… if I understand canonization correctly, declaring someone a Saint makes no statement whatever about whether they went directly to heaven or had to be purified in purgatory. …
David,
I referenced the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) at the following URL:
vatican.va to at least construct a believable arguement against your claim, that " … declaring someone a Saint makes no statement whatever about whether they went directly to heaven or had to be purified in purgatory. … ".
You might visit this site yourself, and read the following paragraphs: 823-829 under the heading–II. The Church is Holy. You will undoubtedly recognize the importance of holiness in a persons life, and continuous reference to the perfection of holiness, not only of God, but also of those whom the Catholic Church has noted as perfect in their holiness, as well.
I will first give a synopsis of those paragraphs, that I will use to construct an arguement for sainthood definitively meaning: a soul departed from its body, not to reside in Purgatory, but to reside in Heaven, apart from Purgatory.
" … The Church . . . is held, as a matter of faith, to be unfailingly holy. This is because Christ, the Son of God, who with the Father and the Spirit is hailed as ‘alone holy,’ loved the Church as his Bride, giving himself up for her so as to sanctify her; he joined her to himself as his body and endowed her with the gift of the Holy Spirit for the glory of God." … The Church, then, is “the holy People of God, … and her members are called “saints.” … United with Christ, the Church is sanctified by him; through him and with him she becomes sanctifying. … all the faithful, whatever their condition or state - though each in his own way - are called by the Lord to that perfection of sanctity by which the Father himself is perfect.” … LOVE, IN FACT, IS THE VOCATION WHICH INCLUDES ALL OTHERS; IT’S A UNIVERSE OF ITS OWN, COMPRISING ALL TIME AND SPACE - IT’S ETERNAL! … The Church, however, clasping sinners to her bosom, at once holy and always in need of purification, follows constantly the path of penance and renewal. … By canonizing some of the faithful, … the Church recognizes the power of the Spirit of holiness within her and sustains the hope of believers by proposing the saints to them as models and intercessors. … holiness is the hidden source and infallible measure of her apostolic activity and missionary zeal. … in the most Blessed Virgin the Church has already reached that perfection whereby she exists without spot or wrinkle, the faithful still strive to conquer sin and increase in holiness. And so they turn their eyes to Mary … in her, the Church is already the ‘all-holy.’"
Purgatory, you may know, exists for those, whom Hell is unwarranted; yet, the account of sins on their souls does warrant punishment, pain, a more intense burning in the fire of love, that is the Holy Spirit, which to all sin must feel painful, not much different than chlorine in a swimming pool burning and drying flesh, but killing bacteria, that might cause further harm beyond the damage done of Chlorine, as it burns skin; dries hair. Purgatory is painful; though, it is heaven. You might have experienced intense emotional, perhaps even physical pain, that caused you in anguish, such as the Agony in the Garden, to cry out to God for relief, for mercy, for love–you became as it were purified in this suffering, and anguish–purifying your decisions to wallow in misery to instead, turn your anguish toward God. Such is the nature of Purgatory, though, the pain is beyond imagination.
Sainthood is warranted as transcendant of Purgatory, due to the Holiness one has obtained, while living with soul and body united, on earth. It can be no other way, in consideration of the point, that saints exemplify people, that have answered the call of God, to love him, to serve him, to become as God: perfect in all holiness. How then in light of the Beatitudes, would it be possible for such holiness on earth to go unrewarded in heaven?
It would make no sense given the existence of Purgatory to rely upon intercession from those, for whom we ourselves are to pray, that the souls of those in Purgatory might be released; done in the power, and with the power, and by the power of Jesus’ name.
Whatever risk there might be in “debunking” this point–have at it!