User blog:RemosPendragon/What are Saints? Pt.2

Okay, the promised second part of Imperial Saints. First one was maybe not so thorough as I originally wished it to be, but can't help it anymore. Let's dwell into this now. This post shall be about "ordinary" Imperial Saints but more so of virtues. There will be third part where the process of one becoming a saint is brought into pieces.

Imperial Saints
Now one can be a saint, even if not being Adepta Sororitas, woman or having the ability to reincarnate throughout the history of Mankind over and over again. The fact if one is or is not a saint is strongly controlled by Ecclesiarchy.

Dying as a martyr is clearly a good way to become a saint in the Imperium. It is also quite valid way in Catholic church. Being "martyred" means "one who has died for his faith".
 * Imperial Martyr Saints
 * Emiline - gave her life to recapture a world from Chaos
 * Ezra
 * Gerstahl
 * Jerome the Pure
 * Katherine
 * Lucia
 * Marduk
 * Mina
 * Silvana

"Apostle" means in Christianity those who were sent by Christ himself to spread his word for all people. It did however originally mean "emissary", "missionary" or "messenger". Therefore we may think that those listed as "apostols" or "apostolic saints" in 40k lore, were missionaries of some degree, even if they weren't actually missionaries of the Adeptus Ministorum's Missionaria Galaxia wing, but mere common citizen who spread the Imperial Creed for heathens. I'd also like to separate these guys from generals and other inviduals who managed to spread Imperial Creed on numerous planets because of military forces they controlled. These apostolic saints should consist only of those who managed to do so without armies standing behind them.
 * Imperial Apostolic Saints
 * Jerido
 * Kadmon
 * Leonis the Blind - also martyr
 * Menazzer
 * Olion

Leaders of the crusades, miraculous warriors and other similar inviduals also tend to achieve the sainthood within the Imperium. In this last list only one was not a warrior, but a pilgrim.
 * Other Saints
 * Aspira - liberated 100 worlds from heresy
 * Euphrica - pilgrim, banished a daemon on a ship
 * Lord Solar Macharius
 * Praxedes - sacrificed herself to allow refugees to escape during one of the Tyrannic Wars
 * Praxides - warrior saint
 * Loyalist Primarchs
 * Generals of the Macharian Crusade

Catholic Canonisation
Canonisation, which is the process of becoming a saint, has four steps in Catholic church. These steps are that one is considered as "a servant of god", nomination by local diocese's bishop as a sign to the higher ranking members of the church that the invidual in question possessed some virtues and attributes to become a full saint. Second step is "veneration", and one who is venerated becomes "the Venerable" (abr. Ven.). To become venerated, the "servant of god" needs to be recognised as "heroic in virtue", possessing no less than all of the four cardinal virtues and all three of theologic virtues to a heroic degree. The third step is called beautification, "worthy of belief", and one beautified becomes "Blessed" (abr. Bl.). One who is blessed receives a feast day only in his home diocese and prayers can be directed towards him. The last and fourth step is canonisation when one becomes "Saint" (abr. St or S.). Not before one is canonised, can churches be built in his honour and a feast day may be celebrated anywhere within the Catholic dioceses.

Ministorum Canonisation
This shall be purely speculation again so... salt and pink glasses if you may.

In 40k lore there is lot of references, when spoken about saints, to such things as "veneration", "beautification" and "canonisation". It is also said that one does not simply be accepted as an Imperial Saint. The exact question however is, how many stages exist in Ecclesiarchy's canonisation process? If we accept such fact that there is regional "saints" within Imperium, which would point towards the existence of the level "blessed", this starts to make sense. I have decluded the "a servant of God" part alltogether because it seems quite petty and the magnitude of Imperium could not possibly cover such title in any nearly effective way... like it would be effective in any other given way.

So let's go with three steps system. All titles may be given posthumously but only first two (veneration and beautification) may be done to a living person. This so that there will not be living saints that are not "living saints".

Virtues
Virtues are what makes a saint. Not only that, one must be heroic in his virtues. But what are the virtues used by Ministorum during canonisation process?

Catholic Virtues
Here are the Seven Heavenly Virtues (on contrary to Seven Deadly Sins) used by Catholic church. After them is a thought about how would they fit into 40k.
 * Theologic Virtues
 * Faith - quite a no-brainer, let's keep this
 * Hope - umm... what?
 * Charity (Love) - also generosity (which is a virtue of Confederation of Light)... let's keep this, without the love part
 * Cardinal Virtues
 * Prudence - no, because of "To question is to doubt." and "You are not required to think, only to act."
 * Justice - well... Why not?
 * Fortitude - "Perseverance [...] are the highest virtues" and "[...] perhaps my paramount virtue - a singular force of will"
 * Temperance - also poverty (isn't it? Virtue of Confederation of Light), SOLD

Ministorum Virtues
Well... most likely lot of things can be considered as virtues, but what are the most important on par Adeptus Ministorum? The exact doctrine of Imperial Creed seems to vary from area to area and so the most appropriate virtues could also vary. Unless this saint-thing is so deeply integrated with the Imperium, as it should be, that they don't. Let's pretend they don't change under any circumstances. So I'd like to collect here the Ecclesiarchy's virtues:
 * Faith/Ignorance - seem to walk hand-in-hand in 40k universe (sadly in our world too)
 * "Adamantium walls and plasteel bulkheads may seem formidable, but an unshakeable faith in the Immortal Emperor of Man can overcome any barriers."
 * "Blind faith is a just cause."
 * "Do not question the Will of the Emperor!"
 * "Be strong in your ignorance."
 * "Burn the Heretic! Kill the Mutant! Purge the Unclean!"
 * "Faith in the Emperor is its own reward."
 * "Faith is the strongest shield."
 * Humility
 * "If you cannot speak well of your Master, be silent!"
 * "Seek no reward but the satisfaction of your Master!"
 * "The Emperor asks only that you obey."
 * "The greatest man is but a ripple on the surface of space."
 * Temperance
 * Charity/Generosity - but not in the way of mercy
 * Fortitude
 * "The end justifies the means."
 * Justice
 * "True faith is blind and justified"

We got 6 virtues. However part of me thinks it should be 7 and part thinks no more than 5, why? Well, 7 because "Seven Deadly Sins/Heavenly Virtues" and because the association of number 7 is seen in parts of 40k lore too, for seven is a good number. The lame part of this is that number seven is a number of Nurgle... and if we'd like to believe even a bit of my thoughts about living saints, then it would not serve. Holy numbers are: Slaanesh 6, Nurgle 7, Khorne 8, Tzeentch 9, Malal 11. If we smash this up with some cabbalism, Malal's actual number is 2 (for 11 = 1+1 = 2)

So what would be Emperor's holy number? Has anyone ever thought about it, because to me it seems pretty important and I can't seem to find any wild speculations about it. We could of course use 3, because 3 suits well with all the other influence coming from direction Christianity. Number 9 would be good for 9 loyalist primarchs/legions, 9 planets in sol system (when 40k was written, Pluto was a planet) and it is 3*3=CREEEEEEEEEEEEED. Okay, something more acceptable then. Let me present Tarot card number 4; the Emperor. "Lord and master of material universe, wearing colors of yellow (wisdom) and red (spirit), covered by armor (which indicates that he cares nough for outer influences and is capable of defending himself against his enemies). In his right hand he holds sceptre (working with male-positive powers) and in his left a green ball (that is Earth). He sits upon a cube of salt, meaning he needs material world to support his actions, even if he is by his spiritual capability above the material realm. He controls the matter and is capable of turning it into spiritual powers. Letter DALETH represents the universum's life-giving and working principles. His power he uses to aid those around him seeing the great goal (greater good) and devotes himself to it wholly. Number four turns into cube which when opened turns into a cross (that is matter), it also means four great rivers that originate from paradise (so called "four winds") and four constellations (lion, ox, angel, eagle). In Hinduism also 4 faces of the God (Brahma). Daleth (number 4) is equalent to Chesed (charity)."

- Elisabeth Haich

I have an odd feeling I have used the Emperor card before, but that doesn't really matter. What matters, it that by this I strongly believe that Emperor's holy number, even if it would be nothing but mere nonsense, is four.

So, if it is 4 then we need four virtues. They shall be; Now even if there are 4 virtues given, that doesn't mean there wouldn't be other virtues too, they just aren't that important... sort of secondary virtues, not worth of inspecting when considering one's saintness.
 * Charity - for obvious reasons given above
 * Faith - seems plausible when attached such things as ignorance and (unreasonable) hate
 * Justice - but not only in the way of law. It carries much better meaning about to do what needs to be done, to be just. Like Abraham sacrificed his son to God or Jesus got crusified because it needed to be done, it was just that it happened (really, awesomely just). This can be connected with duty and obedience which are strong themes in Thoughts for the Pious and in Imperium as a whole
 * Fortitude - because that is heroism by virtue. Fortitude, strenght of will, can also be associated with such as temperance

Faith - Justice - Charity - Fortitude