

Only 80 Out of 266 Popes Have Been Canonized
Shorter Waiting Period Since John Paul II

As Pope Francis, who passed away, was laid to rest on April 26 (local time), there is growing interest in whether he, who has been loved by people around the world, will be elevated to sainthood in the Catholic Church.

While most of the early popes of the Catholic Church were canonized after their deaths, in modern times, it has become rare for a pope to be declared a saint solely by virtue of serving as pope. Therefore, if the canonization of Pope Francis is pursued, it is expected that he will undergo a rigorous review process lasting several years.

According to foreign media outlets such as The New York Times on this day, of the first 50 popes who served after Pope Peter, who is considered the first pope, 48 were canonized. However, in modern times, that number has dropped sharply, and over the past 2,000 years, only 80 of the 266 popes who have served have been declared saints.

A citizen is taking a photo of a banner of Pope Francis hanging outside the cathedral. Photo by Yonhap News

Since the 20th century, only four popes?Pius X (1835-1914), John XXIII (1881-1963), Paul VI (1897-1978), and John Paul II (1920-2005)?have been canonized.

In the Catholic Church, the process of canonization may not begin until at least five years after the candidate's death, except in exceptional cases. After this period, a petition for canonization is submitted to the Vatican's Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, which then begins its review and investigation.

If a miracle is recognized for someone who has been declared venerable, that person is beatified. Only if a second miracle is verified after beatification can the candidate be elevated to sainthood. This process typically takes several decades to several centuries.

According to Rachel McClare, a researcher at Harvard University, The New York Times reported that, on average, it took 262 years for a person to be canonized after death between 1588 and 1978.

However, after Pope John Paul II, who took office in 1978, shortened the waiting period before the beatification process could begin to the current five years, the average duration has been reduced to about 100 years. In the case of John Paul II, who was canonized in 2014, his successor, Benedict XVI, made an exception, allowing him to be canonized in a record nine years after his death.