Well, no.
Heck, the family of the Indian girl that was supposedly cured by Mother Teresa doesn't even believe it. Her family thinks that it was the *doctor* that cured her. Meanwhile, goons from the church are pestering the doctor to say that it was a miracle. ("Excuse me, Doctor, we're here on behalf of a dead woman. Would you be willing to state that it was *not* your 9 months of hard work, but this dead woman who cured your patient?" Yeah, right!)
One wonders why they feel the need to go through all this. After all, isn't canonization merely a *recognition* of sainthood? Do Catholics believe that a temporal committee decides who goes to heaven and who doesn't? (Hint: no.)
I'm inclined to go with the family's version, because Mother Teresa wasn't in the business of curing people while she was *alive*. A fact little known outside of Kolkata is that her Missionaries of Charity is not a charity. Mother Teresa somehow picked up that reputation on a trip to Europe in the 1960s, and after that milked it for all the million$ she could get. And stashed it. I don't know that anyone outside the Vatican knows where the money is. (If you've ever donated to her organization, rest assured that not a dime of the money made it to India.)
To Catholics, prayer to saints is called "intercessory prayer," and is really a request to the saint to pray. It's no different from a Xian asking a friend to pray for him.
I think the practice does have its roots in pagan polytheistic deification, but to Catholics, it is absolutely, positively not deification.
2007-03-30 02:26:14
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answer #1
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answered by RickySTT, EAC 5
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your example that you made up is indicative of a larger problem, which is an active blindness towards history, active inasmuch as it creates straw men to fight, blindness inasmuch as it fools you into thinking that your straw men are real. Despite what one of your posters says, the Catholic Church does not simply accept miracles because 'someone said so' (and ps the people of south America are possibly as smart as the people of north America or western Europe).
The Catholic church spends a fair bit of energy investigating these things, and has spent a fair bit of energy investigating historical claims.
Not all reported miracles are true, but that's the human condition. And not all 'saints' even really existed, but the Catholic Church has acknowledged that.
History is history. There's more "proof" for some of the miracles of the saints than there is that Caesar conquered Gaul. You do believe that Caesar conquered Gaul, don't you?
2007-03-30 09:24:34
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answer #2
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answered by a 5
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A women in South America stated that st. theresa cured her cancer, Her husband then told everyone that it was the doctors. It was still accepted as a miracle and that is what made her a saint.
Funny though all that money that she raised for the poor and then spent on her nuneries didn't get mentioned or the horrible conditions that she made the sick live in (she kept the poor impovished so they could suffer like christ). She also never published were the money she raised was being spent. Fantastic lady
2007-03-30 08:29:09
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answer #3
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answered by Anonymous
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Pray:
1 : ENTREAT, IMPLORE -- often used as a function word in introducing a question, request, or plea
2 : to get or bring by praying
intransitive verb
1 : to make a request in a humble manner
2 : to address God or a god with adoration, confession, supplication, or thanksgiving
I gave this definition to show the different uses of prayer. As shown, not all prayer is for worship. In respect to prayer to saints, #1, to make a request in a humble manner, best fits. It's simply asking someone for help, not deifying or worshipping them. The saints are our living family in heaven, just like our living family on earth. Haven't you ever asked for family or friends to pray for you?
God bless.
2007-03-30 14:03:27
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answer #4
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answered by Danny H 6
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Many within the catholic church dosen't believe most of them either.
When I went to a christian brothers school in the 70s, they tried to find ways of explaining almost all the miracles as natural events.
Tidal surges in the Red Sea, Lazurus being in a coma, Jesus appearing to walk on water because of it's shallowness.
That being said, some of the older brothers took the bible a bit more literally.
2007-03-30 08:27:09
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answer #5
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answered by Anonymous
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I don't believe any of them. Praying to the Pope does absolutely no good. He is a man, just like you and me and is no closer to God than any other religious person.
The Bible says that Christ is the head of the church, not the Pope. Perhaps the Pope should spend a little more time reading the Bible that he carries around.
Oh, look, I prayed to Rogaine and now I have a full head of hair. Can we call it St. Rogaine now???
2007-03-30 09:17:21
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answer #6
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answered by TG 4
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How about making a saint out of a Pagan Goddess? *wink* St Brigit
2007-03-30 08:34:15
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answer #7
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answered by Kithy 6
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We don't deify saints, and the miracles are not accepted by the Church unless doctors testify that no medical explanation can be found.
2007-03-30 08:29:54
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answer #8
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answered by Anonymous
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So i figured that you not a Catholic. Do you have the same kinda question for the Hindu deities, the Muslims, Mormons, Jews or Protestants? You dont respect others' traditions and religions. Do you have a heart of stone too?
2007-03-30 08:27:31
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answer #9
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answered by Ari-ah 3
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It's "beatify" the saints, not deify.
Do you believe the maricales Jesus performed? Yes?
Do you believe the miracles the Apostles performed in His name? Yes, I assume?
If God can bestow miraculous powers, if only for an instant, upon the individual of His choice, then why not?
Why should God not draw attention to those who lead lives so Christ-like they deserve recognition as models to imitate? Wth God, all things are possible, so I do not see the problem.
When it comes to praying to saints, Catholics offer them intercessory prayers, not prayers of worship which you seem to be implying with your "deify" remark.
Catholics offer God prayers of worship. We also offer intercessory prayer to the saints; asking them to pray for us.
If you've ever said "I will pray for you", you've engaged in intercessory prayer. I doubt you thought it was a violation of the First Commandment. So to with the saints.
The fact that they have experienced the physical death of their bodies is irrelevant. Their souls are now in the presence of God. How much more effective would an intercessory prayer from a heavenly soul be?
Truth be told, God Desires and Responds to Our Subordinate Mediation / Intercessory Prayer:
1 Tim 2:1-2 - because Jesus Christ is the one mediator between God and man (1 Tim. 2:5), many Protestants deny the Catholic belief that the saints on earth and in heaven can mediate on our behalf. But before Paul's teaching about Jesus as the "one mediator," Paul urges supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people. Paul is thus appealing for mediation from others besides Christ, the one mediator. Why?
1 Tim 2:3 - because this subordinate mediation is good and acceptable to God our Savior. Because God is our Father and we are His children, God invites us to participate in Christ's role as mediator.
1 Tim. 2:5 - therefore, although Jesus Christ is the sole mediator between God and man, there are many intercessors (subordinate mediators).
1 Cor. 3:9 - God invites us to participate in Christ's work because we are God's "fellow workers" and one family in the body of Christ. God wants His children to participate. The phrase used to describe "fellow workers" is "sunergoi," which literally means synergists, or cooperators with God in salvific matters. Does God need fellow workers? Of course not, but this shows how much He, as Father, loves His children. God wants us to work with Him.
Mark 16:20 - this is another example of how the Lord "worked with them" ("sunergountos"). God cooperates with us. Out of His eternal love, He invites our participation.
Rom. 8:28 - God "works for good with" (the Greek is "sunergei eis agathon") those who love Him. We work as subordinate mediators.
2 Cor. 6:1 - "working together" (the Greek is "sunergountes") with him, don't accept His grace in vain. God allows us to participate in His work, not because He needs our help, but because He loves us and wants to exalt us in His Son. It is like the father who lets his child join him in carrying the groceries in the house. The father does not need help, but he invites the child to assist to raise up the child in dignity and love.
Heb. 12:1 - the “cloud of witnesses” (nephos marturon) that we are surrounded by is a great amphitheatre of witnesses to the earthly race, and they actively participate and cheer us (the runners) on, in our race to salvation.
1 Peter 2:5 - we are a holy priesthood, instructed to offer spiritual sacrifices to God. We are therefore subordinate priests to the Head Priest, but we are still priests who participate in Christ's work of redemption.
Rev. 1:6, 5:10 - Jesus made us a kingdom of priests for God. Priests intercede through Christ on behalf of God's people.
James 5:16; Proverbs 15:8, 29 - the prayers of the righteous (the saints) have powerful effects. This is why we ask for their prayers. How much more powerful are the saints’ prayers in heaven, in whom righteousness has been perfected.
1 Tim 2:5-6 - therefore, it is because Jesus Christ is the one mediator before God that we can be subordinate mediators. Jesus is the reason. The Catholic position thus gives Jesus the most glory. He does it all but loves us so much He desires our participation.
2007-03-30 11:45:04
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answer #10
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answered by Daver 7
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