Why do Catholics worship the Pope, Mary, and the saints?

Question

I was blocked from answering this question, so I will answer it here.

We do not worship the Pope, Mary, nor the saints.

God alone is worthy of worship.

We ask Mary and the saints to pray for us, just as all Christians do of family and friends.

We honor the Office of Saint Peter, which is occupied by the current Pope. We welcome an Apostolic Blessing, if we should be so graced, by the Bishop of Rome -- the Pope -- who is the successor to Saint Peter.

Ahmad, kneeling is just a style of prayer that Catholics employ. Yes, we might kneel in front of a statue in a church, but not for one second do we believe the statue is a god that we are worshipping. Some Muslims bow towards the direction of Mecca. Are they worshipping the city of Mecca?

TerryM, According to Irenaeus, Jerome, Eusebius, John Chrysostom, the Liberian Catalogue and the Liber Pontificalis, Linus was the second Bishop of Rome, succeeding Saint Peter and succeeded by Anacletus. Tertullian[8] says that Peter was succeeded by Clement I. The Apostolic Constitutions says that Linus was the first Bishop of Rome, ordained by Paul, and was succeeded by Clement, who was ordained by Peter. No evidence of Linus having overseen the execution of Peter.

For the first 1500 years AD, the vast majority of Christendom was illiterate. There was no printing press, which meant that Bibles were very expensive, and few copies were around. Nonetheless, the Church always maintained a chained copy of the Bible in the Chruch, so that anyone could read it, but not carry it away. Scripture readings have always been a part of the Liturgy of the Mass, for all of the faitful to hear.

Ćhampagnє, your avatar is grotesque. You should change it.

Ćhampagnє, on a more serious note, what makes you think being a Catholic is easy? To remain in communion with the Church is very difficult and demanding, and indeed is a narrow path that very few find. Catholicism is not for the faint of heart or weak minded.

Sancha, do you ever pray to God the Father? How dare you! Jesus is the One True Mediator between God and man. (Do you see the fallacy in your logic?) I do not know what you mean by the "way." Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. Intercessory prayer is just that... prayer on behalf of another person. If you have ever prayed for someone else. Guess what? You have "interceded" for that person. Does it mean that you are being worshipped by the other person? Of course not!

Never has the Church ever taught that Mary or the Pope ever died for our sins. You are getting way off base.

The Old Testament and the new testament is filled with sayings and gestures imploring the blessings of God upon children, family, and communities. Why should the Bishop of Rome be excluded from imploring the blessing of God upon all of humanity? Again, you are way off base.

Jesus literally gave the keys of the kingdom to Simon, changed his name to Peter, and instructed him to feed his lambs. Why?

Pastor Art, I am surprised that you would make such an elementary error in logic. You jump to a conclusion, without any substantiating evidence. You say that because we believe Mary hears our prayers, then we must believe she is a God.

First, what is your definition of heaven, and do you believe there are saints in heaven, right now? From where did Moses come when he spoke to Jesus at the Transfiguration? Do you believe that the good thief crucified next to Jesus joined Him in heaven, as Jesus promised?

The saints are more alive than you or I. Even Paul said that even death will not separate us from the love of God. Jesus said he was the Living Vine. Those who died in His love are not suddenly cut off from the Living Vine. In heaven, those in God's presence are no longer limited by space and time. So, yes, Mary and the saints do hear our prayers.

Ćhampagnє, OK, so the deacon and your ex-friend are sinners and have fallen out of communion with the Church. They must go to confession, and until they repent of their sins, the cannot receive communion. As I said, living a Sacramental Life of Grace, and remaining in communion with the Church is a very narrow path, and very few find it. Yes, even deacons, priests, and bishops, and a few Popes in history -- but only God knows -- are unsaved sinners.

Answer 1

Traditional Catholics' Motto

We are what you once were.
We believe what you once believed.
We worship as you once worshipped.
If you were right then, we are right now.
If we are wrong now, you were wrong then.

Answer 2

Pastor Art, with all due respect, why do you feel that we cannot ask the Blessed Mother, the saints, or even our family/friends to pray for us here one earth? Sure, they are "dead" in a physical sense... but do not forget, they are more ALIVE than ever, in Heaven, with Christ.

With peace and love in Christ

Answer 3

Okay, more questions, then. Why do you believe baptism is sprinkling instead of dunking? The word for baptize in Greek means "dipize". Jesus and the guy Philip baptized "came up out of the water" and John baptized where "there was much water". Baptize doesn't mean sprinkle.

Also, do you really believe you're eating Christ's body when you take communion? His body was raised and is sitting at the right hand of God. Are you eating his body away? If you were really eating his body and blood, it would have been fully consumed centuries ago.

Check out this site What Every Catholic Should Know: http://whateverycatholicshouldknow.com/wecsk.htm

ROBIN -- "Sprinkle" in that verse has nothing to do with "baptize". This is the LORD. HE is going to "sprinkle" water -- this could be rain. He's not going to flick water on people's foreheads. Besides.. Jesus is the new testament. Did they "sprinkle" then? I thought the Catholics were "Christ's established church"? Did he or his disciples "sprinkle"?

Answer 4

Jereme K posted:
Okay, more questions, then. Why do you believe baptism is sprinkling instead of dunking? The word for baptize in Greek means "dipize". Jesus and the guy Philip baptized "came up out of the water" and John baptized where "there was much water". Baptize doesn't mean sprinkle.

I answer:
Have you ever read the prophesy of Ezekiel found in Chapter 36? Here it is...speaking of baptism.

25-27 "I will SPRINKLE clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you..."

There you go, sprinkling. We see here that sprinkle is accepted and elswhere we see that pouring and dunking is also accepted.

God Bless
Robin

Answer 5

The Bible teaches - according to Jesus the Christ - that He alone is the door to God Almighty. He specifically said, anyone who tries to enter by any other way is a thief. Only thieves do not use the door, so-to-speak. He alone is the Advocate to the Father.

Posturing oneself before any graven image is idolatory!

Additionally, asking Mary or the pope to pray for you is not the "way". I am a christian who follows that teaching - none other. The pope did not and cannot die for my sins nor give me redemption, neither can Mary. She needed Jesus - her son - to do that for her. The bishop of Rome and the pope cannot bless you the way God can.

Finally, the catholic church is not the first church. Laying claim does not make it true. Jesus established His church and he did not call it catholic or anything else. Just "my church."

Answer 6

How does Mary hear your prayer requests?

If you want to ask me, Pastor Art, to pray for you, you can call me on the telephone, send me an E-mail or contact me via Instant Message.

How do you communicate to Mary?

Jesus is God, He can hear you when you pray.

How does Mary, a hear you unless you also claim she is God?

If there are a billion Catholics and if each pray to Mary for 30 seconds per day, that translates into Mary having to listen to 347,222 simultaneous requests 24 hours per day.

How does finite human Mary do that?

Unless you believe she is God?

Pastor Art

Answer 7

OK! Whew! I was going to blast you! These questions really, REALLY get on my nerves! I had no idea until I came here that there was so much ignorance about the Catholic Church that still existed! If you had told me two years ago, that there was a lot of Catholic discriminators or bashers out there, I would have laughed. It's just so hard to believe that people who actually dare to call themselves "Christians" are so incredibly ignorant of the first Christian church.

Answer 8

Thank you for you question/answer. I was also blocked, but I was blocked after I had already answered.
To the poster who said why kneel to statues?
Why do people keep pictures of their deceased relatives in their home? I kiss my dads pictures everyday. God bless everyone

Answer 9

fundies blocking Catholics when asking misleading questions are nothing new to me. they do that all the time! so, it's very clear from their actions that they're bearers of false witness. a lying tongue is an abomination to God. fundies are walking abominations.

by the way, we Catholics must be vigilant in our faith because the devil never sleeps. he's out to destroy the Church that Jesus Christ founded, but Jesus promised that the gates of hell shall never prevail against His Church.

Answer 10

Great defense. God bless.

When I saw the question I was about to answer, we don't next question of ignorance, but your explanation is good enough.

Answer 11

Your ignoramus is AD NAUSEAM. I wish study christian history.