Decannonization?

[Montie_Claunch]

I heard that Saint Christapher (one of the saint Chris’s anyhow) had been, I guess the term would be, decannonized. Is this true? How could it be true? I thought that it was practicly dogma when the Church says that you’re a saint. Can anyone help with this boogle? thanks and God bless.

 

[LilyM]

Montie Claunch:

I heard that Saint Christapher (one of the saint Chris’s anyhow) had been, I guess the term would be, decannonized. Is this true? How could it be true? I thought that it was practicly dogma when the Church says that you’re a saint. Can anyone help with this boogle? thanks and God bless.

What, they decided not to shoot him out of a cannon? The spelling would be decanonized. It wasn’t his sanctity that was questioned, it was simply the evidence of his actual existence was reexamined and found a little lacking - this happened to a number of other saints, including Nicholas of Myra (better known as Santa Claus)

 

[puzzleannie]

LilyM:

, it was simply the evidence of his actual existence was reexamined and found a little lacking - this happened to a number of other saints, including Nicholas of Myra (better known as Santa Claus)

not quite, the actual formal process of canonization was not in place before the 11th century, when the canon, or list of saints was first drawn up and the process for declaring saints was prescribed. Before that saints were usually a local affair acclaimed and affirmed by the faithful and bishop of the diocese for their piety, martyrdom etc. What happened after V2 when the canonization process was revised, also the Roman canon, the list of saints and their prescribed feast days to be observed by the universal Church also changed. Some saints like Nicholas that used to have a universal feast day were changed to optional memorials. They still have a fixed feast in countries where they are patrons. These are saints for whom we do have historical basis for their lives and works. This is to make room on the calendar for memorials for saints with local significance as patrons of countries, dioceses, cities. So each country has their own calendar in addition to the universal Roman calendar. So Saint David has a feast in Wales, for instance.

Some saints of the early Church that have been venerated due to long tradition but about whom we actually know and have documented very little were also removed from the universal canon, but that is not to say they are not saints, just that they do not have an assigned feast day. Faithful can still venerate these saints, such as Christopher and Philomena but they are not listed in the canon. That is not the same as saying, sorry, we blew it, this guy is not a saint never was never has been.

 

[matwood17]

No idea if they could, but I would like to point to one that should. Saint Boniface.

English Bishop Winfred was sent by Pope Gregory II in 723 AD to Geisar, Germany. After cutting down the oak they had decorated for the winter solstice in their Pagan tradition, he told them to take a fir tree into their home to appease them. This was not even the Pontiff, but a Bishop, and was not done under the Pontiff’s order.

God’s second commandment:
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Exodus 20:4

“Idolatry is a pejorative term for the worship of an idol or a physical object such as a cult image as a god, or practices believed to verge on worship, such as giving honour and regard to created forms.” -Wikipedia

The argument being that this Bishop instructed the people to take the fir trees in order to appease their anger over his action, therefore exchanging one idol for another. In pointing to the enormity of this sin, I refer you to Matthew 5:17-20

17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
-Matthew 5:17-20

Jesus Christ himself has called this act serious enough that this Bishop can only be seen by Christians as least in heaven, not the highest. That is HIS judgment, not mine, and certainly not the Church’s right to contradict.

Not only has he led a village to display a false idol contrary to God’s law, it has led to much of today’s WORLD doing so.

Neither the Pope, nor any MAN on earth have the right or jurisdiction to contradict God’s law or his son’s, my savior, Jesus Christ.