Okay. Thanks.
How/why do people get nasty? Is it heated differences of opinion/interpretation or outright displays of hatred as with anti-semitism and anti-mormonism?
Is there a particular subject I should avoid to prevent starting such bashing? If you don’t want to share, I understand or if you want to answer privately, that’s cool also. I’m just curious.
If I can have a try with your questions. Yes, a canonized saint has essentially been vetted and found to be a good 'un worthy of emulation.
Yes Catholics DO pray to Saints (I don't know about "as portrayed in movies", unless it's something you got from Ignatius Press --LINK)
It's not that we think Saints have a "special" power or influence/favor with God/Christ, but that they have surely no less efficatiousness in heaven than the saints on earth would have. As James says (James 5:16) "The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." Surely no less so, once they're in heaven!
The Church's declaration of a Saint IS a formal/official statement that (s)he is in Heaven with Christ? Ordinarily it takes 2 fully investigated, authenticated miracles, taken as signs from Heaven that this person truly enjoys God's favor. (That is, signs -- usually cures--- obtained from God via the intercession of that saint, not during their lifetime, but after their death.) That always served as a safeguard against the too-hasty canonization of a person based merely on their popularity with their contemporaries or near-contemporaries.
Does that make sense?