Why do Catholics pray to dead saints?

Question

And where is that practice taught by Jesus Christ and The Apostles in the Bible? - Chapter, verse and quote, please.

You Catholics that are answering without quoting scripture are making a profound point.

The question is not the status of the dead or deceased or departed saints. The question is about PRAYING TO THEM. No scripture has yet been given to justify the act. That is the question.

Answer 1

Its a false tradition of their fathers... it clearly states in the Bible that we are to pray to the FATHER and to none else.

Answer 2

1. I am not 'Catholic'; but I think can answer your questions anyway. Those 'saints' may have passed from this life; but that does not mean they cease to exist. Jesus told people that God was the God of the living, not the dead (Matt. 22:32 amongst others).
2. Looking for 'deeds' (the practice) implies a lack of trust in what Jesus said. That is one of the things that is splitting "Christianity' in the USA today as is. (In effect it also puts man on the same level as Jesus; rather than recognizing him as superior to man presently).

Answer 3

Catholics generally "pray" to the dead as a way of asking them to pray for them. Their concept of death and separation from this life is different than the rest of us.

From Catholics I have known....

Just because a person's heart has stopped beating, and we view their body as "dead", that doesn't mean this person is completely out of touch with the rest of creation. They are (thought to be) viewing the "action" going on in the Earth (like spectators in a football game), and cheering us on, praying for us, etc. When a Catholic addresses one of these "saints", they are asking that particular person to pray for them, just like somebody else would ask their aunt, uncle, brother, sister, friend, minister, etc ON EARTH to pray for them. Death is not seen as a barrier to such communication.

As far as I know, there is no biblical support for this practice. IDK what it is based on, although some people have mentioned the Transfiguration as a reference (where Jesus talked to Moses and Elijah). The idea is, if Jesus could do it on earth, then WE should be able to do it on earth.

Answer 4

Jesus said that God is the God of the Living, not of the dead. The saints are NOT dead. Praying to them is analogous to asking YOU to pray for us.

Matt 22:32
Mark 12:27
Luke 20:38

Answer 5

+ The Communion of Saints +

Before Jesus Christ died for our sins and opened the gates of heaven there were no saints in heaven. Therefore there are no Old Testament writings that would mention them.

Very few of the new Christians died before most of the New Testament was written. Therefore there is little in the Bible about asking saints to pray for us.

However the last book of the Bible does talk about the saints in heaven praying.

Revelation 5:8: Each of the elders held a harp and gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of the holy ones.

Revelation 8:3-4: He was given a great quantity of incense to offer, along with the prayers of all the holy ones, on the gold altar that was before the throne. The smoke of the incense along with the prayers of the holy ones went up before God from the hand of the angel.

The Holy Spirit guided the early Church in many things not explained in the Bible including how does the Body of Christ (believers) on Earth relate to the Body of Christ (saints) in heaven. We are still one Body.

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.

http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt1sect2chpt3art9p5.htm#946

+ Sources of Doctrine +

The Catholic Church does not use Holy Scripture as the only basis of doctrine. It could not. The early Catholic church existed before and during the time that the New Testament was written (by Catholics).

There were hundreds of Christian writings during the first and second centuries. Which New Testament writings would become official was not fully decided until about 400 AD.

Catholics believe that the Holy Spirit was guiding the early church (and is guiding the church today) to make the correct choices about things like:
+ The Holy Trinity (which is also only hinted at in the Bible)
+ Going to church on Sunday instead of Saturday (which is actually directly against one of the Ten Commandments)
+ The Communion of Saints
+ Which writings include in the New Testament?

Things that are even more modern like
+ Slavery is bad. Slavery is never declared evil in the Bible. This was one of the justifications for slavery in the Confederate States.
+ Democracy is good. The Bible states that either God should be the leader of the nation like Israel before the kings or kings should be the leader, "Give to Caesar that which is Caesar's." This was talked about a lot during the American Revolution.

This second source of doctrine is called Apostolic Tradition.

http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt1sect1chpt2.htm#80

+ With love in Christ.

Answer 6

There is not such thing as a dead saint.
"Dead saint" is not in the bible.
The very concept is of the Sadduccees, and Jesus corrected them.

God loves his children in heaven as he loves his children on earth. People who reject the intercession of the saints are saying that God's love is divided, contrary to the Bible. Those who object to intercessionof the saints are saying that the family of God is divided, cntrary to the Bible.

1 Cor. 3:9 Rejection of the intercession of the saints means you do not believe that God loves us enough to permit His ONE FAMILY to participate in His work. He does not need us (in heaven or on earth) to be fellow workers, but He does because He loves us. Anti-saint Christians diminish the love of God.

Matt. 26:53 – Jesus says He can call upon the assistance of twelve legions of angels. If Jesus said He could ask for the assistance of angel saints – and He obviously would not have been worshiping them in so doing – then so can we, who need their help infinitely more than Jesus, and without engaging in idolatry. And, in Matt. 22:30, Jesus says we will be “like angels in heaven.” This means human saints (like the angel saints) can be called upon to assist people on earth. God allows and encourages this interaction between his family members.

Rev. 1:4 – this verse shows that angels (here, the seven spirits) give grace and peace. Because grace and peace only come from God, the angels are acting as mediators for God.

Rev. 5:8 - the prayers of the saints (on heaven and earth) are presented to God by the angels and saints in heaven. This shows that the saints intercede on our behalf before God, and it also demonstrates that our prayers on earth are united with their prayers in heaven. (The “24 elders” are said to refer to the people of God – perhaps the 12 tribes and 12 apostles - and the “four living creatures” are said to refer to the angels.)

Rev. 6:9-11 – the martyred saints in heaven cry out in a loud voice to God to avenge their blood “on those who dwell upon the earth.” These are “imprecatory prayers,” which are pleas for God’s judgment (see similar prayers in Psalm 35:1; 59:1-17; 139:19; Jer. 11:20; 15:15; 18:19; Zech.1:12-13). This means that the saints in heaven are praying for those on earth, and God answers their prayers (Rev. 8:1-5). We, therefore, ask for their intercession and protection.

Answer 7

I've actually wondered that too. Or why they call the priest Father, when that is forbidden? Or why they portray Christ on the cross, when we know He's been resurrected? Or why Mary is so important, when even Christ told her He had no mother?

I have alot more, but no time to find out!

Answer 8

We believe they're not dead that's the thing they're alive in heaven, supported by the verse in revelations saying angels offered the prayers of the saints to God like incense in a censor.

Answer 9

Because their misguided religious leaders tell them to. Jesus said: "No one comes to the Father except through me."

Answer 10

There is NO bigger SCAM on planet earth than the Roman Catholic Religion. Catholic conspiracy to keep you poor in spirit and be stupid. I don't even call the Roman Catholic organization a "church" It is a religion of manmade traditions and lies of the devil.