a person who has received an official honour ...

[kadioguy]

saint
n.
[Cambridge]
(the title given to) a person who has received an official honour from the Christian, especially the Roman Catholic, Church for having lived in a good and holy way.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/saint

[Longman]
someone who is given the title 'saint' by the Christian church after they have died, because they have been very good or holy
https://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/saint
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1. Why is the present perfect used? What does that mean?

2. How about these? (My versions)

a. [Cambridge] ... a person who receives an official honour ... for living in a good and holy way.

b. [Longman] ... after they die, because they were very good or holy

 

[jutfrank]

The present perfect aspect is used because you can only become a saint after you're dead. For that reason, your version a. doesn't work well as you can't really receive something after you die. Your version b. is okay but the perfect aspect works better to express the idea that it happens after death.

 

[kadioguy]

The present perfect aspect is used because you can only become a saint after you're dead. For that reason, your version a. doesn't work well as you can't really receive something after you die. [...]

For example, Tom died in 2020 June, and the title “saint” was given to him in 2020 July. Then we can say “Tom has received an official honour from the Christian Church for having lived in a good and holy way.”

So the present perfect aspect has an effect: we can say “the person has received something, even when that happens after his or her death, because the present perfect aspect is used to tell us ‘what has happened from the view point of now’.

However, “a person who receives an official honour” (the present simple) is more as if he or she is still alive, which conflicts with the concept of “saint”.

Is that right?
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[Update]
Me: For example, Uncle Tom passed away last month. He has lived in a good and holy way. (However, “had lived” would also work.) Is that right?

Friend:
I wouldn't use any form of present tense there. The simplest and easiest verb to use is just "He lived in a good and holy way". "He has lived in a ..." definitely makes it sound more like he's still alive.

I wouldn't say Charlemagne has been crowned emperor by Pope Leo III, for example, unless I was already framing it as if the time period were right now.

(Edit: Added the content)

 

[Tarheel]

Yes, I think you've got it right. (Mind you, I haven't had my coffee yet. )

 

[kadioguy]

I have a new thought:

A person lived in a good and holy way, then they received an offical honour from the Church, and after their death the title “saint” was given to them.

So in a general definition, we can say:

“Saint is the title given to a person who has received an official honour from the Christian, especially the Roman Catholic, Church for having lived in a good and holy way.” [Cambridge]

Or “someone who is given the title 'saint' by the Christian church after they have died, because they have been very good or holy.” [Longman]

In short, the perfect aspect is used to indicate the chronological order.

Does that make sense?

(Edit: Fixed a typo. Thanks, Tarheel )

 

[Tarheel]

Two things. One, shouldn't it be that they received an honour from the church? Two, you are probably right about perfect aspect. (Jutfrank knows for sure. I don't.)

 

[Tdol]

Couldn't sainthood be seen as an extension of life and connected to the present, while dead monarchs are history?