What is the role of Apostolic Succession in lifting men and women to the ranks of saints?

In July 2014, Archbishop Timothy Paul of the Holy Orthodox Christian Church, as reported by [Premier Christian News](https://premierchristian.news/en/news/article/martin-luther-king-jr-made-a-saint-by-american-church) , said: > Dr. King was Catholic because he inspired the Universal Church. He was evangelical because of his Baptist roots, and he was charismatic. The Roman Catholic Church cannot make him a saint because he was not a Roman Catholic. But our church body, which has full apostolic succession, can present him to the entire Christian faith to be venerated on April 4th, the date of his assassination. **Q. What is the role of 'apostolic succession' in uplifting men and women into the ranks of saints? And does this differ from how the Catholic Church beatify men and women into sainthood?**