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The Roman Catholic Church’s criteria

for ‘conferring sainthood’ rests upon intercession.

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Intercession can be described as,

‘the predilection of disincarnate entities

to effect the incarnate world in a positive way’.

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If enough people report a successful outcome

or outcomes from their prayers of supplication to such entities

a case can be made for ‘promotion’ to sainthood…

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A history will be written, icons and relics will be manufactured,

more people will pray to the new saint and seek their graces…

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This process, apparently, applies to both humans and angels

which gives us the seemingly incongruous phenomena –

Archangelic Saints!

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Of which, St Michael is one…

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All this is a far cry from the early scriptural tradition

which seemed loath to even name ‘God’s Messengers’.

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Strange as this process might be it does suggest

that calling on the Archangels for help actually works!

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