CFN: The "Canonizations": CFN interviews Professor Roberto de Mattei

Someone I knew at Christendom was in the area several months ago to give a talk at the DSPT on canonization. He wrote this article on the same topic for Crisis.

Is there an analogy between canonization and canon law, such that the pope does not have authority to promulgate something that is binding upon the whole Church in these two respects, the liturgical calendar (and official cultus) and canon law? For those who believe that the Eastern churches do not have to accept anything of the exercise of the papal office beyond what was done in the first millenium, is there anything in Church History during the first millenium that would uphold this sort of authority for the bishop of Rome? Can the pope declare (or teach) that someone (Roman-rite or otherwise?) is a saint and have it binding on the Church Universal? (It may be that some who believe that such proclamations are instances of papal infallibility must do so because they believe that this is part of the pope's authority with respect to the Church Universal, rather than as a part of his authority as "Patriarch of the West.")