The special veneration accorded to certain deceased persons is a phenomenon found in many religions. However, the complex procedure of recognizing saints and then formalizing their cult—culminating in a decision made by the highest authority of a given religious organization—is unique to Roman Catholicism. Yet, the procedure of papal canonizations as we know it today did not always exist in Latin Christianity. It emerged between the 10th and 13th centuries, gradually replacing local forms of saint recognition and gaining increasing prominence over time.
Our project seeks to understand why, during the High Middle Ages, local bishops or their congregations—previously responsible for formalizing the cults of new saints—chose to transfer this authority to the papacy. It also asks why this process unfolded so unevenly: some local Churches accepted papal authority to appoint new saints relatively early, making canonization dependent on Rome’s decision, while others continued the practice of local recognition of sainthood for centuries.
To answer these questions, we must explore the phenomenon of recognizing new cults, which during this period differed significantly from the later papal canonization system. In most cases, the recognition of saints was carried out locally, but by various authorities: sometimes individual bishops, other times synods or groups of bishops, often led by a metropolitan. Monastic communities frequently played a leading role, and secular rulers were also involved in the process. The reasons why particular paths were chosen—and why appeals to Rome were made—remain unclear. No systematic and comprehensive research has yet been conducted that covers all cases of new cult formalization in the High Middle Ages. This is precisely the goal of our project.
The research team will undertake a systematic analysis of available sources to create a comprehensive picture of this phenomenon and to answer key research questions. A central product of the project will be the Sainthood Recognition Catalogue—a digital tool documenting all known cases and examining the relationships between them. This will enable a deeper understanding of the recognition of saints in the High Middle Ages, clarifying why different methods of formalizing cults were adopted and how the centralization of the process evolved, leading to the growing involvement of the papacy.
Our research emphasizes that the initiative to appeal to the papacy regarding the recognition of saints came from the local Churches themselves. The motivation was not legal obligation but rather the desire to enhance the prestige of new cults. This prestige, we believe, was closely tied to the concept of Romanness, rooted in the apostolic tradition and the origins of Christianity. While papal Rome was seen as the natural custodian of this heritage, many local Churches also viewed themselves as heirs of ancient Christian traditions—even when that belief was more imagined than historical. Such Churches were generally less inclined to seek papal approval for new cults, as they drew authority from their own perceived connection to early Christianity. By contrast, Churches from areas outside the former Roman Empire, lacking such historical legitimacy, were more likely to turn to Rome for validation.
The project aims to test this hypothesis and, more broadly, to deepen our understanding of the medieval cult of saints—a phenomenon of immense significance for the era. At the same time, it examines a formative stage in the development of a defining feature of Catholicism: the emergence of a central authority embodied in the papacy. It reveals how Rome’s authority within the Church gradually took shape, not through coercion but through recognition and acceptance by local Churches. This offers a broader perspective on how institutional authority is built—religious or otherwise—and on the dynamic relationship between the periphery and the center, represented in this case by Rome.