What is a Saint?

     There are many definitions of the word saint in English, some of them more accurate than others. Most commonly, four different usages are found in contemporary culture. The first two definitions are cultural, the second two theological:

1. The most general: a Saint is anybody who does good in the world, regardless of religion: “Martin Luther King Jr. was a Saint.”
2. A Saint is any pious or holy Catholic: “My grandmother prays the rosary every day; she’s a regular Saint.
3. The general theological definition: a Saint is any and every person in heaven. They may or may not be known to us on earth.
4. A Saint is a person whose virtue and holiness are recognized by the Church in that they are publicly proclaimed to be among the blessed in heaven; this person is referred to as a “canonized” Saint.

     Definition 1 is the most frequently used, but it is entirely inaccurate. Usually, when saint is used in this way it means that a person is very virtuous, admirable, giving, etc. But it says nothing about real holiness. Definition 2 is used frequently within the Church to denote a person who is extraordinarily pious or religious. But usually this usage is meant as a statement of exaggerated praise, not as a theological truth.

     We do not necessarily know if our pious grandma is in heaven or not; the use of the term saint in this way is an exaggerated way of saying she was very pious.  With definitions 3 and 4 we come to the precise, theological usage of the word saint. Generally speaking, a Saint is anybody who is in heaven, including the angels (who are referred to as Saints in the Church’s liturgy).