Why blessed virgin mary is not a saint

A: When speaking of saints we think of a sometimes long process of canonization in the course of which close scrutiny of the future saint is conducted by Roman authorities, and at the end of which the pope officially proclaims sainthood.

The two decisive criteria for the proclamation of sainthood are heroic practice of virtues or martyrdom and miracles. The first papal canonization of which there are positive documents was that of Saint Udalricus in But this is not to say that there were no saints before Canonization or not, a saint has always been defined as a close follower of Christ, the closer, the better. Following Christ means doing as he does, and as much as possible being as he is. Early Christians believed that martyrs were perfect followers of Christ and saints because they had shown the supreme proof of love by giving their lives for Christ.

Later on this was extended to people who defended the faith and excelled in Christian faith doctrine, charity, virtue, austere life, etc. News Archive. For the Media. Find an Expert. Catholic Experts. Broadcast Studio. Filming on UD Campus. Mary was a real person. In Catholicism, Mary remains a virgin throughout her married life. From the second century onwards, Christians saw virginity as an ideal, an alternative to marriage and children.

Mary was seen to exemplify this choice, along with Jesus and the apostle Paul. It accorded with the surrounding culture where Greek philosophers, male and female, tried to live a simple life without attachment to family or possessions. This extolling of virginity, however unlikely when applied to Mary, did have some advantages.

The option of becoming a celibate nun in community with other women gave young women in the early church an attractive alternative to marriage, in a culture where marriages were generally arranged and death in childbirth was common. Yet belief in the eternal virginity of Mary has also inflicted damage over the centuries, particularly on women.

It has distorted the character of Mary, turning her into a submissive, dependent creature, without threat to patriarchal structures.

Yet in the Gospels, Mary is a vibrant figure: strong-minded and courageous, a leader in the community of faith. As the first Christian, Mary proclaims a radical message of social justice , where the poor are exalted and the powerful overthrown.

She is a vital presence at the birth of the church at Pentecost, sharing the divine vision of a world transformed.