LordGoat10 t1_je06qez wrote on March 28, 2023 at 1:57 PM

Reply to comment by pezx in TIL that in Chinese Folk Religion, a mortal human being could ascend into godhood not through the decisions of a clergy/church, but by the sheer number of people who believe that their extraordinary achievements led to apotheosis, which forced Confucian/Taoists clerics to canonize a person as a God. by Khysamgathys

The Catholic Church can traditionally canonize at a local level but only through the permission of a local bishop. More canonizations nowadays are done directly through Rome which requires more than popular acclamation though popular veneration is a key component to getting considered for sainthood.