[BuckeyeTexan]

Here's the thing. Saints are made Saints only by the Lord God. The Church doesn't make a Saint. It can only declare a person a Saint...and in so doing the Church then holds this Saint up as a model of virtue for the rest of us to learn from.

Okay. That makes good sense. So is a Saint simply (not meaning "merely" but rather "essentially") a role model or is (s)he more than that? Do Catholics pray to Saints as portrayed in movies? Do they believe Saints have a special power or influence/favor with God/Christ? Is the Church's declaration of a Saint equivalent to a formal/official statement that (s)he is in Heaven with Christ?

For example, I recently learned where Scripture gives priests the power to forgive sins and assign penance. Previously, I scorned the idea as being inconsistent with Scripture.

(Courtesy ping to Salvation who is guiding my education in Catholicism very patiently.)

[Salvation]

**Do Catholics pray to Saints as portrayed in movies?**

The movies tend to portray this in a leftist manner. A movie-goer never hears the words, “Saint ______________, pray for me.

That’s all we ask them to do. They have souls and are alive in heaven and pass our prayers on to Jesus. (As well as praying for us.)