In Catholicism, what can the Saints be patrons of?
score:6
A search of the Catechism, as well as of the Vatican website and of the Catholic Encyclopedia article, do not reveal any particular official protocol to decide whether a given saint is to be considered a patron saint, and of what.
Searching through the Vatican's website for the term "patron saint" yields a number of references to patron saints, including at least one document officially establishing a saint (Thomas More) as patron saint of a profession or class (statesmen). This document is a motu proprio, issued by the Pope on his own initiative, though in this case at least he was impelled by requests from others:
Recently, several Heads of State and of Government, numerous political figures, and some Episcopal Conferences and individual Bishops have asked me to proclaim Saint Thomas More the Patron of Statesmen and Politicians. Those supporting this petition include people from different political, cultural and religious allegiances, and this is a sign of the deep and widespread interest in the thought and activity of this outstanding Statesman.
(E Sancti Thomae Mori section 1)
It appears then that no particular protocol is required beyond the interest of the faithful and the decision of the Pope, or (in cases of older saints especially) simply a tradition of associating saints with particular causes.
As one reads through lists of patron saints, one does notice certain patterns occur. Saints are often declared patrons of:
- locations (real or virtual): e.g. St. Mark as the patron of Venice, Italy; or Our Lady of Guadalupe as the patron saint of the United States; or Isidore of Seville as the patron saint of the Internet
- occupations or professions: St. Thomas More, patron saint of politicians; the Blessed Virgin as patron saint of sailors (from her title "Stella Maris": "Star of the Sea")
- groups of people in general: St. Stanislaus Kostka as patron saint of the young; Our Lady of Loreto (and Saint Padre Pio), patron saint of air travelers
- people with specific illnesses or disabilities: St. Dymphna as patron saint of those with epilepsy; St. Damien of Molokai as patron saint of those with leprosy
Continuing through your list: the only "patron saint of relationships" I could find are Saints Joachim and Ann, parents of the Blessed Virgin and patron saints of parents. Saint Francis of Assisi is patron saint, not of animals but of ecology and ecologists. (St. Felix of Nola is apparently the patron saint of lost pets. Keep that in mind.)
Similarly, Saint Christopher is still the patron saint of travelers, though the Church admits he probably didn't exist (!!).
In terms of holidays—or holy days—those are specifically dedicated to God, or to one or more saints; but the respective saints are not called "patron saints" of those days.
Generally speaking, though, it appears that there are no particular restrictions on what saints may or may not be patrons of, nor any authoritative teaching on the subject.
More post
- 📝 What liturgical languages were used in the worldwide church/broad christiandom around 500 AD?
- 📝 Why there isn't a daily prayer structure like Liturgy of the Hours among Protestants?
- 📝 What is the basis for the belief that Christianity and Islam worship different gods?
- 📝 Did Saint Patrick actually explain the Trinity using a shamrock?
- 📝 What does Catholic Church teach about the interpretation of the metaphor of "salt of the earth?"
- 📝 God's foreknowledge according to the Calvinist?
- 📝 According to traditional Catholicism, what is the spiritual solution for the divorcee who hasn't had their marriage annulled?
- 📝 Why do some Christians interpret Daniel's 1260 day prophecy as days and not years?
- 📝 What is the Little Office of Our Lady in connection to the Scapular Devotion?
- 📝 Why is Ruth's child in the line of Boaz and not Mahlon?
- 📝 What is an overview of Protestant critiques of Swedenborgianism?
- 📝 If Orthodox Christians must repent of any act of violence, how does this not entail pacifism?
- 📝 Why do I sing, "Here I raise my Ebenezer?"
- 📝 Why the Western European style names?
- 📝 Do paedobaptists suggest that a baptised infant is really 'born again'?
- 📝 Why does the Catholic Church require miracles for someone to be canonized?
- 📝 According to Protestants who hold that belief in Trinitarianism is necessary for salvation, what happens to those who assent but don't understand?
- 📝 King David`s Successor
- 📝 Orthodox churches recognized by Catholic Church
- 📝 According to Baptist theology why doesn't Satan surrender?
- 📝 Are biblical laws supposed to be part of Government?
- 📝 Did the Devil pre-exist human beings?
- 📝 According to Mormons, how did the unclean spirits sin by "not keeping the first estate"?
- 📝 The extent of different approaches to Revelation
- 📝 How does the Catechism translate "longanimitas"?
- 📝 What does "believe the Bible" mean?
- 📝 Why did God create people who would reject him?
- 📝 Could parts of the bible have been lost over time?
- 📝 How was Moses able to speak to over 600,000 people at once?
- 📝 Why should contraceptives not be cheap and widely available?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 In Catholicism, what can the Saints be patrons of?
- 📝 How can the Son not know what the Father knows?
- 📝 What is the Biblical basis for saying that wives can divorce their physically abusive husbands?
- 📝 What is the basis for the claim that the entire New Testament can be reconstructed apart from original and copied manuscripts?
- 📝 What is the basis for the belief by some groups that a Christian can live a sinless life?
- 📝 What does "the saints are not keepers of the law, but legislators" mean?
- 📝 What is the scriptural basis for the idea that salvation can still be obtained after death?
- 📝 If we want to know what the Bible says about an issue, what methods can help us to find all the relevant scriptures?
- 📝 Why do Latter-day Saints believe that the US Constitution is divinely inspired and what does that mean?
- 📝 According to reformed theology, who or what will the saints reign over in eternity?
- 📝 According to reformed theology, who or what will the saints reign over during the millenium?
- 📝 Can a priest give a Mass in American Sign Language (ASL)? What does he do when he is supposed to lift up the Eucharist while speaking in ASL?
- 📝 What does the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints teach about who Jesus is and where He came from?
- 📝 What is the biblical basis for the doctrine that salvation can be lost?
- 📝 What was the main reason for excluding 35 latest names from the list of recognized saints by ROC?
- 📝 What sins can be absolved only by a bishop in the Roman Catholic Church?
- 📝 What was the pre-Babel language and what can be said about the mechanism used to confuse the languages?
- 📝 What is the significance of dead saints being resurrected to life at the crucifixion of Jesus?
- 📝 What is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints view of historical-critical methods?
- 📝 What is the Catholic Church's view of Anne Catherine Emmerich - can her visions and prophecies be trusted?
- 📝 What is the name of this fragment? Where can I find more?
- 📝 What Scripture passages do Latter-day Saints use to refute the Trinity?
- 📝 What is the biblical & patristic basis for the belief that the saints go to Heaven instead of Sheol after the resurrection and ascension of Jesus?
- 📝 What biblical/traditional elements lead Catholics to believe that saints can hear our prayers?
- 📝 What plausible explanation can we find for the points of contact between Moses in the Pearl of Great Price and the Book of Enoch?
- 📝 What is the highest position a married man can achieve in the Catholic church?
- 📝 According to Catholicism, can the saints be given the title "co-mediator of Grace"?
- 📝 What Biblical support for praying to the saints is usually cited by those Christians who practice that?
- 📝 What is the Biblical basis for asserting that infants can have faith in Christ under a Calvinistic framework?
- 📝 What is the Biblical basis that individual gifts can be revoked by God?