The process of removing someone's status as a saint or canceling their official recognition by a religious authority.
From de- (reversal) + canonization (the process of officially recognizing a saint) + -tion. This is a rare modern term created when the Catholic Church needed to address exceptional cases where sainthood was questioned or revoked.
While canonization (making someone a saint) is common knowledge, decanonization is so rare that it shocked the religious world when it actually happened—it reveals that even the highest religious honors aren't permanently set in stone.
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