Heroicity and sanctity in Catholic thought from early modern to contemporary age

In the Catholic Church’s regulation, the heroic practice of virtues is one of the main criteria for the canonisation of saints. This article explores the complex concept of heroicity as it is used both in normative-theological literature and in texts regulating the judicial practice of causes for canonisation. Particular attention is paid to the evolution of the idea between early modern formulations (with a focus on Prospero Lambertini’s seminal work) and its 20th-century re-elaboration, before and after the Second Vatican Council. Analysis integrates the historical perspective with a method based on semiotic theories. It looks into the meaning, values, and qualities associated to heroicity over the centuries, and points out changes in the aspectuality, semiotic axiology, ideas of gradualness, and personal maturation associated to this multifaceted concept. It thus highlights and contextualizes continuities and discontinuities within the Church’s teaching and judicial practice concerning the saints’ heroicity.