Why do catholics pray to saints and why do they have priests?

Question

Praying to saints is not in the bible, neither are having priests. In fact, Jesus is supposed to be our only priest. Where do these beliefs come from?

Answer 1

When Christianity was being sold to Pagans, saints were used as a replacement for the old Pagan dieties. Priests are around for maximum population control.

Answer 2

>>>Praying to saints is not in the bible,>>>

That's true -- which is why we Catholics do not pray to saints.

We ask them to pray for us. There is a difference.

Asking saints to pray for us is not in the Bible. But there's nothing in the Bible that forbids it either.

The Bible does tell us that Jesus established a Church against which not even the powers of hell would prevail. The Bible also tells us that this Church has full authority to bind and loose on earth.

>>>neither are having priests.>>>

Not true. The Christian priesthood is most definitely in the Bible.

Read the accounts of the Last Supper. Read the part of the Bible where Jesus tells the apostles, "he who listens to you, listens to me."

And read where St. Paul tells us that whenever we eat and drink the bread and wine that have been transformed into His Body and Blood, we proclaim His death until He returns.

We need a priesthood to do this.

>>>In fact, Jesus is supposed to be our only priest.>>>

When Jesus told the apostles at the Last Supper to "do this in commemoration of me," He clearly was not talking about a one-time event. He was talking about His Body and Blood being sacrificed only once, but being continually offered up to the Father.

Jesus is the one High Priest between man and God, true, but this does not mean that others cannot assist Him in His divine priesthood.

Answer 3

While I disagree with you that the priesthood is not in the Bible, I'll assume for a moment it isn't. I'll point out that the Catholic Faith predates the books of the NT, and when they got around to writing them, not everything was included (John 21:25). That is why the Bible instructs, "stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught by us, either by WORD OF MOUTH or by letter" (2 Thessalonians 2:15; RSV; emphasis mine). You must admit the possibility that Jesus instituted the priesthood even if it can't be found in the Bible. Now let's look at an excerpt from a letter St. Ignatius wrote to the Smyrnaeans around 107 AD:

"See that ye all follow the bishop, even as Jesus Christ does the Father, and the presbytery as ye would the apostles; and reverence the deacons, AS BEING THE INSTITUTION OF GOD." (emphasis mine)

Answer 4

+ 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) living on Earth relate to the Body of Christ (saints) living 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 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.

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

+ Presbyters +

The Catholic priesthood is described in the Bible as presbyters in:
+ Acts 11:30, 14:23, 15:2, 5-6, 15:22-23, 16:4, 20:17, 21:18
+ 1 Timothy 5:17-19
+ Titus 1:5-8
+ James 5:14
+ 1 Peter 5:1, 5
+ 2 John 0:1
+ 3 John 0:1

Today priests (presbyters) and deacons assist bishops (apostles) just like in the Bible.

The Presbyterian Church is named for this biblical vocation.

+ With love in Christ.

Answer 5

All Christians share in the royal priesthood of all believers, because all baptized Christians have the right to approach God with their prayers and petitions.

That said, Jesus himself established the unique ministerial and sacrificial priesthood, when he empowered the apostles to change ordinary bread and wine into his body and blood, when he gave them the power to forgive sins in his name, and to govern the church.

Every time you come across the word "elder" in the new testament, it's really talking about priests and bishops.

Protestants choose to ignore all this, downplay it, or deny it, because they left behind all this divine authority and power, when they chose to break off from the true church and start their own groups.

As for praying to the saints, Catholics believe that all Christians, whether alive on earth, or alive in heaven, remain active members of the church.

As such, there is no reason they shouldn't still be fully involved in the ongoing work of saving souls.

And since they have already "made it" thanks to God's grace, it is both useful and proper to ask for their help.

The authentic church has always understood these things, going all the way back to the days of Jesus and the apostles.

It's only those who showed up late, after the world had already been converted to Christ, and who wanted to do it their own way, according to their own understanding, who fail to "get it."

Get it?

Answer 6

Catholics do not pray to saints, they ask saints to pray for them. They only pray to God. Whenever a saint is mentioned in prayer it is said in the form "St Francis, pray for us" etc.

It is called petitioning of the saints.

Most religions have leaders, ours are called priests. It is how it has formed over the last 2000 years. What do you call your religious leaders?
.

Answer 7

In the Catholic religion it is the priest who, after attending seminary and becoming ordained, is the one person on this earth that can be a representative of God...someone who acts as a catalyst for you to go to for forgiveness and absolution. In my own opinion it is because we as human beings need that reinforcement from another person who we have been taught to believe represents God...we need to see it as well as hear it...most people have trouble believing in just faith alone. It is the same thing with the saints...they are suppose to be able to intervene for you during times of trouble, and help with your prayer requests. As a born again Christian, I believe that we can pray directly to God and that He hears our prayers and gives us forgiveness without any intervention from man. That's not to say that I wouldn't ask for prayer if I needed help with something, but that would be because I would know that person was praying directly to God, and those prayers were being said in my name, and God, who is all knowing, would take care of this directly. That is called faith.

Answer 8

"As Jerome says (Cont. Vigilant. 6), the error of Vigilantius consisted in saying that 'while we live, we can pray one for another; but that after we are dead, none of our prayers for others can be heard, seeing that not even the martyrs' prayers are granted when they pray for their blood to be avenged.' But this is absolutely false, because, since prayers offered for others proceed from charity, the greater the charity of the saints in heaven, the more they pray for wayfarers, since the latter can be helped by prayers: and the more closely they are united to God, the more are their prayers efficacious: for the Divine order is such that lower beings receive an overflow of the excellence of the higher, even as the air receives the brightness of the sun. Wherefore it is said of Christ (Heb. 7:25): 'Going to God by His own power . . . to make intercession for us' ['He is able to save for ever them that come to God by Him, always living to make intercession for us.']. Hence Jerome says (Cont. Vigilant. 6): 'If the apostles and martyrs while yet in the body and having to be solicitous for themselves, can pray for others, how much more now that they have the crown of victory and triumph.'" - St. Thomas Aquinas ("Summa Theologica" 13th century A.D.)

People ask people to "pray for me" all the time. Why not ask the Virgin Mary or any other saint to "pray for you?" Just because they are no longer "of this world" does not mean they don't "talk" to God. The saints in heaven are not "separated" by death from the community of the Church (Romans 8:38-39) as we are all one Body in Christ (Romans 12:5; 1 Corinthians 12:12) and Christ "abolished death" (2 Timothy 1:10 ). Therefore, the saints in Heaven can pray for us just as anyone here on Earth can. In fact, better, as they are presently in His Presence. The Virgin Mary asking God to help you should "carry more weight" so to speak than having your best friend on this earth praying for you. In fact, Christ's first public miracle was performed upon the "intercession" of His own mother (John 2:2-11).

"Peter answered Him, 'Lord, to whom will we go?'... Peter, on whom the Church was to be built...taught and showed in the name of the Church that a rebellious and arrogant multitude may depart from the Church. I speak of those who will not hear and obey. However, the Church does not depart from Christ. And the Church consists of those who are a people united to the priest. It is the flock that adhere to its pastor. Therefore, you should know that the bishop is in the Church and the Church is in the bishop. If anyone is not with the bishop, he is not in the Church.... The Church is Catholic and is one. It is not cut or divided. Rather it is connected and bound together by the cement of priests who cohere with one another." St. Cyprian of Carthage ("The Unity of the Catholic Church," c. 250 A.D.)

......The truth is , they Catholics give us the first Bible

Answer 9

What does it matter? Praying to anyone merits a visit to the nearest psychiatrist's office.