The first saint canonized by a pope was Ulrich, bishop of Augsburg, who died in 973 and was canonized by Pope John XV at the Lateran Council of 993. Pope Alexander III (1159–81) began to reserve the cases of canonization to the Holy See, and this became general law under Gregory IX (1227–41).

Where did the idea of sainthood come from?

The first Catholics revered as saints were martyrs who died under Roman persecution in the first centuries after Jesus Christ was born. These martyrs were honored as saints almost instantaneously after their deaths, as Catholics who had sacrificed their lives in the name of God.

When did people start becoming saints?

For centuries, saints were chosen through public opinion. In the 10th century, Pope John XV developed an official canonization process. Canonization has been revised in the past 1,000 years, most recently by Pope John Paul II in 1983.