Isn't it true that Catholics worship and pray to Mary, Jesus' mother?

Question

Their prayers start with "Holy Mary mother of God" That would put her as God and creator if she in fact was the mother of God. I am confused. Shouldn't they be praying to God rather than Mary? And also I have been around Catholics and they confess their sins to another man istead of God, doesn't the bible say that if you confess your sins to God you will be forgiven? It doesn't say to another man does it?

Answer 1

Actually, in the catechism of the Catholic Church it states, and clearly differentiates between the devotion to Mary and the adoration of God.

971 "All generations will call me blessed": "The Church's devotion to the Blessed Virgin is intrinsic to Christian worship." The Church rightly honors "the Blessed Virgin with special devotion. From the most ancient times the Blessed Virgin has been honored with the title of 'Mother of God,' to whose protection the faithful fly in all their dangers and needs. . . . This very special devotion . . . differs essentially from the adoration which is given to the incarnate Word and equally to the Father and the Holy Spirit, and greatly fosters this adoration." The liturgical feasts dedicated to the Mother of God and Marian prayer, such as the rosary, an "epitome of the whole Gospel," express this devotion to the Virgin Mary.

As to Confession


1456 Confession to a priest is an essential part of the sacrament of Penance: "All mortal sins of which penitents after a diligent self-examination are conscious must be recounted by them in confession, even if they are most secret and have been committed against the last two precepts of the Decalogue; for these sins sometimes wound the soul more grievously and are more dangerous than those which are committed openly."
When Christ's faithful strive to confess all the sins that they can remember, they undoubtedly place all of them before the divine mercy for pardon. But those who fail to do so and knowingly withhold some, place nothing before the divine goodness for remission through the mediation of the priest, "for if the sick person is too ashamed to show his wound to the doctor, the medicine cannot heal what it does not know."

Answer 2

The "man" that they confess to acts like a middle man of sorts, he makes sure that you get a punishment deserving of what you confess, prayers not physical stuff. As far as Mary Mother of God, in that context they are talking about Jesus, the son of God. It is really confusing if you are just learning about it but I had it shoved down my throat while at school and from the nuns that loved to whack my fingers with yardsticks.

The bottom line is pretty simple, take it all with a grain of salt, a very big grain of salt.

Answer 3

Virgin Mary who conceived without original sin was the Mother of Christ. So she is the Mother of God.

We Catholics,

* Do not worship her
* But we love her, respect her, hounour her
* Request her to pray for us before God

Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, in turn

* Pray for us before her Son, Our God
* Love us
* Intercede for us
* Protect us

And God,
* Grant us our requests and special blessings though Virgin Mary

Regarding confessions, we Catholics confess to God through Priests. It is one of Sacraments and it is the way we should confess to God.

I am suggesting you to study the Catechism and the church rules first.
Then study the Catholic faith which has ever been so meaningful and benefited to the believer.

Otherwise you will become a laughing source.

Answer 4

The first part is not biblical. Nowhere in the bible does it say to pray to anyone but God. You can pray to God the Father, the Holy Spirit, or the Son (Jesus).
To answer the second part the bible does say to confess your sins, one to another. I do not feel this is to say we are asking for them to forgive the sins, but more like saying, "Hey, I am wanting what my neighbor owns. I am telling you so you can help keep me accountable, since I do not want to sin."

Answer 5

Yes they do. Oh they will say they don't but I was a Catholic at one time and they do. They put statues of Mary on graves. They light candles at statues of Mary at church. The have a special place at Notre Dame that has a statue of Mary where people go to kneel and pray. They say a prayer, The Hail Mary, and even ask her for forgiveness. They do worship Mary.

Answer 6

This is not true. We pray to Mary so that she intercedes. However we do not worship her. We worship God and The Holy Trinity which is God. We confess our sins to a priest who absolves our sins like he told the apostles to do.

Answer 7

Catholics are supposed to pray to Mary to intercede with God. It's optional.

Answer 8

I am an ex - Catholic but I dont hate them. My whole family is still Catholic but they do not CLAIM to worship Mary, however by the definition of the word "worship" they do. Worship means to honor, highly esteem, pray to, adore, bow to, prostrate before and praise. So they do even if they think they dont.

Answer 9

Catholics share the belief in the Communion of Saints with many other Christians, including the Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, and Episcopal Churches.

The Communion of Saints is the belief where all saints are intimately related in the Body of Christ, a family. When you die and go to heaven, you do not leave this family.

Everyone in heaven or on their way to heaven are saints. You, me, my deceased grandmother, Mary the mother of Jesus, and Mother Teresa.

As part of this family, you may ask your family and friends here on earth to pray for you. Or you may also ask the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint Andrew, or your deceased grandmother in heaven to pray for you.

Prayer to saints is communication, not worship.

The Hail Mary prayer simply recites Bible passages (the Word of God) and asks Mary to pray for us:

Hail Mary Full of grace, the Lord is with you. (These are the words the angel Gabriel said to Mary, a Bible quote.)

Blessed are thou among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. (This is Mary's cousin Elizabeth's greeting, another bible quote.)

Holy Mary, (The angel Gabriel said she was full of grace and Elizabeth said she was blessed.)

Mother of God, (the Bible says Mary is the mother of Jesus Christ, God the Son)

Pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. (A simple request to pray for us.)

Amen.

With love in Christ.

Answer 10

Catholics pray to Mary to intercede or to work on your behalf to her son/god. She is not worshiped as a seperate entity.