The Communion of Saints

The Catholic claim

Christ’s Body is not cut by death. The Church on earth, in purification, and in glory shares spiritual goods, and we honor the saints and ask their prayers as living members of that communion (CCC 946).

Asking a saint to pray is the same species of request as asking a living friend, not a rival to Christ’s unique mediation. Canonization is the Church’s judgment that a life may be publicly imitated. Superstition that treats saints as alternate deities is bad religion and should be corrected.

• Catechism of the Catholic Church

  CCC 946

  CCC 947

  “After confessing "the holy catholic Church," the Apostles' Creed adds "the communion of saints." In a certain sense this article is a further explanation of the preceding: "What is the Church if not the assembly of all the saints?" The comm…”

  Creed

  “Since all the faithful form one body, the good of each is communicated to the others.... We must therefore believe that there exists a communion of goods in the Church. But the most important member is Christ, since he is the head....…”

  Goods

Biblical evidence

Hebrews surrounds us with a great cloud of witnesses (Hebrews 12:1). Revelation shows golden bowls of incense, which are the prayers of the saints, and an angel offering those prayers before God (Revelation 5:8; 8:3–4). Paul describes the Church as one body with many members, and says we, though many, are one body in Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12–27; Romans 12:4–5). Death does not amputate that body, and competition with Christ appears only if intercession is confused with worship.

• Hebrews 12:1

  “Therefore let us also, seeing we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily entangles us,”

• Revelation 5:8

  “Now when he had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one having a harp,”

• Revelation 8:3-4

  “Another angel came and stood over the altar, having a golden censer. Much incense was given to him,”

• 1 Corinthians 12:12-27

  “For as the body is one, and has many members, and all the members of the body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ.”

• Romans 12:4-5

  “For even as we have many members in one body, and all the members don’t have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ,”

• Sacred Scripture

  1 Corinthians 12:12-27

  Revelation 5:8

  “For as the body is one, and has many members, and all the members of the body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ.”

  Scripture

  “Now when he had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one having a harp,”

  Scripture

Tradition and magisterium

Lumen Gentium and the Catechism teach an exchange of spiritual goods among the Church on earth, in purification, and in glory. Charity does not end at death: the saints intercede, and we can aid the dead by prayer.

Canonization is the Church’s judgment that a life may be publicly imitated and that asking that saint’s prayers is fitting. Honoring the saints is relative honor that passes to God who crowned them, not a second pantheon.

• Catechism of the Catholic Church

  CCC 956

  “The intercession of the saints. "Being more closely united to Christ, those who dwell in heaven fix the whole Church more firmly in holiness.... [T]hey do not cease to intercede with the Father for us,…”

  Intercession

• Clement of Alexandria

  Miscellanies 7:12 · A.D. 208

  A learned miscellany for advanced Christians.

  He gathers apostolic teaching on doctrine, morals, and church order.

  “In this way is he [the true Christian] always pure for prayer. He also prays in the society of angels, as being already of angelic rank, and he is never out of their holy keeping; and though he pray alone, he has the choir of the saints standing with him [in prayer]”

  Fathers

• Cyprian of Carthage

  Letters 56[60]:5 · A.D. 253

  To Pope Cornelius in Rome.

  He asks that the two churches keep each other in prayer, even after death.

  “Let us remember one another in concord and unanimity. Let us on both sides [of death] always pray for one another. Let us relieve burdens and afflictions by mutual love, that if one of us, by the swiftness of divine condescension, shall go hence first, our love may continue in the presence of the Lord, and our praye…”

  Fathers

History and development

Martyr veneration, calendars, and canonization processes develop as the Church publicly recognizes heroic holiness and the safety of asking the saints’ prayers. The practice is older than the later legal process. Reform of process is fair to demand; pretending no one in heaven is worth naming is not.

• Hermas

  The Shepherd 3:5:4 · A.D. 80

  A book of visions used in some early churches.

  Written at Rome: one repentance after baptism, and a call to ask God without sloth.

  “[The Shepherd said:] ‘But those who are weak and slothful in prayer, hesitate to ask anything from the Lord; but the Lord is full of compassion, and gives without fail to all who ask him. But you, [Hermas,] having been strengthened by the holy angel [you saw], and having obtained from him such intercession, and not being slothful, why do not you ask of the Lord understanding, and receive it from him?’”

• Clement of Alexandria

  Miscellanies 7:12 · A.D. 208

  A learned miscellany for advanced Christians.

  He gathers apostolic teaching on doctrine, morals, and church order.

  “In this way is he [the true Christian] always pure for prayer. He also prays in the society of angels, as being already of angelic rank, and he is never out of their holy keeping; and though he pray alone, he has the choir of the saints standing with him [in prayer]”

• Origen

  Prayer 11 · A.D. 233

  A treatise on prayer.

  He says Christ the high priest prays, and so do angels and the souls of the saints.

  “But not the high priest [Christ] alone prays for those who pray sincerely, but also the angels . . . as also the souls of the saints who have already fallen asleep”

• Cyprian of Carthage

  Letters 56[60]:5 · A.D. 253

  To Pope Cornelius in Rome.

  He asks that the two churches keep each other in prayer, even after death.

  “Let us remember one another in concord and unanimity. Let us on both sides [of death] always pray for one another. Let us relieve burdens and afflictions by mutual love, that if one of us, by the swiftness of divine condescension, shall go hence first, our love may continue in the presence of the Lord, and our prayers for our brethren and sisters not cease in the presence of the Father’s mercy”

Mastery and practice

Define the communion of saints: one Body spanning earth, purification, and heaven, sharing spiritual goods. Distinguish veneration and worship: honor to the saint that passes to God; latria to God alone. Explain intercession coherently: you already ask living friends to pray without denying the one Mediator. If requesting prayer usurps Christ, every prayer chain is in trouble for the same reason.

• Define communion of saints.
• Distinguish veneration and worship.
• Explain intercession coherently.

• Hermas

  The Shepherd 3:5:4 [A.D. 80]

  A book of visions used in some early churches.

  Written at Rome: one repentance after baptism, and a call to ask God without sloth.

  “[The Shepherd said:] ‘But those who are weak and slothful in prayer, hesitate to ask anything from the Lord; but the Lord is full of compassion, and gives without fail to all who ask him. But you, [Hermas,] having been strengthened by the holy angel [you saw], and having obtained from him such intercession, and not being slothful, why do not you ask of the Lord understanding, and receive it from him?”

• Clement of Alexandria

  Miscellanies 7:12 [A.D. 208]

  A learned miscellany for advanced Christians.

  He gathers apostolic teaching on doctrine, morals, and church order.

  “In this way is he [the true Christian] always pure for prayer. He also prays in the society of angels, as being already of angelic rank, and he is never out of their holy keeping; and though he pray alone, he has the choir of the saints standing with him [in prayer]”

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