Catholics - can you answer a few questions?

Question

Hi,

I'm a Protestant and don't know much about Catholicism. I'd appreciate answers from people who are Catholic or those that have an in-depth knowledge of Catholicism. I'm not trying to bash anyone - I just really want to learn more.

1. Do Catholics pray to saints? Are saints seen as being sinless? What qualifies people to be saints (how does the process work)?

2. Can you tell me a bit about Mary? I've often heard people say that Catholics worship Mary - but I've also heard that wasn't true. I'm a bit confused - what is the relationship of the Catholic church to Mary? Is she a saint?

3. Do Catholics believe that the Pope is sinless?

4. What is the significance of rosary beads? Why are they used - how do you use them?

5. Do people still go to confessional? Does it really look like a little booth (like in the movies)? Is it a requirement?

Thanks! I look forward to hearing your responses!

Homework? I had to smile at that because as I was writing I was thinking that this sounded like a homework question :) No, these are just questions that I've always wanted to know about and I thought that I'd ask here.

Wow - I must say that a lot of these answers so far are great! It is really helping me to understand. Thank you!

Answer 1

1. Yes, we pray to saints because that's how you communicate with somebody in heaven. If we were face-to-face, we'd just talk to them. Saint are sinless NOW because they are in heaven and have been made completely pure by the Blood of the Lamb. Before they went to heaven, they were not completely sinless. They had to be saved by Christ, same as you or now.

Technically, any person can be a saint. A Canonized Saint, is one for whom the Church has evidence that person is in heaven. Two miracles have to be attributed to the intercessory prayers of that saint, a whole lot of documentation has to be presented, and there is sort of a "trial" or "inquisition" to see if the evidence holds up. After the first miracle is proven, a person is beatified, and then they are called "blessed" as in Blessed Mother Teresa. Only after the second miracle are they called Saint whomever. I think they say 5 years is the minimal amount of time that the process can take.

Oh, and we DO pray to God directly. Somebody above suggested that we don't feel "worthy" to go to God directly. That's not true. We pray to God all the time. But the Bible tells us that it's good to get people to pray for you, especially the "righteous" (James 5:16), so that's why we ask the saints to help pray for us.

2. Mary is our mother -- Jesus gave her to the Church to mother us and help direct us to Him. We don't worship her any more than we worship a biological mother whom we treasure on earth. We just respect her a lot and honor her for her role in our salvation (she DID bring Jesus to earth by giving birth to Him, of course). Catholics agree that Mary needed a savior, same as any other human, but we believe that Mary received the gift of salvation from the Lord at the beginning of her life, instead of at the end of it, because of the job God needed her to do. This is the "Immaculate Conception" -- and of course, God, being eternal, is perfectly capable of applying the Grace wrought by Christ on the Cross to any person at any time, so there's no reason not to believe that it happened upon conception for Mary. Yes, Mary is a saint, the saint above all saints, because she laid down her life for her belief that Jesus is the Savior, even before He was born. She operates within His perfect will and prays for us -- we know this from John 2, the wedding at Cana.

3. NO, we do not believe the Pope is sinless! That's silly. He goes to confession every week. In fact, some things are considered sinful for him simply because he is the pope that would not be considered sinful for you or I. So he has many more sins to resist than common folk do.

Somebody has misconstrued the doctrine of papal infallibility when they told you about it. What papa infallibility means is that God protects His Church by enabling a pope to speak without error when he speaks "ex cathedra" or "on behalf of the Church." Rare is the pope who employs "ex cathedra." In fact, it's only happened twice in the last 500 years. Pope John Paul II, our greatly beloved pope, never spoke "ex cathedra," so he never made an infallible statement ever.

4. The Rosary is a set of meditations on the Life of Christ and a series of prayers to help us focus on the Lord. The beads themselves are just a tool to help us stay on track as we go through the mediation. There are four groups of five meditation, which we go through on different days of the week. Today, Friday, our meditations or "mysteries" are about: Jesus' Agony in the Garden, His Scourging at the Pillar (beating), the Crowning of Thorns, Jesus Carrying His Cross, and finally, the Crucifixion. On other days, we mediate about His birth, His resurrection, etc. We will say a creed pledging our faith to Christ and then say a few prayers, then pronounce one the mysteries. As we think about that particular mystery, we say more prayers. Then we do the same thing with the next mystery. It is a very enlightening and spiritual strengthening experience to pray the Rosary, particularly if you pray it daily. Oh, and you don't have to be Catholic -- you can get the information on-line and give it a try.

5. Yes, of course people still go to confession. In fact, it is required by Church Law that ever Catholic goes to confession at a minimum of once a year, preferably during Lent. But we must go any time we've committed a mortal sin, and we are encouraged to go monthly. Priests, bishops, religious sisters and others go weekly. In most of the churches in the world, yes, the confessional is still a little booth. You sit on one side and the priest sits on the other with a dark screen between you so he can't identify you. This is to help the priest maintain absolute confidence -- it is a mortal sin for the priest to reveal your sins to any other person. However, in some parishes, you are allowed to have face-to-face confessions with a priest or face-to-face confessions are strongly encouraged. In my parish, you can make an appointment to see the priest if you want a face-to-face confession.

Anyway, it starts out with a prayer and then you go through your sins, and then the priest counsels you about how to avoid the same sins in the future, and then he pronounces you absolved by the Blood of the Lamb and assigns a penance. The penance is usually prayers to help you grow closer to Christ, but if you've confessed something like, say, stealing, your penance might be returning the stolen goods and even turning yourself in to the police. I am sure you agree that this is a very beneficial experience -- it's wonderful to confess and be absolved. And the Bible tells us to do so in James 5:16.

Answer 2

1. Yes, Catholics pray to saints for guidance. A saint is any of certain persons of exceptional holiness of life, formally recognized as such by the Christian Church, esp. by canonization. I'm not sure of all the qualifications for a person to become a saint but I know that a miracle must occur after their death in some form.

2. Catholics do not worship Mary. They pray to her because she is considered as being closer to God. Catholics pray to Mary asking her to pray for them. She is honored and respected as the "Mother of God".

3. The Pope is believed to be a holy man of God or a messanger of God.

4. The rosary is a prayer tool. The prayers used when praying on the rosary are The Our Father (Lord's Prayer), Hail Mary, and (I believe) The Apostle's Creed. Each bead represents a different prayer.

5. Yes people still attend confessional. I believe confession is attended once every six months if I am not mistaken. Confession is one of the sacraments in Catholicism. The sacraments also include baptism, first communion, confirmation, etc...

Answer 3

1. Yes, Catholics pray to saints to intercede to God for them. It's like having an extra person or two praying for you on your behalf. No, saints are not sinless. They are saints for many reasons- there is a complicated process that includes miracles and other requirements.

2. Mary is the mother of God. Catholics DO NOT worship Mary. They honor her. Catholics will also pray to Mary. She is God's mother and will intercede to God/Jesus on the behalf of those who pray to her. Mary has a place of honor in the Catholic church as she is God's mother. In many Latin American countries, Mary is held in higher esteem because of her relationship with Jesus.

3. Catholics do not believe the Pope is sinless. He is a "regular" guy who rose through the ranks of the priesthood to become Pope.

4. The rosary beads are "prayer" beads. They are traced to Mary who encouraged Catholics and others to pray. Each bead represents a prayer. There are beads that represent the prayer "Our Father" and beads that represent the prayer, "Hail Mary." See the link provided below.

5. Yes, people still go to Confession. It is now called the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Some Catholics still go into the "booth." This represents privacy. Some Catholics will also meet with the priest face-to-face to confess their sins. As far as being a "requirement," that isn't exactly true. Confession or The Sacrament of Reconciliation is a sacrament and should be used regularly. Confessing sins to a priest is an act of humility. In some cases, it is also a chance to receive some counseling.

If you have any more questions, you may want to go to your local public library and ask for books on Catholicism. There are some very basic books even books like 'Catholicism for Dummies."

If you want more answers, maybe go to your local Catholic church and ask for an appointment with a priest or sister. They will be happy to answer your questions.

Answer 4

1. No, saints are not sinless. St. Augustine was a bad sinner before he became active in Christianity. The Vatican researches them to make sure they are in heaven. All of us are saints but when a saint is cannonized it means that we know that person is in Heaven.

2. We don't worship Mary. She is respected as the mother of Christ. Because through her Christ came into the world she is also the Mediatrix to the world. Meaning to Jesus through Mary.

3. The Pope is not sinless. He's not perfect. He is only 'infallible' in his religious teachings because he is guided by the holy spirit as the writers of the Bible were.

4. The rosary is not an official teaching of the Church but almost all of the churches say them weekly. The reason we pray them is because we were instructed to at Fatima by Mary. (Fatima is a subject worth researching)

5. Yes we always will. No it is a little room with a screen. It's a requirement because we believe in the real prescence. If you are to eat God you must be clean of at least mortal sin.

If you have any more questions concerning Catholicism, contact me at god'[e-mail]

Answer 5

1. Many protestants do not understand the word "Pray". To Pray is to merely ask. If I ask you something, I am praying; that is why people used to say, years ago, something like "Pray tell me sir, what are you doing?"
While Catholics "pray" to saints, they do not worship them. They are asking the saints (faithful who have gone before) to pray also to God, for them, much as you would ask a friend to pray for you. There is no verse in the Bible that says that if a loved one has died, that they are no longer concerned for you, or unable to pray for you. Saints are not sinless; they often have doubts, but their lives show that they remained faithful even after moments of weakness.

The process of declaring one a saint is long. The life of the individual is investigated. At some point, the church will declare them "beatified". People may pray "ask for the individual to pray for them" to the saint. When evidence of success is shown, (indicating that the person is now in heaven, and has communicated the intention to God) this is considered.

For example, if I asked you to pray for something, and you did, and it happened, that might be evidence that you have a closer relationship to God than perhaps others do. Some people have prayer ministries, demonstrating a greater effectiveness at prayer than others.

When a sufficient number of "miracles" or answered prayers have been shown, that person is then considered a Saint by the church.

2. Mary was the mother of Jesus. She is a special saint, chosen for a very special role. She is not God. The Bible does say that "Every age shall call her Blessed". That is quite an honor, and Catholics remember that honor. She is honored, but not worshiped. Catholics who worship Mary are practicing heresy, as Catholic teaching says that she isn't to be on the same level as Jesus or God. Mary is a saint.

3. Catholics do not believe that the Pope is sinless. The Pope is a man with a special job. Nothing more.

4. Rosary beads are a special tool used by some Catholics to remember aspects of Jesus' life, while praying. It is a meditation on the life, death and rebirth of Christ.

5. Catholics believe in confession. The Bible says "Confess your sins one to another". The Catholic church provides a safe and confidential means of doing so. Simply telling your sins to anybody could prove disastrous. Many people are not able to hear things without later engaging in gossip. A Catholic priest has a "Holy order" to not divulge what is heard in confession, and a number of them have gone to jail rather than to divulge what was told to them in that confidence. Sometimes confessionals are still used, but often, it is face-to-face, much like a counselor's office.

I hope this helps.

--Dee

Answer 6

Wow, just a short course in a 2,000 year old institution ... lol!

OK, I am NOT catholic but I know a little about catholicism, so I'll have a go, and any catholics can correct the bits I get wrong if they want to:

1a) No, catholics don't pray 'to' saints as in they think the saints are god. They pray to the saint to intercede with god for them, to remember them and to give them comfort. As I understand it, the saint is a bit like a good friend who happens to be wiser than you ~ you can turn to your friend for comfort, advice and help, but you don't think they are god.

1b) Saints are not considered sinless, least of all by the saints themselves. They are more usually considered to be ordinary people who relied on god to help them resist some form of temptation, whether it was something as simple as stealing or something as difficult as despair.

1c) When a person who is saintly dies, living people who have been affected by that person's life and teachings petition the Pope (through channels) to investigate the worthiness of the person. This can take a long time, sometimes decades. I've put a link below about this because it's quite complex.

2) Mary, the mother of god, is considered to be a special saint because she nurtured the child Jesus in and through her own body. Mary is often regarded as a mother figure and women know that of all the saints Mary will understand the hardships and pains of being a woman and especially of being a mother. Therefore she is greatly loved and respected. In the past, when people were not as educated as they are today, the priests and the hierarchy of the church was often considered very distant from the ordinary person's life, particularly the poor. Therefore they turned to Mary, who is considered to be gentle and motherly, and she is often asked to speak to her son on behalf of the person. The people may feel they are not worthy to speak direct to Jesus, because he is very pure and without fault, but everyone knows a mother forgives our faults, so it is easier to talk to her.

3) catholics do not believe that any human is sinless, in fact they are absolutely certain that every single person is just chock full of sin. The local Cardinal of Sydney, in fact, has said publicly that the Catholic Church is full of sinners. Catholics traditionally believe in original sin, also, so no person is seen as able to escape the taint of sin.

4) Rosary beads are an aid to prayer. Each bead stands for a particular prayer. They developed at a time when people were not always literate, and served as an aid to memory, as they still do today. Several other religious traditions also use beads in the same way.

5) People do still attend confession, but do not have to use the little booths, although many like to because it is fairly anonymous (even though they usually know the priest ont he other side of the screen). In confession, people talk about anything they feel bad about, and the priest will discuss with them ways they might make amends, including praying, fasting or doing an act of penance. Confession once served the purpose therapy does today for many people.

I think that is basically correct, but of course any catholics may have something to say about my interpretations!

Cheers :-)

Answer 7

1. No, we don't "pray to" saints, as in worshipping them. We do believe that those in heaven (the basic definition of a canonized saint) can intercede for us, so we ask for this in prayer -- knowing that our prayers are always to God, and that the prayers of the saints on our behalf are in addition to those (much like we pray for each other).

A canonized -- recognized -- saint is determined by the Church, after investigation into their life and seeing evidence of their intercession after death, to be in Heaven. The Church also recognizes that even though there are thousands of canonized saints, there are many more times that number whose lives were so obscure that we just don't know about them (yet!). These are honored among all the other saints on All Saints Day.

2. Mary is honored as the Mother of God (John chapter 1 - in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God -- and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us). While the apostles bore witness to the Word, Mary bore the Word. There is much in Church teaching about Mary, but this is the essential reason why she is so honored and there is so much devotion to her in the Church.

3. No. The Pope is a man, and not at all sinless. If you've heard of the term "infallibility", it means that the Holy Spirit preserves the truth of the Church in that when the Pope is formally teaching faith and morals he cannot be in error. In all other ways, he is like the rest of us.

4. Rosary beads are used for a devotional meditation based on the life of Christ, often from the perspective of His mother. It's not the beads that are important, but the meditation on the Gospel.

5. Yes, the sacrament of reconciliation (confession) is necessary for Catholics. The confessional booth/room can take many forms, and the sacrament can also occur outside the booth (in a priest's office or a hospital room, for example).

Please feel free to e-mail me if you'd like more information. It's hard to give comprehensive answers here, especially when there's more than one question, but this is the gist of it. Peace be with you!

Answer 8

1) like all ancient religions Catholicism has a lot of symbolism

2) they pray to say "Mother Teresa" or a Saint to ask God for blessings, help, etc.....because they feel unworthy sometimes of going to God directly.....in the same way an older sibling would ask a younger sibling to ask Mommy for a cookie....they don't all do this. Some Catholics especially the younger ones pray to God directly.

3) Mary is held in very high regard....just as most of us hold our mothers in high regard....because she was the mother of Jesus....she's pretty special.

4) No.....the Pope is human.....he commits sins....and asks forgiveness for his sins. However when he speaks about the doctrines in solely regarding the Catholic Church (while he is Pope) he doesn't make mistakes.

5) Most ancient religions use beads to keep them on track when praying.....that's what the rosary does.

6) People still go to confession....however they don't go in a booth anymore....now it's more like going to a therapist.

I'm an Atheist....who has studied World Religions

Answer 9

1. The Apostles were given the power (not everyone else). You don't have to, but you don't know if you're forgiven or not (since that power was passed down to ordained men of the Church. Priests, etc..etc.. I confessed once to a Cardinal :) ) 2.You don't pray TO saints. You ask them to pray for us (just like in the Hail Mary, you ask her to 'pray for us sinners'" Intercession 3.That is another intercession. Yes it's repetitive :) But then again, wouldn't you normally say more than one prayer? 4.This is the one question where I disagree with Protestants (well one of them). Having faith alone means to you that you deserve salvation? So a person could have faith but not be a *good* and *giving* person, as we were meant to be. Does that even sound proper, logically? . Whereas a person who's showing love, goodness and is a giving person, to me, deserves to enter the Kingdom of God 5.I've researched and studied Catholicism for 14 years (well add 5 more if we speak of grammar school as well). I've looked at other religions and spiritual path. I left the Church because my practices (and beliefs) conflict with the RCC. I have too much respect for the Church to continue the practice and remain Catholic

Answer 10

-Some Catholics pray to saints - in my viewpoint, it is reminiscent of old pagan gods/goddesses.
- People become saints because they led a religious and most positive life and are one day recognized as such by the church in a bureaucratic process (also because they're said by some to perform miracles).
- Don't you know about Mary, the mother of Jesus? of course you do. Mary is a saint and worshipped by many. But don't start getting things confused at this point, there are saints and all but there's only one God.
- I don't know about the pope, maybe some Catholics belieeve the pope is sinless if they're naive enough... Since he's a man (and a politician to some extent, as someone who's the head of an organization) I know he can't be sinless.
- Rosary beads are used for praying, just an instrument to help you concentrate on your prayers.
- Those who wish still go to confessional. It generally does look like a booth (as in the movies). It's not a requirement. When I got married back in 92 (that was before I got divorced in 2004) the priest asked me if I wanted to confess and I replied: "I usually like to confess directly to God" and he smiled and said "Oh, ok". Of course, some priests may act more like idiots, they're human after all and not necessarily bright!

Hope that was of some help. :)

EDIT: Hmm... Why four thumbs down already? Have I lied? Have I insulted anyone? No, let me just put it this way: American Catholics are as much fanatics as American Protestants, which leads me to believe there must be some kind of educational problem in the US. I am a Catholic but I am educated (as the priest who married me was) and not at all a fanatic precisely because I'm educated. If this is the people that want to rule the world we're doomed! On a final note, you should trust what I said, I'm not guided by religious prejudice of any sort...