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Originally posted by Peaches-n-Cream
I heard that also. I think that saints smell like flowers or flowers bloom when saints die.
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There are a lot of questionable stories about the "signs" indicating sainthood ranging from devout and pious to downright silly. The "odor of sanctity" is a nice belief but is really just window dressing. I think the thing to remember is that in Roman Catholic thought sainthood simply means that the person in question can be reasonably presumed to have attained salvation and thus can serve as a role model for us to look to as a guide to how to "do it right". This is what is meant by the veneration of Saints. The process of declaring a saint (canonization) requires an exhaustive examination of the persons life, apparent fitness, and signs of God's favor. Something attributed to that persons intercession with God which defies normal logic and practice, like a medically authenticated cure from a terminal disease or something really unusual like Tulane winning the national championship in football.
All Sainthood means is that we are as certain as possible that the person is in heaven.