This Monday, August 24, the religious tradition commemorates various saints, with a highlight on Saint Bartholomew the Apostle. This practice has endured through the centuries, associating the given name of many children with the celebration of this day.
The name day refers to the day on which a saint is celebrated, although it is often confused with a birthday. Throughout the year, men and women are honored for their actions and connections with the divine, having been canonized or beatified by the Church.
The most prominent celebration on August 24 is that of Saint Bartholomew, who is often identified with Nathanael. Born in Cana of Galilee, he was introduced to Christ by Philip and became one of the Twelve Apostles. He is attributed with preaching the Gospel in India, where he suffered martyrdom in the 1st century.
Other saints and martyrs commemorated on the same day include Saint Auden of Rouen (7th century), Saint Emilia de Vialar (19th century), Saint George Limniota (8th century), Saint Juana Antida Thouret (19th century), Saint Tation of Claudiopolis, and Blessed Maximilian Binkiewicz (20th century).
The canonization process involves four stages: recognition as a servant of God, venerability, beatification, and finally canonization. Those who reach this final status are considered worthy of public veneration and are assigned a liturgical feast.
It is estimated that there are up to nine thousand recognized saints in the Church, with the Roman Martyrology of 2005 documenting at least seven thousand, not including martyrs, which could raise the number to twenty thousand. In recent years, Pope John Paul II canonized 388 saints, while Pope Francis has surpassed all records with 898 canonizations.
Catholicism, one of the most widely practiced religions in the world, has over 1.36 billion faithful, with a notable presence in America, especially in South America. Recently, it has grown in Asia and Africa, although it has declined in Europe.
Source: www.infobae.com
