Saint Patrick was never officially made a saint by the Catholic Church
St Patrick’s 2016

Saint Patrick was never officially made a saint by the Catholic Church

HE IS celebrated by millions of people worldwide as Ireland’s patron saint on March 17 – but Saint Patrick is technically not a saint at all.

The British-born Irish bishop was never canonised by the Catholic Church, meaning he is not a saint by today's standards.

Canonisation is the final step in the process of sainthood carried out by the church – but St Patrick pre-dated the canonisation ceremonies which are a requirement today for sainthood.

This means, in effect, that St Patrick is a saint only in name.

To become a saint, the Catholic Church requires that a prospective candidate has proven their holiness during their lifetime.

This generally takes the form of two miracles – then they are beatified before their canonisation.

When a person is beatified, the Pope acknowledges their official ascension to the Kingdom of Heaven.

They must have performed one miracle – and they are canonised after a second miracle is acknowledged, making them an official saint.

Canonisation in the Roman Catholic Church was not introduced until after St Patrick’s death in the 5th century – meaning he was never officially granted sainthood.

But St Patrick was dubbed a saint shortly after his death for his widespread work in bringing Christianity to Ireland.

Read more: Seven things you should know about the story of St Patrick, Ireland’s patron saint