VATICAN CITY—To the surprise of sources both inside and outside the Vatican, including the man himself, the Roman Catholic Church has decided to canonize Andy Weir, famed author of The Martian. Apparently, Weir’s book resounded with many Catholics as it details the survival of an astronaut stranded on another planet as he has to improvise. The fictional novel describes the astronaut’s ability to endure adversity, particularly in being the first to harvest potatoes on Mars, albeit in a shelter. Following the canonization mass this coming Sunday, Weir will be the patron saint of potatoes and stranded astronauts, officially St. Andy.
Typically, the process of becoming a saint in the Catholic Church has five steps. First, the process to grant sainthood cannot usually begin until at least five years after a person’s death; this is to allow time for emotions following the death to calm down, ensuring that the case can be handled more objectively. This waiting period may be waived by the Pope, as in the case with Weir, who is still alive and well; this was thought to reflect the overwhelming hierarchical support that The Martian enjoyed and the popular grassroots conviction that its author is a holy man.
Second, the bishop of the diocese where the person died can open an investigation into the life of the individual, to see whether he or she lived with sufficient holiness and virtue to be considered for sainthood. While evidence is often gathered of the person’s life and deeds, the Diocese of San José, under which Weir’s Mountain View home falls, felt that the novel was testimony enough. At this point the bishop would ask the Congregation for the Causes of Saints to open the case. Weir’s case was accepted for consideration the same day it was submitted, allowing him to be called “a servant of God.”
Third, the Congregation for the Causes of Saints considers the evidence of the individual’s holiness and work as well as signs that people have been drawn to prayer through their example. In Weir’s case, the committee members and other Catholics who read the book or watched the movie did pray, especially during the intense scenes. An approved case is then passed on to the Pope, who decided whether the candidate lived a life of “heroic virtue.” This was not an issue for Weir as Pope Francis, already an ardent fan, was impressed that The Martian was originally self published and that it was Weir’s first novel of that nature. At this point in the process, the candidate receives the title of “venerable.”
Fourth, a miracle needs to be attributed to prayers made to the candidate, such a miracle being seen as proof that the individual is already in heaven and able to intercede in behalf of others. While no one has attempted to pray to Weir, as he is still on earth, the one historical exception to this step has been martyrdom. Vatican experts looking at negative reviews of the book and movie adaptation have agreed that, in a sense, Weir was martyred by critics. The candidate is considered beatified and receives the title of “blessed.”
Fifth and finally, for an individual to be canonized, a second miracle needs to be attributed to prayers made to the candidate after beatification; only one verified miracle is needed for a martyr. In this case, the miracle after beatification was the announcement of a film adaptation of Weir’s second novel, Artemis; also, it was not so much a prayer as it was fan mail. While it yet remains unclear how this announcement relates to potatoes or an astronaut being stranded, sources said only that “it is all related.” Sunday, the canonization ceremony for Weir will involve a special mass conducted by Pope Francis, recital of his life history, and chanting a prayer in Latin declaring him a saint.
Weir contacted Catholic authorities as soon as he learned of the process. While appreciative of the Vatican’s support of his work, he voiced concerns that his being alive—and not Catholic—might cause trouble.