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Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2011 2:22 am
So I believe I understand the process to which a person becomes a Saint. But how does a Saint lose Sainthood? Can a Saint be uncanonized?
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Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2011 4:53 am
Saints that are formally canonized by the Catholic Church are not de-canonized.
In the case of those who were "de-canonized," more like not recognized as canon since they were never officially canonized, these were proclaimed by popular approval. Many of those were based on legends, pagan mythology, or even other religions. The Church examined if there was historical evidence that each saint existed and lived a life of holiness. The Church discovered that there was little proof that many "saints", including some very popular ones, ever lived.
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Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2011 11:29 pm
Technically speaking, anyone who is in heaven is considered a "saint" (lower case s). So if your Uncle Bob or Aunt Flo is in heaven, technically they are a "saint". However, we have no way of knowing with 100% certainty that someone is in heaven unless they've been officially canonized as a "Saint" (capital s) by the Catholic Church.
Anyway, you're obviously referring to the Saints that are officially recognized by the Church. All these saints have gone through a thorough process that examines their lives and the miracles attributed to their intercession. If they get through all that and are canonized, it has been decided with 100% certainty that they are in heaven. Therefore, your answer is no, the Saints cannot be "uncanonized" because heaven is permanent.*
*My own speculation
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