Why do Catholics pray to angels and saints?

Question

If Jesus said "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.", why then do Catholics pray to angels and the saints?

Answer 1

We do not pray to the saints to avoid Jesus who is the way, the truth, and the life, but we do ask for additional assistance in directing our needs through Jesus to God the Father. We don't pray to saints but through them. Catholics can and do pray directly to God; the prayers of the Mass are directed to God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Prayer to God is the most important thing we can do, but there is nothing wrong with asking the angels and saints to intercede with God in our behalf. The saints are alive in heaven as 1 Corinthians 15:22 tells us and Revelation 5:8 tells us that the prayers of the saints are offered to God.

Edit: Response to Chris' answer.
Why don't you post your accusations so that we can answer them? It's easy to attack anything using fallacy but can you prove your charges?

Answer 2

It's because of the power of intercession. They believe that angels and saints has more power to raise the grade of a soul than a mere living mortal. Also the clergy has more power too, such as monks and priests and cardinals and popes. The higher the rank the more the powerful the intercession. That's why they pay them to do intercessions for them. At some point a pope actually declared a numerical value to these intercessions. These intercessions are points that can be redeemed at purgatory if that is your destination when you die, making your stay there shorter or the punishments less intense. One example is an angel pouring you a large jar of water from heaven when you are running around barefoot in burning coal.

As for the "I am the way, the truth and the life". It is understood that Jesus is ultimately the receiver of prayers since he and the father is one and the same.

Answer 3

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, Mother Teresa and Pope John Paul II.

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.

Asking others to pray for you whether your loved ones on Earth or your loved ones in heaven is always optional.

For more information, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, section 946 and following: http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt1sect2chpt3art9p5.htm#946

With love in Christ.

Answer 4

I asked something like that one time. I asked him why do priest liked to be called fathers if Jesus said call only God father and no one else. He didn't really give me an answer. I also asked why they refer to the virgin Mary as holy when Jesus said there is only one holy and that is God. So it makes you wonder why is the Pope (with means Holy Father) called the Pope. Not to sure. The church says the bridge to heaven is through them even though as you pointed out Jesus says it is through him. I think they just want people to follow them and sometimes things get kinda swept under the rug. My wife asked a priest why you celebrate Christmas in December if Jesus was born in September ( I think it was September you can double check on line somewhere) and he said it's to get people in the church that normally wouldn't go I guess. I also asked why they say everyone goes to heaven when they die, the bible says only a few go to heaven, most people saved will live on earth in New Jerusalem, and I got shrugged off. It's probably just to get followers I'm guessing.

Answer 5

Many religions (not just Catholicism) were built around a skewed idea of what God wants us to do. If we read the Bible, there is nothing in there about worshipping Mary, Joseph, or about having a crucifix on the wall, or hail mary's or popes or cardinals. It is not recorded that we should kneel x amount of times in the church or sing x amount of songs or that we should give communion on the first Sunday of every month.

It does say to tithe 10%, worship the Lord with all our heart, be baptized, accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, and to love one another the way that Christ loves us. If we really study the Bible I think the most that we can get out of it is that God loves us and He wants us to have a personal relationship with him.

Answer 6

This has been asked so many times ,you must have read the correct answer,but obviously it has not sank in or you would not be asking.I am not going to tell you why because i feel you will never understand,or refuse to understand.You ,like many others are critical of Catholics and probably hate and despise them.

Answer 7

What's funny about that is, they claim to be the "preservers" of the Bible, the same Bible they reject in faith and practice.

Catholics did not give us the Bible. The Bible is from God. It is His Word eternally.

Catholics murdered anyone found owning a Bible. Even a basic reading of the Bible shows that catholicism is false. That's why they didn't want anyone reading it.

Catholicism teaches a false gospel of works that leads to eternal hell (Galatians 1:6-9).

In like fashion they have a laundry list of false doctrines and practices that have no basis in the Bible whatsoever.

Answer 8

I was at christmas light ceremont last pm at Catholic Church in one of the many gift shops I say this placard the many followers of Mary! I know there are many in Catholic RELIGION that do believe in Christ however being raised one so many put the cross on Mary it hard to discern who they believe took away the sin of the world! Mary was wonderful chosen of God to carry his son,however we do not pray to her we are not saved by her That is the function of Christ! Merry Christmas the truth will set you free indeed!

Answer 9

when christians find themselves in times of darkness they often ask family and friends to pray for them.

catholics regard the saints and angels as friends, and even as part of god's extended family.

protestants are no part of god's family, and so cannot do this.

Answer 10

Many times this is done in a last ditch effort to try to influence the outcome of a situation, in a way this can be seen as grasping at straws to try to change or influence the outcome in any way possible.