y, Three
congregations extraordinary, a general assembly, and three consistories,
are held for the purpose of pronouncing on the new miracles, and
determining whether it be prudent to proceed to canonization. 18thly,
This being determined upon, the pope issues the brief of canonization,
and, soon after, the ceremonial follows. It begins by a solemn
procession: an image of the saint is painted on several banners. When
the procession arrives at the church where the ceremony is performed,
the pope seats himself on his throne, and receives the usual homage of
the court. The solicitor for the cause and the consistorial advocate
place themselves at the feet of his holiness, and request the
canonization; the litanies are sung; the request is made a second time;
the _Veni Creator_ is sung; the request is made a third time; the
secretary announces that it is the will of the pope to proceed
immediately upon the canonization; the solicitor requests that the
letters of canonization may be delivered in due form; his holiness
delivers them, and the first prothonotary calls on all the assembly to
witness the delivery. The _Te Deum_ is sung, and high mass is
solemnized.

The decree of canonization is usually worded in these terms: "To the
glory of the Holy Trinity, for the exaltation of the Catholic faith, and
the increase of the Christian religion: In virtue of the authority of
Jesus Christ, of the holy apostles St. Peter and St. Paul, and our own,
after due deliberation and frequent invocations of the heavenly light,
with consent of our venerable brethren, the cardinals, patriarchs,
archbishops, and bishops, present at Rome, we declare the blessed N. to
be a saint, and we inscribe him as such in the catalogue of the saints.
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen."

Such is the outline of the process of canonization. It must be added,
that the strictest evidence is required of every thing offered in proof.
It is laid down as a universal rule, which admits of no exception, that
the same evidence shall be required, through the whole of the process,
as in criminal cases is required to convict an offender of a capital
crime; and that no evidence of any fact shall be received, if a higher
degree of evidence of the same fact can possibly be obtained. Hence, a
copy of no instrument is admitted, if the original be in existence; no
hearsay witness is received, if ocular testimony can be produced. The
rigorous examination of eve