“It is not an inerrant practice.”
Even worse, it distorts the word “saint” that God Himself applies multiple times to every single believer. It adds qualifications God Himself does not add.
Clearly, it is not inerrant.
For the record, I hope the dear man was a saint.
Your understanding is apparently crippled by the limitations of English. A saint is a holy person, and the term saint is derived from the Latin word "Sanctus" meaning holy. It is not an office, it is an adjective. A saint is one recognized by the Church as holy.
The Church used this term for 15 centuries before there was an English language. If anyone is guilty of distorting the term is it the English.
Peace be with you.