Venerable - Definition and Overview

In the Eastern Orthodox Churches, Venerable (Greek: "Όσιος" for men and "Οσία" for women) is a title attributed to saints that had lived a monastic or eremitic life, and it is considered equal or sometimes superior to plain "Saint".

In the Catholic Church, Venerable is defined as the lowest of the three recognized degrees of sanctity. It is the first step in the process of naming an individual a Saint in the Catholic Church. The next step is beatification, at which point the person is referred to as "Blessed", and then finally canonization, at which point the person is referred to as "Saint".

In the Church of England, Venerable is the title given to an Archdeacon.

Example Usage of Venerable