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5 interesting facts about Saint Patrick

1. Technically not a saint

The Vatican
The Vatican | Reuters/Max Rossi

While it's hard to fathom considering Saint Patrick as anything other than a saint, technically when it comes to official sainthood, according to the Roman Catholic Church, Patrick is not a saint.

At the least, he is not a saint in the official ordained recognized manner as a figure like St. Paul of Tarsus, St. Francis of Assisi or Saint Teresa of Calcutta. 

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"The modern canonization procedure was not developed by the Church until about the 13th century," said historian William Carroll in an earlier interview with the Catholic network EWTN.

"Before that, a popular veneration of a saint would develop, which the Church eventually approved or disapproved, often not specifically declaring approval or disapproval, but just allowing it to continue if they approved of it."

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