Controversial Catholic Saints: From Playboys to Pillar Hermits

Controversial Saints: From Playboys to Imaginary Friends

Pope Francis recently canonized Junipero Serra, the man who brought Catholicism to California, sparking controversy due to his ties to the decimation of Native American populations. However, Serra is just one of many saints with controversial pasts.

According to Thomas Craughwell, author of “Saints Behaving Badly,” saints were not perfect individuals but rather flawed human beings who ultimately focused on getting closer to God. Some saints had scandalous pasts before turning their lives around.

For example, Augustine of Hippo, a fourth-century scholar, was known for his playboy lifestyle before dedicating himself to spreading the Christian message. Similarly, Saint Mary of Egypt spent years as a seductress before repenting and living in isolation in the desert for 47 years.

Other saints, like Saint Callixtus and Saint Camillus de Lellis, had criminal pasts before becoming respected figures in the Catholic Church. Even last-minute repentance seekers, like Saint Dismas and Jacques Fesch, found redemption before their deaths.

Some saints, like Saint Simeon Stylites and Teresa of Avila, practiced extreme forms of penance, while others, like Saint Barbara, may not have even existed. The process of canonization has become stricter over time, with candidates now requiring documented miracles to be considered for sainthood.

Despite their controversial pasts, these saints serve as examples of redemption and transformation, showing that even the most flawed individuals can find their way to holiness.