Why are non-Catholics against Catholics asking for prayers from others in the Church?

Question

Non-Catholics seem to think that it is all right to ask those in their church to pray for them but condemn Catholics from doing the same. As a non-Catholic would you pray for others if asked or insist instead that they pray for themselves without your help, directly to God? Can you see how this is a bit hypocritical. If you think that Catholics are wrong will you point out why in Catholic literature or the Catechism, explaining how it is different from YOUR practice.

First of all it is disingenuous to state that the practice of praying for each other has no biblical foundation, you know that we are instructed in Scripture to have a prayer life for others as it is part of God’s commandment to love one another. Catholics believe as the biblical teaching of Communion of Saints.

(2Co 5:8 DRB) But we are confident and have a good will to be absent rather from the body and to be present with the Lord.

The Catholic Church does not teach that it is absolutely necessary for one to ask for the intercession of saints for salvation. The Church does teach that prayer to God is necessary for salvation for all believers. For a Catholic it would be wrong to ignore the liturgical worship offered to God at feast days for the saints and the prayers asking for their intercession.

The Communion of Saints is a dogma of the ancient Church and is recorded in the apostles Creed. It simply states that the faithful because of their relationship with Christ are alive even after the death of their flesh and worship with us. To us the Church is made up of the Church militant who represents all those believers living out their hope in the flesh.

(Phi 2:12 DRB) Wherefore, my dearly beloved, (as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only but much more now in my absence) with fear and trembling work out your salvation.

(Phi 2:13 DRB) For it is God who worketh in you, both to will and to accomplish, according to his good will.

It consists of the Church Suffering who are those who are temporarily in need of further purgation from sin so that they may enjoy the presence of God.

(2Ma 12:46 DRB) It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins.

Their immortal souls are in heaven in God’s presence:

(Rev 5:8 DRB) And when he had opened the book, the four living creatures and the four and twenty ancients fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.

The universal stream connecting all of God’s creation is His love, which we take on in our baptism into our journey towards sanctification. This is not an emotional but a desire placed in us by the Spirit of God that endures as a desire for those other than ourselves and this love extends even to our enemies. This is truly a love that comes only from God and is a foreign concept and nonsense to those who have not received God’s salvific grace. This desire within our souls does not end with the death of our flesh but continues into eternity where the saints through their intercession in prayer encourage us in our race and assist us to endure unto our union with God.

I think that some people of faith, who do not understand the Communion of Saints, somehow believe that asking saints to pray for us is detracting from our love or our trust in God. In truth it is impossible, if we truly love as God commands and has given us the grace to understand, not to pray to those whom we love and in turn we expect them to return that same love to us by praying for us and presenting our prayers to God.

In Christ
Fr. Joseph

Answer 1

I have never thought about it like that
but I do see your point ... and it is pretty much the same thing isnt it

Answer 2

properly they do no longer worship saints its that straightforward tutor me in catholic coaching the place catholics worship saints somewhat of repeating Protestant lunacy Gee why are church of britain participants flocking to the Catholic Church and leaving their heresy at the back of some greater lunacy for you it rather is why interior the Catholic Catechism they are starting to be rid of the 2d Commandment. and then divided the 10th Commandment into 2 to make 10. The Commandments are interior the Bible no longer the Catechism sorry the Catholic Bible became written first it became the protestants that replaced the record .. yet you apart from might can study the commandments of their entirety interior the bible which looks some thing the protestants do no longer do

Answer 3

This is an interesting question, in that it sort of reflects some sort of negative experience with what you term "non-catholics". I am in that catagory, but, I would welcome any request for prayer from anyone, no matter what religion, faith, or denomination they were from.

Now, since you brought it up, allow me to say that I work in a catholic institution, and not one catholic member has ever asked me for prayers. From the president of the institution, to the environmental specialist, no one. It almost seems as if they are afraid to even bring the name of Jesus Christ into the work place. Maybe it is a cultural thing, but I was always under the impression that God trancended culture.

If you have any prayer request, please, let me know, and I will surely add that request to my prayer list.

God bless you, brother/sister (not sure which gender you are.)

____________________________

By the way, I am a Seventh-Day Adventist. PTL!!!
I cannot see the point "James O" is trying to make with his state of the dead comment, which is 100% biblically correct. Thank you James O for stating the truth about that. The question was about "Prayer".

Answer 4

We believe in the communion of saints, but you guys read your unique theological view point back into the passages you cited, and the apostles creed. Prayer, worship, adoration, veneration, etc... are all due to God and God alone. If you cannot see that in scripture than you are truly blind.

Answer 5

I am Christian - of no denomination and i will pray for anyone who asks me to pray. I don't ask anyone what they believe - it makes no difference to me and i don't ask questions - i thought everyone did this. As the body of Christ we are called to build each-other up, encourage each other and pray for one another. As i said i pray for everyone who asks me to pray - whatever religion or even someone with no belief. If i asked for prayer from people here i would hope everyone who felt lead to pray would do so. There's power in the prayer of the Saints - and the more power the better...

Edit: My sister-in-laws mum died recently - she works with mainly Catholic believers ( in Ireland ) - she told me they asked their Priest to pray for her so he said a mass for her mum ( forgive me if i haven't said it right ) my sister-in-law who is a non practicing protestant - felt supported at the most difficult and sad time of her life - it was a wonderful witness of Christ's love - and i was blessed also when she told me.

Jesus is Lord

Answer 6

sorry can't asnwer as i'm Catholic so.... what i don't understand along your same lines is the people who do NOT believe that there ARE saints and Saints in heaven with God. those who believe in the rapture theory - is says that Jesus will come again with an army and that there were saints in white under the altar -- who are they?! did they not die before and are they not witih God at this time?!
various demoninations also have churches in the names of St Peter, Paul, Michael the archangel, etc.....

Answer 7

The idea that the saints are not living is laughable. If they are NOT living then your Faith in Jesus is for nothing. Us Catholics really have Faith. We do not think living forever and not dieing is out of reach of the living God as he gives us HIS body and blood to sustain us. He is alive and so are we in him and so are the saints.

Answer 8

I can understand that attitude from "Conditionalists"like SDAdventists who believ that all the dead,including the Saints, are just that currently and in 'soul sleep' until the resurrection .
However,most Protestants believe that the Saints in Heaven are conscious and many believe that they are conscious of what goes on here on earth and concerning these latter i cannot understand their vehement attacks on our practice of asking the Saints as member of the Body of Christ to join us in prayer of petition,intercession,praise and thanksgiving to Jesus Our Ome Mediator.

Answer 9

I agree , protestants act like children as to their way of understanding something, it has to be spelled out in bold letters for them to accept something, and some have a built in responce to negate anything, even if it is biblical just because it is a catholic belief.

Answer 10

Non Catholics fail to realize that the Communion of Saints are alive and can hear us asking them to pray for us. They also fail to realize that we dont pray to the saints, we ask them to pray for us.

Answer 11

I've never had this experience, but I pray for anyone who needs prayer, and I will ask any Christian to pray for me. I think the issue is that many Protestants see the Roman Catholic tradition of praying through the saints as a form of idolatry-sort of like you're praying to the saints and not to God. The bible does not address praying through saints. In the bible, Jesus teaches us to pray directly to God (Our father, which art in heaven..). Jesus prays directly to God in the garden of Gethsemane. David prays directly to God. I haven't found any examples of people praying through saints. I don't know the Catholic Catechism, but the authoritative source is the bible.

Now this doesn't justify people saying things like this. It's rude, and it provides no insight..