Pope Francis changes the way saints are made in the Catholic Church

Recognizing a person as a saint is actually an expensive process that takes a long time and a lot of effort. Before a person can be recognized, an exhaustive investigation must be launched into their life. Miracles must be researched, often by doctors and other experts, and cases need to be made. Donors often become involved in the canonization process, bankrolling investigations to speed things along. This means popular individuals and candidates with wealthy devotees can be canonized much more quickly than a poor saint with a humble following.

http://www.catholic.org/news/international/europe/story.php?id=67837