The Church does not “beatify missionaries” by a special separate set of rules. Instead, missionary activity is the kind of life that can produce evidence for the same beatification criteria used for all “Servants of God”: a verified reputation of holiness (heroic virtues) or reputation of martyrdom, together with an authentic and widespread reputation of intercessory power, examined through the Church’s established process. 1 2 3 1 4

Missionaries as candidates: who can be “a missionary” in the Church’s terms

Canon Law defines “missionaries” as those sent by competent ecclesiastical authority to carry out missionary work—this can include clergy, religious, institutes of consecrated life, societies of apostolic life, and also lay faithful. This matters because it clarifies that the Church’s missionary work is not limited to one state of life, so any of these groups may be the subject of a cause if the other requirements for beatification are met. 5

The core “criteria” for beatification: heroic virtues or martyrdom

Heroic virtues (reputation of holiness)

The Church’s causes of beatification and canonization “regard a Catholic who… has enjoyed a reputation of holiness by living all the Christian virtues in an heroic manner.” 1

“Reputation of holiness” is defined as the opinion spread among the faithful about the Servant of God’s purity and integrity of life and the virtues practiced to an heroic degree. 3

Martyrdom (reputation of martyrdom)

Alternatively, the cause may be for someone who “has sacrificed his life in the act of martyrdom.” 1

“Reputation of martyrdom” is defined as the opinion spread among the faithful about the death endured for the Faith or for a virtue connected to the Faith. 3

What makes these “missionary” cases identifiable in practice?

Missionary life provides the factual setting in which the Church tests heroic virtue or martyrdom. For example, Canon Law describes missionary work as:

• establishing a sincere dialogue with those who do not believe in Christ, by witness “of their life and word,” in ways adapted to culture and temperament; 6
• teaching truths of faith to those who are prepared to receive the Gospel so they can be admitted to baptism when they freely request it; 6
• sending heralds of the Gospel especially “until the young churches are established fully,” with the means for local evangelization to continue. 7

These descriptions do not replace the beatification criteria; rather, they indicate the kinds of missionary acts and virtues that can become the evidence for heroic virtue (e.g., fidelity, charity, evangelizing zeal, patience) or for martyrdom when such fidelity leads to death.

The second pillar: reputation of intercessory power (and its conditions)

What “intercessory power” reputation must look like

Before a cause is initiated, the diocesan/eparchial Bishop must verify that, among a significant portion of the People of God, the Servant of God has:

• an authentic and widespread reputation of holiness or martyrdom, and
• an authentic and widespread reputation of intercessory power. 2

Crucially, this reputation must be:

• spontaneous, not artificially produced; 2
• stable, continuous, and widespread among trustworthy people; 2
• present among a significant portion of the People of God. 2

How the reputation is collected and evaluated

The postulator must first collect documentation on:

• the reputation of holiness or martyrdom, and
• the reputation of intercessory power, and present it to the competent Bishop. 4

Then the Bishop evaluates whether these reputations exist and whether the cause is important for the Church, after which the documentation is inserted among the acts of the Inquiry. 4

Procedure-related “criteria”: what the Church requires before and during the cause

Even when the candidate is a missionary, the Church’s beatification process has its own legal-judicial prerequisites.

Competence and the right of the Bishop

It is the right of diocesan Bishops (and equivalent authorities) to investigate the life, virtues or martyrdom, reputation of holiness or martyrdom, and alleged miracles, within their jurisdiction, when beatification/canonization is asked. 8

Also, special pontifical law governs causes of canonization of the Servants of God, while the Code of Canon Law applies when it does not conflict and when universal norms are involved. 9

Consultation before initiating a cause

Once the Bishop accepts the written request, he must seek the opinion of at least the regional conference of Bishops on whether it is advisable to initiate the cause. 10

The inquiry must be “on the right thing”

If the intention is to prove heroicity of virtues, the Inquiry must be instructed “on the life, the heroic virtues and the reputation of holiness and of intercessory power.” 11

If the intention is to prove martyrdom, the Inquiry must be instructed on the “life, the martyrdom and the reputation of martyrdom and of intercessory power.” 11

This means that in missionary causes, the evidence-gathering is guided by whether the Church is pursuing a virtue case or a martyrdom case.

When the person becomes “Servant of God”

A person whose cause is initiated is called a Servant of God. 1

Bottom line for “missionaries” seeking beatification (or for their supporters)

From the Church’s own criteria as given here, the decisive points are:

• The person must be Catholic and their cause must be able to show either:
  • heroic virtues with a reputation of holiness, or
  • martyrdom with a reputation of martyrdom. 1 3
• The reputations must be authentic and widespread among a significant portion of the faithful, spontaneous (not manufactured), and stable/continuous. 2
• There must also be an authentic and widespread reputation of intercessory power, documented and evaluated by the Bishop before the cause proceeds. 2 4
• Missionary work itself provides the concrete context for how those virtues or martyrdom were lived (witness “of life and word,” dialogue, evangelization, building up young churches), but it does not change the underlying criteria for beatification. 6 6 7

These are the criteria and process requirements that can be directly supported from the provided Church sources.