Servant of God facts for kids
A Servant of God is a special title given to people in different religions. It generally means someone who is very devoted to their faith.
In the Catholic Church, this title is the first step for someone who might become a saint. It means the Church is looking into their life and actions. In the Eastern Orthodox churches, this term is used more broadly for any Eastern Orthodox Christian.
Some names even mean "servant of God"! For example, the Arabic name Abdullah, the Hebrew name Obadiah, and the German name Gottschalk all have this meaning.
Contents
Becoming a Saint in the Catholic Church
In the Catholic Church, "Servant of God" is the first title given to a person who has passed away. Their life and good deeds are being carefully studied. This is done to see if they might be officially recognized by the Pope and the Catholic Church as a saint in Heaven.
A special group in the Church, called the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, manages this process.
It's important not to confuse "Servant of God" (which is Servus Dei in Latin) with Servus Servorum Dei. That second title means "Servant of the Servants of God" and is one of the titles of the Pope himself.
The Journey to Sainthood: Four Steps
Receiving the title of Servant of God is the very first step on the path to becoming a saint. There are four main steps in total:
- Step 1: Servant of God
* This is when the Church officially starts to investigate a person's life.
- Step 2: Venerable
* After being a Servant of God, the next step is to be declared Venerable. This happens if the Church decides the person lived a life of heroic virtue or was a martyr (someone who died for their faith).
- Step 3: Blessed
* The third step is beatification, where the person receives the title of Blessed. This usually happens after a miracle is confirmed to have occurred because of the person's prayers or help.
- Step 4: Saint
* The final step is canonization. This is when the person is officially declared a Saint by the Church.
| Stages of Canonization in the Catholic Church |
|---|
| Servant of God → Venerable → Blessed → Saint |
Images for kids
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Pope Benedict XIII is one of only two Popes currently declared to be a Servant of God.
See Also
In Spanish: Siervo de Dios para niños
