Why is Michael the Archangel regarded as a Saint?

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Willing_Spirit

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Are all angels saints? I’ve never heard anyone say Saint Gabriel? Does “saint” just mean “entity in heaven”?
 
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I would add that in addition to the three archangels named in the article, there is a fourth archangel called St. Uriel who is venerated in Eastern Catholicism and can also be found occasionally in some Western Catholic churches, although he is not officially permitted to be venerated in Western Catholicism.
 
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In Latin, Sancto “means” Holy". In Greek it’s Agios or Agia (feminine). So Agia Antonio = Sancto Antonio = St. Anthony.
 
Isn’t it a little redundant then to ask “all of the angels and saints” to pray for us? Is there not a word for specifically human souls in heaven?
 
Willing_Spirit said:
Isn’t it a little redundant then to ask “all of the angels and saints” to pray for us? Is there not a word for specifically human souls in heaven?
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Did you read the article I posted? It specifically says that only three (or four if you count Uriel) archangels are called “St.”
 
I think by calling out angels as a separate group from saints in the prayer, the Church is seeking to distinguish between the angels and the human saints as you say. I don’t see why we need a special word for humans in heaven.
 
Two different natures of beings - one spiritual/corporal and one only spiritual. Saints occasionally illumine the hearts of individual believers via private revelation. Angels relay God’s word from the Throne.

Human Saints have corporal existence and experience. Angels have neither, thus their intercession, in a nuanced way, is different. Angels know of our struggles. Human Saints know them fully, having shared in them.
 
We’ve had some past threads on how he is technically not permitted to be venerated by name in the Latin Church because the Vatican said we can only venerate the 3 archangels named in the canon. Yet, there are statues and images of him in some Latin churches. I am aware of one or two in the USA, one in the Philippines and one in Europe. The Europe church may pre-date the Vatican pronouncement, but the other churches were built within the last century or two.

Plus, if the ECs venerate him then Latin Catholics can too. So every once in a while I say a little prayer to St. Uriel.
 
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