Why do Catholics believe they have to pray through Mary or saints rather than Jesus when the Bible clearly?

Question

says (Jesus' words) "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6 He didn't say through me or Mary or one of the saints. He said to access the Father (God) you have to go through HIM. Why would you waste your time praying to anyone else? If I believe the Bible (which I DO) those prayers don't make it through to God.

Romeo - Mary was a human, not a God, when she died she lost contact with the human world just like all other humans that die.
Romans 8:34 says "Christ Jesus who died & was raised is at the right hand of God interceding for us."
Maybe I'm reading that wrong too?

Answer 1

There are many good Catholics, but sadly they error because they do not know the scriptures.

Answer 2

Do you pray for others? What about the "I will pray for you", "Sisters, let us pray for our brother..."?

So if you, a wretched sinner can pray for another wretched sinner then why can't Mary? So your church members can go through each other but not through the mother of Jesus?

You are criticizing a belief that you didn't understand. John 14:6 did not mean "access"--this is your personal interpretation. The verse was refering to the fact that even if you pray to God the Father, IF the blood of Christ was not spilled for your sins then salvation would still not be possible. That's way too far from "accessing" the Father. People were already "accessing" the Father even before the Word became flesh. And they weren't praying through the Word.

The whole idea of praying to the saints is to ask for their intercession. Asking for intercession is an act of soliciting help just like you ask your church members to pray for you. The Bible clearly teaches that every member can pray for each other that even the apostle Paul asked his friends to keep him in their prayers or have you really read your Bible? Go read the Acts of the Apostles.

Answer 3

I converted from Catholicism because I found out how misguided I was as a Catholic. It's too bad that there r so many misguided souls out in this world who say they believe in the Holy Bible but don't take the time to study or read the scriptures on their own and ask of God for their own sakes and salvation. Ignorance is bliss and the leaders of the misguided will pay for their deception of the "the Way, the Truth, and the Life" and He shall judge them accordingly so u continue to pray for those misguided souls and don't fall into the judging part by asking "why and why not's", pray that they open their eyes soon and follow the "Word". Pray for their leaders too. God Bless U. Amen!

Answer 4

Catholics do not pray through Mary and the saints.

Catholics share the belief in the Communion of Saints with many other Christians, including the Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, Episcopal, and Methodist 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 in heaven is simple communication, not worship.

With love in Christ.

Answer 5

I am not Catholic (I am protestant) so maybe another person can give a better answer.

I am pretty sure the idea of praying to the dead came from a group of books called the Apocrypha. The Apocrypha is held in the the same regard as their Bible and contains a few theological ideas that the Bible does not hold. Protestants (as well as Jews) do not believe the Apocrypha should be regarded at the same level as the Bible. One of the reasons is because it contains some different ideas such as praying to the dead and purgatory.

Answer 6

Some people need help their faith isn't strong enough to turn to Jesus so they go to Mary and the Saints. Maybe it depends also on the way you were brought up if somneone in your family prays to Saints then u pick that up and ur children also will do that and so on even if it's not right. I dunno what the Vatican thinks about this but the pope is the one who makes the Saints saints so I think he's ok with that.
I think all prayers are heard by God. whether u r praying to Jesus or anybody else...God is merciful

I'm a catholic but I think the same way as u, I pray to Jesus and God. I celebrate the Saints and Mary but cannot pray or ask them for anything I can ask Jesus straight.

Answer 7

If you really are a believer you should know that God is everywhere and listens to everyone. I don't think he chooses which prayers he is going to listen to by saying: 'Nope, sorry you didn't go through the proper channel. Contact my son please and I'll consider your prayer...'Praying is like having a conversation with someone. I feel closer to Mary than to Jesus, so I prefer to talk to her, and I believe that ALL prayers make it through to God. COME ON ! Religion is all about sharing, and your question presents Jesus as an egocentric son who wants the best part in the play! Please!

Answer 8

So very true! We can only approach the Father through Jesus only! There is no other way! Jesus is our intercessory, not mary like the corrupted catholic church teaches.

Answer 9

Most Catholic doctrine is not divine, it is the theology and philosophy of priests, brothers, monks and supposed "saints"....like Augustine and Francis of Assisi.

Alfonsus de Liguori was a principal proponent of the Marianist (Mary) Movement, which glorifies Mary. He wrote a book entitled "The Glories of Mary" which is famous, influential and widely read. In this book, de Liguori says that Mary was given rulership over one half of the kingdom of God; Mary rules over the kingdom of mercy and Jesus rules over the kingdom of justice. De Liguori said that people should pray to Mary as a mediator and look to her as an object of trust for answered prayer. The book even says that there is no salvation outside of Mary. Some people suggest that these views are extreme and not representative of Catholic Church teaching. However, instead of silencing de Liguori as a heretic, the Catholic Church canonized him as a saint and declared him to be a "doctor of the Church" (a person whose teachings carry weight and authority). Furthermore, his book is openly and officially promoted by the Catholic Church, and his teachings have influenced popes.

Pope Benedict XV said of Mary that "[O]ne can justly say that with Christ, she herself redeemed mankind." Pope Pius IX said: "Our salvation is based upon the holy Virgin... so that if there is any hope and spiritual healing for us we receive it solely and uniquely from her."

Answer 10

Mary, being the mother of Jesus, is prayed to for intercession because the belief is that as His mother anything she ask of Him, He will not deny. You also have to understand the canonization of Saints to understand that God has performed miracles through them and that they also intercede on behalf of the Church.

Answer 11

Prayer is in the tempral lobes psychology proves it.
The Bible is man's "Word." Man has the ability to create things in the mind as well as LIE; so why trust the bible? It's not a very valid piece of evidence of history: Years of contradiction, years of edits.....and RE-EDITS(the whole New testament was an edit of the Old Testament).

ex. "I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Ms. Lewinksy" (Bill Clinton) Do you trust that Bill didn't have Sexual relations just because he said so?

I hope you see the clarity of my point.