The vetting process

Pope Francis canonization: Can the late pontiff become a saint?

Not every pope is canonized as a saint, and today it's more challenging than ever. Here's why sainthood is not guaranteed, even for popes like John Paul II

Senior Writer

APRIL 26, 2025 9:38 AM EDTAPR 26, 2025, 9:38 AM EDT

For a long time, being a pope was like getting a golden ticket, not just to heaven but to the official sainthood VIP lounge. In the early centuries of the Roman Catholic Church, sainthood was practically a parting gift. According to The New York Post, of the first 50 popes, 48 were sainted.

Fast forward 2,000 years and that automatic upgrade is not happening anymore. So can Pope Francis become Saint Francis?

VATICAN CITY, Pope Francis greets faithful during his weekly audience at St. Peter's Square on May 15, 2024 in Vatican City, Vatican. (Photo by Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images) — Pope Francis greets faithful during his weekly audience at St. Peter's Square on May 15, 2024 in Vatican City, Vatican. (Photo by Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images)

The Numbers Game: Saints, Beatified, and the Rest

Out of the 266 popes who have reigned since St. Peter (the OG pope), only 80 have officially been canonized. Another 11 are in beatification limbo. Being beatified means you're one miracle away from full sainthood, but you're not quite there yet.

The vetting process today is thorough. Like, FBI-background-check-meets-holiness-test thorough.

Here's the modern road to sainthood

Step 1: Vatican officials rigorously evaluate your life's work with the same intensity as a college admissions board. If your credentials are deemed impressive, you are declared venerable.
Step 2: It is necessary to have a verified miracle attributed to you.
Step 3: In order to achieve canonization, a second miracle is required. The reigning pope then makes the final determination regarding your sainthood.

Faithful Catholics hold posters with images of Pope Francis in front of the Cathedral in Buenos Aires on April 26, 2025, as his funeral takes place in Vatican.

Indeed, the decision of whether a former pope is to be declared a saint rests with the current, living pope. This process may be considered the ultimate form of peer review.

A Speed Bump Called History

For centuries, sainthood wasn't a sprint; it was a glacial marathon. Between 1588 and 1978, the average time between someone's death and sainthood was 262 years, according to Harvard researcher Rachel McCleary.

But things started moving faster in the last few decades. In a very "let's not wait forever" move, Pope John Paul II shortened the mandatory waiting period after death to just five years.

South African President Nelson Mandela ( — Nelson Mandela with Pope John Paul II during their meeting at the Vatican 18 June 1998.

When John Paul II died in 2005, the crowd at his funeral wasn't subtle: they chanted "Santo, subito!" (Sainthood now!) His successor, Benedict XVI, heard them loud and clear, waiving the waiting period. John Paul II was canonized just nine years after his death, making it one of the fastest sainthood tracks ever.

Why Today's Slower Process Makes Sense

In a way, it's good that sainthood isn't just an automatic Pope Club bonus anymore. The modern Church seems to realize that being a spiritual leader doesn't automatically make you saint material.

Today's more deliberate, skeptical approach means that sainthood remains what it should be: a recognition of extraordinary holiness, not just a solid resume.

Catholic believers attend Pope Francis's requiem mass at the Esplanade of Tasitolu in Dili, East Timor, where he held a Mass in September last year, on April 26, 2025, as his funeral takes place in Vatican.

The road to canonization today is longer, harder, and not guaranteed. But maybe that's precisely how it should be. Because if sainthood is forever, you want to be sure you're handing out the halo to the right person.