Pope Francis on Tuesday added additional criteria to possible sainthood. A fourth criteria was expanded to include “the free offering of one’s life” in an apostolic letter published by the Vatican. The Vatican announced Tuesday that the pope has issued a new law outlining a new route: people who lived a good Catholic life and who freely accepted a certain and premature death for the good of others.
This is the first change to the main sainthood requirements in centuries.
Under the new category, a miracle must be attributed to the candidate's intercession prior to beatification, the first step toward canonization as a saint. Martyrdom, which stipulates being killed out of hatred for the faith, does not require a miracle.
