Only Mandela deserves to be a Saint….from the ANC church.
The process of being made a saint is not as given as many make it out to be, or at least not in the Catholic Church. The process for being declared a saint is ancient, traditional, and often mysterious. Evidence must be presented to persuade Church officials that the person in question in fact lived a virtuous life, had faith, and had the support and help of God. The Church also looks at miracles as evidence that God is working through that person. Within the ANC church things are also quite the similar since there may have been many Comrades only a handful satisfy the full criteria of being canonized into being Saints of the ANC Church.
Stages on the road to Sainthood
Stage 1
Catholic Church: SERVANT OF GOD
ANC Church: FREEDOM FIGHTER (not for economic freedom, only those active pre 1994)
As soon as the person is accepted for consideration, he/she is called a Freedom Fighter. These are often those who were persecuted for the cause either by being imprisoned on Robben Island and/or exiled in first world countries and/or members of Mkhonto we Sizwe(MK).
Stage 2
Catholic Church: VENERABLE
ANC Church: MARTYR OF THE MOVEMENT (you’ll get a street, school or even a shanty town named after you)
After the ANC Church Congregation determines that the Freedom Fighter lived a life of heroic virtue, he/she is granted the title of Martyr of the Movement. Heroic virtue doesn’t mean a person was perfect or incorruptible, but that he/she worked aggressively to improve him/herself morally, politically, economically… OH and also never gave up trying to be better and grow the interests of the ANC Church.
Stage 3
Catholic Church: BLESSED
ANC Church: ICON (the Church is obligated to look after your family for generations to come)
After the ANC Church establishes one miracle(like the one in 1994 for bring democracy through a peaceful process), the venerable person’s cause is presented to the nation as a whole to see whether South Africans deem him/her worthy of being called an ICON.
Stage 4
Catholic Church: SAINT
ANC Church: SAINT (any of your errors/flaws will be erased from history…even off from the archives of the SABC)
Unfortunately only those who have crossed over can qualify for this stage….but by the way things look it only a matter of time before the ANC has its very first SAINT. As for the others it’s clearly not that easy to become one so all the best on your way to becoming SAINTS of the ANC Church.
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