Lentorama 2018: Second String Saints

Day 3 - Saint Canute

Also known as Canute IV, he was king of Denmark towards the end of the 11th century. A devout Catholic, he aimed to strengthen the church in Denmark and to strengthen Denmark by taking over England, which he believed was rightly his (he was the great-nephew of Canute the Great, who ruled England earlier in the century). He attempted to do so with a peasant army, which he managed to annoy by delaying an invasion long enough to play havoc with the harvesting of crops. Canute eventually disbanded the army, but before he could recall it the following year the peasants revolted, and eventually killed Canute and several of his followers while they took refuge in a church.

Canute was canonized in 1101, the first Danish saint. He's still the patron saint of Denmark. All of which would make you think he'd not get dropped from the general calendar, but he did as he's not "truly of universal importance." Several of the saints dropped from the main calendar were demoted for that reason, which just seems sad. Sorry, you're not cool enough to hang with the really popular saints!