beatification

[ bee-at-uh-fi-key-shuhn ]

noun

1. the act of beatifying.
2. the state of being beatified.
3. Roman Catholic Church. the official act of the pope whereby a deceased person is declared to be enjoying the happiness of heaven, and therefore a proper subject of religious honor and public cult in certain places.

Word History and Origins

Origin of beatification¹

1495–1505; < Late Latin beātificātiōn- (stem of beātificātiō ), equivalent to beātificāt ( us ) (past participle of beātificāre to beatify ) + -iōn- -ion; -ate ¹

Example Sentences

Of course, Republican conventions in Washington state did not use to be beatification events where candidates were chosen by God.

From Seattle Times

Francis first authorized her beatification in 2016, after the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints recognized a miracle linked to Mama Antula.

From Seattle Times

In “The Beatification of Area Boy,” by Wole Soyinka, a multilayered, exhilarating and moving play, the author presents a day in the life of Sanda, a security officer and the “King of Area Boys,” unraveling his relationship with the tenants and patrons of a Lagosian shopping center.

From New York Times

The documentation from the Vatican archives, published this weekend in Italian daily Corriere della Sera, is likely to further fuel the debate about Pius’ legacy and his now-stalled beatification campaign.

From Seattle Times

During a ceremonious Mass, papal envoy Cardinal Marcello Semeraro read out the Latin formula of the beatification of the Ulma family signed last month by Pope Francis.

From Washington Times

Related Words

• adoration
• church service
• devotion
• prayer
• rite
• ritual