To Catholics: Why do you have Popes and statues of saints?

Question

I mean why is that necessary?

Answer 1

they pray to them think thier dead saints can take these prayers to God they do the same thing with the virgin Mary. the Bible says that they should have no other Gods before him but the catholics dont think they have to be obediant to God.

Answer 2

Have you ever hung up a poster of a famous person in your bedroom, maybe when you were a teen? A sports person or other celebrity that you admired? Those posters remind of you of those people.

Do you keep photos of family members? Maybe you have them in an album, or displayed in a frame. Why? Because they are people that you love or that you admire and you want to be reminded of them.

Statues of saints serve the same purpose. Saints were good and holy people, virtuous people. Having a picture or a statue of a saint helps me remember that I too would like to be good and holy and virtuous.

Contrary to popular belief, Catholics do NOT worship a statue. And having the statues is not "necessary" as you implied in your question.

I am including a lnk to a very good website where you can read what people who are much smarter than me have to say about the subject.

Answer 3

Popes: Bishops in Rome. Read your Bible - get a Greek NT and look up "episkipos" Read about Peter and the Rock on which the Church was built

Statues of Saints: Just like photos of any family member.

Answer 4

We have a pope because Jesus set the church up that way.

We have statues and sacred artwork because up until about 90 years ago, almost nobody in the world could actually read, and such things were actually used to help teach the authentic Christian faith..

Also, since Jesus became man, and was obviously in violation of the old 2nd commandment, which prohibited making images (even flesh images) of heavenly things, we figured that commandment had served it's purpose, and could be retired.

Answer 5

>>To Catholics: Why do you have Popes and statues of saints?<<

We have a Pope because Jesus gave us a Pope (Matthew 16:17-19 and John 21:15-17), and it was understood that when one died, another took his office (Acts 1:20). Statues of saints are simply 3D pictures of family members. Do you have pictures of family members in your house?

Answer 6

Why is the Pope necessary? Let's look at the evidence ...

Church under the authority of the Pope - 2,000 years of unity in teaching, unity in worship and unity in administration, according to the stated will of Christ, "that they all may be ONE even as I and My heavenly Father are ONE".

Church tradions separated from the authority of the Pope - 500 years of ongoing separation and fragmentation, doctrinal chaos, thousands of conflicting and contradicting unauthorized manmade denominations, all claiming to teach the truth, and none agreeing on what the truth is.

Which of these scenarios sounds to you more like the will of God? Christ knew you cannot have truth without unity, and that you cannot have unity without genuine authority. Christ placed full authority in Simon Peter, the first Pope, personally appointed by Christ and given the keys to the kingdom, the universal symbol of supreme authority. That's why the Pope is necessary. Because God Himself made the Pope the key to Christian unity, without which genuine truth cannot be found. As soon as people rejected that God-given truth and attempted to force a book to be their authority instead, the process of fragmentation began, and continues to this day.

Statues of saints have the same function in the Church that statues of great Americans have in secular culture. They remind of of great heros of our heritage, without whose help we would not be where we are today, who are therefore remembered and honored.

Answer 7

The Pope is the head of the church. He makes ecclesiastical decesions for the church and counsels the church.

Statues are relics. All religions have relics.

Jews had the arc of the covenant.
Protestants fashion crucifixes (as do we) or bare crosses.

Answer 8

+ The Pope +

We will have to wait until we go to heaven or Jesus' return to find out why he gave us the role of the Pope.

John 21:15-17 states:

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." He said to him, "Feed my lambs."

He then said to him a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." He said to him, "Tend my sheep."

He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time, "Do you love me?" and he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." (Jesus) said to him, "Feed my sheep.

Matthew 16:17-19 states:

Jesus said to him in reply, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

The Catholic Church believes the Lord made Simon alone, whom he named Peter, the "rock" of his Church. He gave him the keys of his Church and instituted him shepherd of the whole flock.

The Pope is the senior pastor of 1.1 billion Catholics, the direct successor of Simon Peter.

http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt1sect2chpt3art9p4.htm#880

+ 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 living here on earth to pray for you. Or, you may also ask the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint Andrew, or your deceased grandmother living in heaven to pray for you.

Prayer to saints in heaven is simple communication, not worship.

Statues of Jesus and the saints are just like pictures we keep around us of our friends and family.

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

+ With love in Christ.

Answer 9

Same reason you have crosses and crosses with Jesus on them. Same reason you have idols (you call them symbols). Same reason you have baptisms. It's all about symbolism and idol worship. No difference.