This week in Christian history: Jesuits killed in Va., pope canonizes saint, black UMC caucus formed

The first time a pope canonizes a saint — January 31, 993

This week marks the anniversary of the first documented instance in which a pope officially canonized an individual as a saint.

In this case, it was Pope John XV who canonized Saint Ulric of Augsburg.

For the first several centuries of Christian history, there was no formal procedure for canonizing saints. In the sixth century, the process required the intervention of a local bishop.

“Starting in the tenth century, a cause proceeded with the usual steps, i.e. the person's reputation would spread, a request to the local bishop from the people to declare the person a saint occurred, and a biography would be written for the bishop's review,” explained the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

“Now however, the bishop would collect eyewitness testimony of those who knew the person and who had witnessed miracles, and he would provide a summary of the case to the Pope for his approval.  The Pope then reviewed the cause, and if he approved it, he issued a decree declaring the person a canonized saint.”