Servant of God is an expression used for a member of the
Catholic Church whose life and works are being investigated in consideration for recognition by the
Pope and the Catholic Church as a Blessed. The term
Servant of God () should not be confused with
Servus Servorum Dei (Servant of the Servants of God), one of the titles of the Pope. The term
Servant of God is used in the beginning of a beatification process. The next step is being declared
venerable, upon a decree of heroic virtue or martyrdom. That is possibly followed by
beatification which means the veneration of the Blessed by the regional church. Finally,
canonization can take place, at which point the person is venerated by the universal church. The process for
canonization is under the jurisdiction of the
Dicastery for the Causes of Saints.
Servant of God is not considered a canonical title in a strict sense by the Catholic Church (as for instance venerable or Blessed are), but only a technical term used in the beatification process. Hence, any of the faithful can be named a
Servant of God in a larger frame of meaning. As the Church waits upon God to confirm a servant of God's status through a miracle before invoking him or her in public prayer, the church states that "one must also refrain, even outside of Church, from any acts which could mislead the faithful into thinking that the inquiry conducted by the Bishop into the life of the Servant of God and his virtues or martyrdom carries with it the certitude that the Servant of God will be one day canonized". == See also ==