Guido Schaffer, the Surfing Angel. Might he become the first Surfing Saint?
After a Brazilian surfer died surfing just a few weeks before becoming an ordained priest, the Vatican has officially given the holiest of okays to his ascent to sainthood.
In 2009, Guido Schaffer, a Brazilian Catholic, was on his way to completing his studies to enter full priesthood when his accident occurred in Rio de Janeiro. While surfing at a Barra da Tijuca at a friend’s bachelor party just south of Rio, Schaffer fell on a wave, breaking his neck. He was 34. Five years later, the Archdiocese of Rio de Janiero issued the No Objection document that’s needed to start the path to becoming a saint. The five years come into play when it comes to the steps to becoming a saint, the first of which requires the person to be dead for at least five years (although Mother Teresa was an exception… but she’s Mother Teresa).
While the road to sainthood isn’t exactly an easy one, right now, all signs point to yes when it comes to Schaffer becoming a surfing saint. After the five year period is up and the person’s life has been deemed sufficiently non-devil-ish, the Vatican grants something called a Nihil Obsat, which is Latin for “nothing hinders.” Afterwards, the person is deemed an official Servant of God. Right now the powers that be are in the process of looking thoroughly at Shaffer’s life, and if worthy of the title, he’ll move on to the next step.
After becoming a Servant of God, a Postulator from the Church will gather testimonies of the Schaffer’s virtue, then present them to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints in Rome. After the congregation voices its approval, the candidate earns a new title: Venerable.
That’s not all, though. The next step is to be recognized as Blessed. In order to reach this status, Shaffer will have to have acquired one “miracle” during his life, and yet another to reach Canonization. Only afterwards does the Pope declare the person a Saint. So while Schaffer may have a long road ahead of him, he has already been nicknamed the Surfing Angel. But doesn’t the Surfing Saint roll off the tongue a little easier?
