Almost all Catholics, by the time they are adults, have crossed paths with at least one Protestant or other non-christian who is quick to make accusations of "Mary Worship". They say that Catholics "worship" Mary and the other Saints. This is news to the Catholic, who will immediately deny it with horror. The accusation has been made repeatedly since the time of the Protestant Revolt, and just as repeatedly denied by Catholics, yet for some reason they just won't let it go and realize that it is simply not true.
"...the Catholic religion, which is alone the true religion."
"The Catholic Church is alone in keeping the true worship."
What could we answer to such an accusation as "Mary Worship"? We can say immediately that Catholic teaching forbids the worship of Mary as being a grievous sin and deserving of hell for eternity because only God must be worshiped since only He is infinite and uncreated perfection. This they must understand first.
1) Adoration
That which is directed towards the Saints is "supplication". Earnestly asking the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, St. Alphonsus and others for their prayers to God is no different than asking your living neighbor to pray for you, except that we can see our neighbor. Adoration is reserved for the Lord. Kneeling down before a statue is no more an act of worship than a servant kneeling to plead with his master. The statue is knelt in front of in order to substitute what is lacking for our eyes and thereby increase devotion and faith. We can imagine to whom we speak, but it is easier to supply a visual image, which we know is nothing in itself. It would be a sad thing at this point, but it could very well happen, that a Protestant would effectively cover his ears after hearing all this, and insist that to him it is still worship because there is "someone kneeling in front of and image"!
"Brethren, pray for us." - I Thess. 5:25 and II Thess. 3:1
"Pray for us." - Hebrews 13:18
Who will say that we should not follow the example of St. Paul, or who will have the nerve to claim that he was wrong for doing so? The Catholic Church, like St. Paul, have always done both - praying to God directly, and asking others to pray for them.
The last common objection on this subject is the denial that we can "pray to dead people" at all. Why such an objection is not often made first is a little peculiar. Here they can be reminded to look at the historical record. Those who are ignorant of history will likely fall into this denial.
"An it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom. And the rich man also died: and he was buried in hell. And lifting up his eyes when he was in torments, he saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom: And he cried, and said: Father Abraham, have mercy in me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, to cool my tongue: for I am tormented in this flame.....I beseech thee, that thou wouldst send him to my father's house, for I have five brethren, that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torments."
Mother of our Saviour, pray for us!
Apparently one reason these people insist on making this accusation, and passing it on to their children, is because they don't want to stop and understand the reasons. They would rather judge things on appearances and the feelings they get from them, or by being worked-up by their "ministers" into thinking these things and reacting like a parrot when they come into contact with a Catholic. Catholics surely know that when they themselves pray, they are not worshipping the Blessed Virgin Mary or any Saint; but it almost strikes them speechless when they hear this accusation, not because it is convincing, but precisely because it is so absurd a notion that they never thought about formulating arguments for a mind that thinks such a foolish thing.
It would be well to have some answers beforehand, not only so that this unjust accusation will once and for all cease, but primarily so the people we inform will come that much closer to joining Christ's Church on earth and saving their souls. This is necessary because we know the ageless teaching expressed again and again:
- Pope Leo XIII, 1890 [Sapientiae Christianae]
- Pope Pius XI, 1928 [Mortalium Animos]
Often, when the accuser gives any details of his accusation, it involves an objection against "Prayer" to the Saints as if the act of prayer necessarily signifies an act of worship. They should overcome the feelings they associate with the word and realize the concept behind it. To Catholics the word is used to signify raising our mind to heaven, and by faith, speaking to God or the other denizens there. Simply speaking is not an act of worship. Even the common dictionary tells us that the word "pray" can legitimately be used to mean "plead, beg or beseech" and can be spoken to anyone without worshipping the person, such as one would say, "Pray, be careful." or "I pray your indulgence."
The Catholic Church teaches that there are four possible acts of prayer.
2) Contrition
3) Thanksgiving
4) Supplication
The next accusation likely to be expressed is that "we only have one mediator, who is Christ, and we need ask no one else to pray to, or intercede for us to the Father." This would be a curious thing coming likely from person who believes in the false principle of "sola scriptura" (scripture only). They are to be reminded here that St. Paul felt the need, and saw the value, of doing so when he asked his fellow Christians to pray for him:
During the Old Testament times people who died in the state of grace did not go to heaven: because mankind was still waiting for the promised Christ to Redeem them and open Heaven, the souls of the just went to Limbo, also called "Abraham's bosom" in Luke 16:22. These souls were not in a position to pray for people on earth, and therefore people did not ask the dead to pray for them.
During the time of the apostles this was still the case. It wasn't until the passage of time saw the deaths of holy men and women that Christians started to ask the prayers of these holy ones they knew were now with Christ in heaven. As more and more Saints died more and more Christians asked the Saints in heaven to pray for them, Christians universally took advantage of this benefit of the New Law and experienced the gracious results. Proof of this intercessory prayer of the Saints can be found continually down through the centuries on monuments, in treatises, on tablets, and in the catacombs. Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary is particularly noticed because she is far above any other Saint as being the Mother of Christ, and her intercessory prayer is proven the most beneficial. Who will deny the historical record in every age up until the Protestant Revolution; and who will say that all the Christians through those centuries, including the authorities of Christ's Church, were all wrong?
One last objection that may be presented by the non-Catholic is the claim that the dead do not go to heaven until the end of the world but stay dead until that time, and therefore are not in a position to pray for us or hear us! This argument we know had been seriously put forth by a Presbyterian "minister". Proof against this can easily be found by looking at the over thirty parables found in the Gospels. The very purpose of a parable is to use situations and mental images that the common people are so familiar with as a vehicle to easily convey religious or moral truths that are analogous in a fundamental way. All of these parables made use of "the familiar" so that the common uneducated man would grasp and remember the truths more easily once the relationships were expounded to them. Could we possibly imagine Our Lord inventing an untruthful and unfamiliar parable to convey a religious truth AND not inform them that the situation is unreal? That is simply unthinkable! And, that is precisely why we find proof in the parable of "Lazarus and the rich man" (Luke 16:19-31) for the truth that the dead most certainly enter their reward or punishment immediately after death:
