beatification
/biˌætɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/
beatification means the act of beatifying, or the state of being beatified; especially, in the Roman Catholic Church, the act or process of ascertaining and declaring that a deceased person is one of "the blessed," or has attained the second degree of sanctity, — usually a stage in the process of canonization. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 85 out of 100.
beatification is pronounced /biˌætɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/.
Why “beatification” is a great word
BEATIFICATION — [Noun] In the Roman Catholic Church, the official act of declaring a deceased person to be blessed, constituting a step toward canonization as a saint. From the Medieval Latin beātificātiō, from beātificāre ("to make blessed"), derived from beātus ("blessed, happy") and -ficāre ("to make"). First attested in English c. 1500. Unlike "canonization" (the final, universal decree of sainthood) or "veneration" (the general act of honoring the holy), beatification is a formal yet provisional elevation, a sacred bureaucratic threshold. It is the official stamp on a grassroots cult, a name now sanctioned for altars in a single region, and the subtle shift from hopeful prayer to authorized one—a solemn declaration that hope, too, has its own rigorous paperwork.
Etymology
From Middle French béatification, from Medieval Latin beātificātiō.
noun
- The act of beatifying, or the state of being beatified; especially, in the Roman Catholic Church, the act or process of ascertaining and declaring that a deceased person is one of "the blessed," or has attained the second degree of sanctity, — usually a stage in the process of canonization.