If Catholics worship statutes, then they’re not Christians but pagans. Obviously, this Protestant charge needs to be addressed because it poses a serious obstacle to healing the widespread division among Christians.
By Deacon Frederick Bartels
28 October 2017
Over the years, I’ve often been involved in the RCIA program and its associated catechesis. It’s a wonderful experience to walk beside people who, called by God and assisted by his grace, have discovered the truth, beauty and goodness of the Church. Invariably, non-Catholic Christians entering the Church point out that they’ve often heard about how Catholics practice idolatry: the worship of “graven images” and/or saints. When their Protestant friends hear they’re considering becoming Catholic, they often object, “But Catholics worship saints, right?”
RCIA students often complain that idolatry is the single biggest objection their Protestant friends have against Catholics. It seems many of our Protestant brethren remain convinced that Catholics bow down to images of the saints, especially the Virgin Mary in acts of worship. They’re convinced that Catholics actually worship the saints!
If Catholics worship statutes or saints, then they’re not Christians but pagans. Obviously, this charge needs to be addressed because it poses a serious obstacle to healing the widespread division among Christians. On one level, the idea that Catholics worship images and/or saints seems silly. How is it possible for people to really think Catholics are so in the dark theologically that they would give worship to creatures and statues? Nevertheless, the stereotype lives on.
The evidence offered for this alleged infraction is nearly always based on either direct visual observation or reports of what others have heard about what Catholics do. For example, a Protestant sees a Catholic kneel before a statue of Our Lady of Guadalupe and concludes that, based on what is seen, the Catholic is indeed worshipping an image. Either that, or the Catholic is worshiping Mary because he is kneeling before her in prayer. When Catholics are asked if they are worshipping a statue or Mary, the answer is “no.” Somehow, though, such an answer is deemed inaccurate. If a Catholic kneels before a statue, he is therefore worshipping it. If he kneels in prayer to Mary, he is therefore worshipping her. End of story. But isn’t that a simplistic, judgmental and narrow view?
By and large, the candidates in RCIA find the whole notion of Catholic worship of images or saints as ridiculous. Although they can rarely articulate why Catholics do what they do when venerating the saints, the reasonableness of the practice, and why there is nothing wrong with kneeling before a statue and praying to a saint, they intuitively realize how absurd it is to suggest that Catholics are statue-and-saint-worshipping idolaters.
I think a significant part of the stereotypical Catholics-commit-idolatry notion melts away when people begin to understand just how deeply Christian are Catholics. As Catholics, we pray to Christ, we worship him as Savior and Redeemer, at Mass the body and blood of Christ is offered to the Father for redemption and forgiveness, and the Church insists on each of her members developing a personal and intimate relationship with Jesus. The Eucharist—the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Christ—is the heart of the Church and the source and summit of the Christian faith. The entire life-force and energy of the Church is drawn from the Eucharist. Based on the evidence, there’s no question that Catholics are Christian. For example, the very first paragraph of the Catechism of the Catholic Church begins by speaking of God the Father’s will that all men enter the Church as their home and experience the salvation won by the saving passion and death of his incarnate Son, Jesus Christ.
If Catholics are Christians who worship Christ and adore the Tripersonal God alone, doesn’t it seem over-the-top bizarre for Protestants to remain convinced that Catholics are apparently oblivious to the problem with worshipping statues or giving adoration to saints?
What is idolatry?
In an attempt—once again among thousands of others—to clear things up, one of the first issues to sort out is what constitutes idolatry. Idolatry is not about the way things look, but rather it’s about the intention behind a particular activity. When a Catholic kneels before a statue, does he intend to worship it? Nope. His intention is to build a relationship, to honor (venerate) a particular saint, not worship the Christian who has gone before us. If a Catholic kneels before a crucifix, his intention is to worship and adore Christ whose image the crucifix represents. These images, whether statues or crucifixes or icons or paintings are symbols which help to direct our thoughts to the person(s) they depict. In other words, they are representations that assist us in contemplating the mysteries of the faith and the communion of saints.
For example, what if I see a Protestant kneeling in prayer with a Bible in hand? I would know his intention is to worship God, not the Bible. The fact that he is kneeling with a Bible is no proof at all of his offering worship to a book.
But isn’t it idolatrous to kneel down in prayer before the Virgin Mary? Again, we have to consider what is intended in the activity of kneeling. There are many examples in history of people bowing or kneeling before another person in order to show honor or respect to that individual. In this case, the intention is to show honor to Mary, not worship. There’s nothing wrong with that. In fact, there are times when justice requires we give honor to certain persons in society. Showing honor to a person (creature) is not the same thing as worshipping him.
When Catholics kneel before Mary in prayer, they are doing one of two things. 1) worshiping Christ (or the Tripersonal God) and asking Mary to intercede (pray) for them; or 2) praying (in this case, to pray means “to entreat” or “to ask,” not to worship) to Mary for her intercession before her Son, and, at the same time, giving her due honor and respect (veneration) as the Mother of God. Usually, it’s a combination of these two distinct but interrelated activities. They are interrelated because it’s difficult to imagine how someone can worship Christ and yet cut his Virgin Mother out of the picture as if she’s irrelevant. She’s not. She bore him, nursed him at her breasts, and witnessed the terrifying reality of his crucifixion. All of this—and more—she did as his sweet, unwaveringly dedicated, and tender Mother.
It is true that Catholics give a higher level of honor to Mary because of her status as Theotokos (literally God-bearer). The veneration given to Mary is categorized as hyperdulia, whereas the veneration given to other saints is termed dulia. Neither of these is adoration or worship. The word describing adoration and worship given to God alone is latria. I might add that the title Mother of God does not mean Mary is the mother of the divinity of God as if she somehow conceived the divine essence of the Holy Trinity. Rather, it means she is the mother of Jesus who is fully God and fully man. The title Theotokos, then, is a theologically precise way of stating who Mary is, who Christ is in his Person with respect to his divine and human natures, and the inseparable relationship between Mother and Son.
Kneeling in a prayer of entreatment before Mary or another saint is veneration, it is building a relationship with other members of the divine family of the Tripersonal God. It is communicating with our brothers and sisters in Christ who fully reside in the kingdom of heaven. It is asking the saints who enjoy the Beatific Vision to please pray for us here below. It’s not idolatry.
The First Commandment: You shall not make for yourself a graven image
What about the supposed prohibition against fashioning images? The First Commandment states:
I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them or serve them; …
Ex 20:2-5
“You shall have no other gods before me.” Simple enough. That certainly prohibits pagan idolatry; i.e., the worship of false gods. “You shall not make for yourself a graven image.” Is this a prohibition against making any image? Nobody would think that. We make all sorts of images. We hang pictures on our walls, build sculptures in parks, erect statues in front of government buildings, and place wood carvings on our tables. Christians don’t view these as violations of the First Commandment. It’s clear that the real issue is what constitutes a “graven image,” not the making of any image.
Our Protestant brothers and sisters often think that an image of the Virgin Mary, another saint, or a statue of St. Michael the Archangel constitute graven images. Exercising a devotional practice with these images constitutes idolatry. But these ideas don’t line up with Scripture. If we move ahead some in the Book of Exodus, we find that God commanded two cherubim to be made, fashioned of gold and situated on top of the Ark of the Covenant (Ex 25:19 ff.). God apparently doesn’t have a problem with making images representing spiritual realities other than God and prominently displaying them. In the Book of Numbers, God directly commanded Moses to fashion a bronze serpent and erect it for the people Israel to see:
And the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and every one who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” So Moses made a bronze serpent, and set it on a pole; and if a serpent bit any man, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.
Nm 21:8-9
According to Numbers, the veneration of this particular image brought about, by the power of God, healing effects as it neutralized the snake venom coursing through the veins of the previously bitten Israelites. This is not unrelated to the importance of the use of sacred images by Catholics as conduits to help focus our thoughts on the Tripersonal God, who in turn works healing miracles in our hearts and souls by virtue of the communication of his supernatural grace. It’s not that the images communicate grace; it’s that they help direct our thoughts, mind, and prayer to God who justifies and heals those who turn to him in faith.
When we read the First Commandment in context, we find there’s no prohibition against fashioning and using images. What is prohibited, is worshipping them. It is the act of idolatry directed at an image that makes it “graven.” When images are used properly, no sin is committed. If we think about it, it would be totally inconsistent for God to issue a blanket prohibition against making and using images that are tied in some way to the faith, such as an image of Jesus or the Virgin Mary or the Archangel Michael. Why? Because Jesus of Nazareth is the perfect image of the invisible God (Col 1:15). In Christ, the Son of God took physical form in assuming an individual human nature to himself. Christ is the living Icon of God.
Further, God the Father freely and intentionally created us as physical and spiritual creatures who rely on sensory input to discover, inquire, perceive and formulate insights. We learn through encounters with images and symbols, through sights and sounds, taste and touch. That we are creatures very much dependent upon our senses is the wise and loving plan of God. Why would God deprive us of the very things we need to help us discover and contemplate the mysteries of the divine faith? For example, what better way to begin to know Jesus than to pray to him while gazing upon a sacred image of his divine and human face? What better way to meditate on the love of God than to prayerfully gaze upon a crucifix? If I kneel down while in prayer before a crucifix, I am not worshipping an image, but rather giving worship to whom the image represents.
By virtue of the incarnation of the Son of God, who is himself the Icon of God, the use of holy images is elevated in relevance and importance. To deny the significance of sacred images is to deny the significance of the Incarnation.
The Iconoclasm of the Protestant revolutionary Ulrich Zwingli
Historically, iconoclasm provides the first instance of hostility toward holy icons, statues and other sacred images. Iconoclasm (literally “icon-breaking”) traces its roots to the early 8th century with Emperor Leo III in the context of a battle between Christians and Moslems. During the engagement, Christians utilized images on their battle attire; however, the fight did not go well. The Emperor blamed their losses on the use of icons and outlawed their veneration. A brutal persecution of icon supporters ensued producing many martyrs, especially from the ranks of monks. Iconoclasm was condemned at the Second Council of Nicea (A.D. 787) and eventually died out after the Fourth Council of Constantinople (A.D. 870).
It’s important to note that the use and veneration of icons enjoyed a long tradition in antiquity as implicit in the liturgy and devotion of the Church. Iconoclasm was a violent break from not only historical Christian practices but from those of the people Israel as well. For example, we read in 1 Kings (6:23 ff.) that Solomon adorned the inner sanctuary of the Temple with two cherubim; its walls displayed “carved figures of cherubim and palm trees and open flowers.” Cherubim were also engraved on the Temple’s doors.
In the 16th century, a new kind of iconoclasm reared up again with the Protestant revolutionary Ulrich Zwingli (1484-1531), from whom the Puritans trace their roots. A former Catholic priest and stern figure who practiced a strict form of biblicism, Zwingli rigidly forced a stark and sterile simplification of his liturgy. Altars were stripped bare. Relics, icons, statues, candles, musical instruments, stained glass—all were cast off. The American Protestant distaste for Catholic devotional use of images, relics and icons is linked to the revolutionary and unorthodox practices this man introduced about five-hundred years ago.
Catholicism: it’s more, not less
If the use of holy statues, icons, and other sacred images is advantageous for directing our attention to the Tripersonal God and the saints, why not employ their use? Is it not better to use images in this way than to sweep them aside under the unreasonable and baseless charge of idolatry? No more is adultery committed in the proper use of images than it is committed by hanging a picture of our mother or a friend on the wall of our homes. And is it not helpful to display pictures of our loved ones? Do they not aid us in recalling our relationship with them? All the more important is the use of sacred images.
Read about why the saints are important in our everyday lives.
There’s an additional advantage to the use of sacred images: would that homes, office buildings, parks and other structures displayed them! They would offer a constant reminder of the divine faith of the Church that God himself revealed. They would help to direct our thoughts heavenward, rather than downward into the sink-hole of secularism. When we display numerous sacred images in our homes, people immediately know what we’re really about and who we really love. It affords a wonderful opportunity for conversation and evangelization.
Catholicism offers a historically rich, expansive and wondrous tradition of employing images to aid in directing our thoughts to holy people and things, including the Tripersonal God whom we worship and adore.
Catholicism: it’s more, not less.
Deacon Frederick Bartels is a member of the Catholic clergy who serves the Church in the diocese of Pueblo. He holds an MA in Theology and Educational Ministry, is a member of the theology faculty at Catholic International University, and is a Catholic educator, public speaker, and evangelist who strives to infuse culture with the saving principles of the gospel. For more, visit YouTube, iTunes and Twitter.
Perhaps it isn’t obvious from your point of view; but your reasoning contradicts itself. You say God didn’t disallow the formation of graven images, but prior to that, you say He does.
Then you go on to use Moses’ held up snake as justification for catholic practices, however, Jesus said that He is that snake held up, to wash away the sins and disease of those that believe.
Nothing else shares this glory.
It was a gift from God, in both cases. (John 3:14 )
Moses was following a specific commandment from God to hold up the snake when the sin plague broke out amongst the Israelites.
As was Jesus following a specific commandment when he was put up on the cross, and died for the sins of the world. God commanded him to. He obeyed.
We should do nothing except what we are commanded.
I charge that the Catholic Church makes traditions of men seen as commandments of God. Excusing pagan origins to allow symbolic worship will not justify anyone when Jesus returns. God said, come out from amongst the heathen.
We cannot choose stories from the Bible to justify what God specifically said not to do. We must read the Bible before deciding what to believe, not after, and not based on what friends or family have taught us, or by what makes us feel spiritual.
That is also the error of some Christians who demand you speak in tongues to prove conversion. Equally, there is no biblical basis for their forethought conclusion.
Verify what I say, because the Bible says Let God be true, and every man is a liar.
Jesus said his family are those who obey the will of God, no one else. We must read to not be deceived. Our salvation depends on it.
I’m sure you’ve heard that even the Bereans verified what the Apostle Paul taught.
Did they sin by questioning an apostles teachings? No. They were verifying truth.
Are Catholics urged to question all teachings and traditions, or accept the Pope’s point of view, as if he was Jesus?
Yet Christ even said some would come in his name and try to deceive. And he said, be not deceived.
Why does the Pope not tell catholic followers to verify what they are taught, as the Bereans did? The truth has nothing to fear during a diligent inquiry, but a lie must be defended, and the truth twisted, to maintain that lie.
The ultimate example:
Followers of Catholicism are like Adam and Eve accepting the devils version of the tree of life.
Even after she heard the truth from God himself, Eve believed the flattering lie the twisted serpent told her. She then responded by rejecting God’s truth, because the lie made her feel ‘godly’
Eve was Deceived, and willing to deceive others, because she was flattered into believing she was like God, but only if she disobeyed. The twisted lie.
Adam as well, knowing the commandment, willingly disobeyed God, blaming his wife for deceiving him. Although the same flattery of ‘being like God’ was what truly ensnared him in sin.
Will all Catholics blame the pope for deceiving them, as Adam tried to blame Eve?
Will they blame the devil for deceiving them as Eve did ?
Did any of those excuses prevent God from banishing them? No. There was no excuse.
Catholics continue to take the “Adam” approach, allowing all that which is disallowed, to be allowed, and vice versa. But the Bible says Adam brought death, and Christ brings life.
Doesn’t the Bible also warn of Anti-Christ’s setting themselves up as Christ, in Christ’s place? This is why many Protestants and Jews believe the a pope is the anti christ fortold of.
Our Only spiritual authority is in heaven, and his name is Jesus. He intercedes to the Father for us.
Not priest confessions, nor prayer repetitions to Mary will save a soul. It is a gift, by our faith, in the grace of God.
We shouldn’t take the Popes word for anything, because the Bible says There is only one pontiff for our soul, Jesus Christ. All others are hirelings, and not the shepherd.
Jesus is our example. He didn’t ask us to revere his image, but to follow his footsteps. He didn’t worship near images, or revere his mother, except as a mother. He referred to her as “woman”. It appears man reveres that which not even the Son of Man revered….
Tradition has disguised itself, with the devils help, as practices of symbolic worship, with no consequences. But that is the devils lie.
There are steep consequences, the Bible is specific about that..
God says he is a spirit, and must be worshipped in spirit.
There are a lot of worldly traditions to maintain in the worship Catholics choose, but nothing God said he required.
From my perspective, Catholics are like slaves who willingly choose a froward master. Whatever overtakes us, has enslaved us – the Bible says.
I just want you to know the truth. Jesus said it will set you free.
The Bible says to lean not on our own understanding. We learn nothing when we pick and choose what to believe in the Bible, especially substantiating practices that are obviously not chosen by Christ himself.
The Bible says not to offend. Surely the truth will offend, but only those who are perishing. I imagine it’s referring to those who justify practices Jesus did not endorse, who pervert the faith of others, and teach them as doctrines of God.
The Jews caused that sort of confusion as well, thinking they had to maintain works to be saved by Jesus’ sacrifice. Unable to bring themselves to Jesus’ easy yoke, due to the traditions entwined in their minds.
Those brought up in works based religions need to verify what they’re taught, just as much as any Christian does. The Bible says to test all of the spirits, to verify if they’re from God. We must always check ourselves for deception. Christ gave many warnings, especially against false teaching.
Dear Susan,
I appreciate the well-intended comment. It’s obvious that you’re passionately convinced the Catholic Church is in error. You think the pope is the anti-Christ and the Church is wrong about Tradition, the sacrament of Confession, priests, and saints and sacred images and the Mass and all the rest. You seem to think Catholics believe Mary saves their souls and you’re determined that they’re all following the devil, as did Adam and Eve.
There are way too many accusations in your comments to address here, although I’d like to help clear things up. I pray for that daily. I’d like to ask, are you really interested in examining the evidence and learning from it? I hope so.
But let me address one particular issue. Maybe we can start there. You wrote: “We should do nothing except what we are commanded. I charge that the Catholic Church makes traditions of men seen as commandments of God.”
First of all, where does the Bible command you to attack the Catholic Church and say that the Pope is the anti-Christ? I’m just asking.
Second, what if the Bible teaches we are in fact to follow tradition? Here’s what St. Paul says:
“So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by our letter” (2 Thess. 2:15).
“I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions just as I handed them on to you” (1 Cor. 11:2).
“Now we command you, beloved, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from believers who are living in idleness and not according to the tradition that they received from us” (2 Thess. 3:6).
Are you aware that Jesus followed Jewish tradition? One example is that he prayed and read from O.T. scrolls in the synagogue. Jesus did not have a problem with all tradition. He had a problem with traditions of men, meaning practices that are not in accordance with divine revelation. It’s important to make the distinction between those man-made traditions, and divine revelation handed on orally by the apostles and entrusted to the Church (Sacred Tradition). You see, with regard to tradition, the Church is simply adhering to the teaching of Jesus transmitted through the apostles and their successors. Nothing devilish there.
If you want to read more about tradition, search the site for this post: “Sacred Tradition: Vital to the life of the Christian.”
Peace in Christ our Lord and Savior.
Deacon Frederick Bartels
I am certain that all those who are following Christ are keeping His commandments and having the His testimony. Things to do with eternity,God has not left us to speculate and suggest,He has clearly pointed out how we should worship Him, among the ten commandments,is a strick warning of worship of idles among those who are His sons and daughters. As if it is not enough,He gives a strick warning that we should not worship Him in the ways of pagans (Deuteronomy 12:4).Now I hope it is very clear that we are no longer in the dark, that God does not want us to worship images or serve Him through the same. It is ironical to claim that you are serving God by dishonoring Him,that would be worshiping Him vain instead if worshiping Him in truth and in spirit .To add on that .I don’t understand what is the argument,Catholics came out clear long ago that they are no longer bound by the scripture,they rule of faith is in the traditions which they claim that they are clear and safe .There is nothing wrong with traditions,provided they foes not violate the law of God .If it happens that our traditions goes directly against the law of God,we have to lay aside our traditions. It is true that Paul encouraged his followers to uphold traditions ,but the question is which in specific? I haven’t seen anywhere in the Bible Paul telling his brethren to worship God via the idles!But it is clear that the pagan Rome carried with them the worship of idols into the Christian church so as to end the rivalry between Christianity and paganism which the Bible calls ad ‘ falling away first. In conclusion, the question is not whether to worship God via graven image or not ,or whether the Sabbath is on Sunday or on Saturday because the Bible is very clear rather the question is,who I’d your Master? My Master -Jesus Christ the Son of Eternal God – is my Master ,His ways are contained in His Holy Word .Then if you follow otherwise ,you already know your Master and your god .Brothers and sisters it is crystal clear from the Bible that the Roman Catholic Church -State System is the fourth beast that forces people great and small to receive it mark ;worship of Sunday which is the day on which ancient Romans,Greeks and Persians worshipped their sun-god. In fact notice from the catholic catechism which is their mark to show their authority,it is Sunday friends. Amazingly the Bible comes out clear that Sabbath is a mark,a seal and a symbol of Unity between God and His people ,remember the mark of the beast and the seal of God ?Come out of that deceptive institution and experience a new wondrous joy of worshipping God without any media and being forgiven your dins without going through a deceptive priest that he can forgive sin.It is only God who can forgive sin ,and saying that one can do what only God can do is blaspheming God
Well, Moses, it seems clear that you didn’t actually read the post above, nor the comment I left (also above). Either that, or you’ve rejected the content out-of-hand.
Most of your objections were addressed in the original post/article and in my other comment above. Not sure what else I can say without repeating myself. It’s often the case that people attack what they incorrectly think the Church teaches, practices and believes, rather than addressing what the Church actually does teach, practice and believe. As I’ve said repeatedly (along with hundreds of other Catholic apologists), Catholics don’t worship statues or saints. Period. We worship the Triune God alone.
One thing I do want to point out is that you are entirely incorrect on the Catholic view of scripture. The Church is thoroughly scriptural. There is nothing in the teaching, belief and tradition of the Church which contradicts sacred scripture.
For those who call themselves Catholic and really reject what the bible so clearly teaches, perhaps you should stop and think about just these two things that you practice:
1. You pray to Mary to intercede on your behalf to God. So what are the implications of this? If Mary is to act on those prayers, she must be able to hear all catholics around the world who call on her 24/7. In other words Mary must be omnipresent. Omnipresence is an attribute we ascribe to God Himself. So that makes Mary – in YOUR praying to her – into a god. The last time I looked, having a god other than the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is called idolatry. Plus 1Timothy 2:5 says “There is ONE God and ONE mediator between God and man, the man Christ JESUS”. So what is there that you do not understand about the number ONE?
Yes, you claim you don’t worship Mary, but the very fact that you PRAY to her says otherwise. Reality catches you out on your own self-deception.
2. You make confessions to a man you call father. Now, we know for a fact he wasn’t your physical father so what is he the father of? He must be your Spiritual father. Plus, in your catechisms he can forgive sins ( as per the tradition of following Peter as head of the church and John 20:21-23), but JESUS Himself clearly states this in no uncertain terms: “9 And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. ” Matthew 8. Jesus was referring to a SPIRITUAL father since it is obvious that physically we can still have fathers and call them that. The physical father is he who gives you life physically but the spiritual father that gives your spirit rebirth can only be God Himself. Therefore, you can not address your priest as Father OR ask him to forgive your sins. He is only a human being. So again, just in their normal everyday practice, Catholics are blaspheming God AND practicing idolatry. It’s not what you SAY but what you actually do.
Dear Frank Lee,
The fact that God allows Mary to hear intercessory prayer requests from fellow Christians here below has nothing to do with omnipresence on the part of Mary. In reference to God, omnipresence means that God is present in all things by his essence, knowledge, and power. God is also present by grace in those souls in whom he dwells. It does not follow that because God makes Mary aware of prayer requests that she is therefore omnipresent. The Church has never taught that Mary is a divine being. She is most definitely NOT omnipresent. On the contrary, Mary is a creature (a woman created by God)—albeit the most excellently exalted and perfect one.
You stated that the very fact that Catholics pray to Mary means they worship her. Given that incorrect assumption, it seems difficult to believe you actually read the article.
Regarding “call no man father”: Matthew 23:9 states, “call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven.” The text is not to be taken in an exaggerated, literalistic manner. The context of Matthew 23 is in reference to replacing God with a man and calling him “Father,” as if that man were God, which would indeed be idolatrous. It does not prohibit calling a man father in the proper sense with respect to his actual position, whether a biological father, ancestral father, or spiritual father.
Note also that Jesus tells the crowds present and his disciples that they are not to be called rabbi. It would be ridiculous to think that Jesus forbids people to call a teacher a teacher. Further, recall that Jesus himself appointed teachers in the Church: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations . . . teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” And Paul speaks of his appointed position as a teacher: “For this I was appointed a preacher and apostle . . . a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth” (1 Tim. 2:7); “For this gospel I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher” (2 Tim. 1:11).
By your logic regarding “call no man father,” St. Paul is in error when he says, “For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel” (1 Cor 4:15). Obviously, St. Paul would be a spiritual father, since he cannot be the biological father of every person to whom he preached the gospel.
Last, Jesus himself calls Abraham the father of the Jews who confront him in John 8:48 ff.: “Your father Abraham rejoiced that he was to see my day; he saw it and was glad” (Jn 8:56). Abraham could be called the spiritual father of Jews in faith. Clearly, the proper use of the term “father” is not at all something Jesus prohibits. All of these additional citations indicate that it is a mistake to think Matthew 23 is condemning the practice of calling a man “father” in ANY proper sense, whether spiritual father or otherwise.
Regarding confession: The Church does NOT teach that an ordained priest (which Protestants don’t generally have) himself forgives ANY sin. It is Christ who forgives. The priest is simply the minister of his forgiveness by virtue of his ordination. Refer to John 20:21 ff. Jesus said to his disciples:
“Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
In order to forgive or retain a sin the apostles would have to hear it! This is precisely what goes on in the sacrament of confession in which the penitent speaks his sin audibly. The sacrament of confession is solidly biblical. It’s actually Protestants who are unbiblical in rejecting it.
The rejection of the sacrament of confession among Protestants first occurred with Martin Luther who, in large part, sparked the Protestant revolution in the 16th century. Luther denied five of the seven sacraments in contradiction to 1500 years of Church teaching AND scripture.
Deacon Frederick Bartels
Can a Cathloic be a “good Catholivc” if they feel no need of images as devotional aids? I know of several Cathloics who tell me they NEVER address prayers to anyone but God. Aren’t they “good Cathloics:? Do you consider their faith as less bibilical than those who do address those who have died?
When was the devotional use of statues introduced into the church.? The Holy Apostles knew nothing of this practice, right?
Dear Lawrence Hill,
There’s no strict requirement for a Catholic to use devotional aids nor to pray to a particular saint. However, it’s not possible to be a practicing Catholic and not come into contact with statues of saints or the concept of saintly intercession. Virtually every Catholic Church features statutes of the saints. Every Catholic Church has a crucifix on the altar. And the Catholic liturgy often includes memorials and feast days for the saints. If a Catholic has no connection with any of the saints, it seems difficult to say that he is a deeply practicing Catholic since the saints are members of the body of Christ. The heavenly and earthly Church forms one single reality.
The apostles couldn’t help but be familiar with statutes and holy images. In the OT, God himself instructed that images be fashioned on the ark of the covenant. There were images of angels in the Temple. Following the apostolic era, early churches and cathedrals featured sacred images and statues of the saints. The use of sacred images has always been an integral part of the Christian life.
God Is more living than us humans. The First Commandment says, ”You shall not make for yourself a graven image. ” Exodus 20:2-5.. The important word is ”yourself ”. In Numbers 21: 8-9, And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Make a fiery serpent, ”’. God wants good for His people, so He tells them to make a fiery serpent, so they will live. True, they do so for themselves, but, also, to obey God.
hi no disrespect to you Man Of God, however i have great concerns when you said in your typing in defense of people bowing before the statue of Mary yes she was the Mother of Jesus there’s no denying that but the only way through the Father, is Through the Son John 14:6. and the Trinity is through the Father through the Son and Through the Holy Ghost (Holy Spirit) 2 cor 13:14. and God says he shares his glory with no man. Isaiah 42:8. and ecclesiastes 9:5 is another scripture that jumps out to me. with that being said Mary The Mother of Jesus did carry the word of God in her womb for 9 months as well as live with the word of God. but its about the trinity. the Father the Son and the Holy ghost. and the Heavenly Father, and his only be gotton Son. the perfect Son. I am only making these concern statements when you said, praying to Mary to intercede. no disrespect to you sir. God Bless You.
Dear Toi,
Thanks for your comments.
I agree: no one comes to the Father but through Jesus Christ, the way and the truth and the life (John 14:6). Early on, the post states that Catholics are thoroughly Christian. Here’s one paragraph from it: “If Catholics are Christians who worship Christ and adore the Tripersonal God alone, doesn’t it seem over-the-top bizarre for Protestants to remain convinced that Catholics are apparently oblivious to the problem with worshipping statues or giving adoration to saints?”
I’m NOT defending an act of bowing down to Mary and intentionally worshipping her (although I’ve never found any Catholic to do that). I’m defending the practice of Catholics honoring and venerating Mary as the Mother of God and praying to her for her intercession before her Son on our behalf, a practice for which there is biblical support.
One angle from your argument seems to rest on your idea that God doesn’t glorify anyone, as if Mary or the saints aren’t glorified. I’m not quite sure how you see this is connected to the charge that Catholics shouldn’t pray to Mary or the other saints. In any case, scripture clearly says God does glorify the saints:
“We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the first-born among many brethren. And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified” (Rom 8:28-30).
We both agree that Christians (and Catholics are THE Christians historically) worship the Holy Trinity alone. Where we seem to disagree is in the Christian practice of asking others to pray for us, such as Mary and the other saints. Asking a saint to pray for you has nothing to do with worshipping the saint, just as asking someone here below to pray for us is not an act of worship of the requested intercessor. It’s odd that Protestants don’t mind asking other Christians to pray for them, but attack Catholics for asking heavenly saints to pray for them.
Also, giving Mary the honor she is due as the mother of Jesus does not mean Catholics are worshipping her. Jesus fulfilled the commandments perfectly. The 4th commandment is “honor your father and mother.” Surely our Lord expects us to honor his mother as he did.
Deacon Frederick Bartels
I never meant for you to feel attacked sir, at the end of the day you are still my brother in the Lord.
Hi Toi,
No worries. I did not in any way feel attacked. I always appreciate comments, questions, and dialogue. The goal is unity in truth and one confession of Christian faith.
Deacon Frederick Bartels
If Catholics don’t worship statues (bowing down is paying homage to the statue), then why did the Catholic church eliminate the second commandment of the Ten Commandments found in Exodus 20:4-5. 4.
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
And so to have the appearance of still having Ten Commandments, the Catholic church adding a second “Thou shall not covet,” commandment! Thinking to change times and Laws is blasphemy!
Dear Joseph,
Thanks for your comments and questions.
It seems you didn’t read the article. An explanation of a correct understanding of graven images is included in it. It also points out that God ordered some images to be made, such as those on the Ark of the Covenant and the bronze serpent. You’re taking a simplistic view and disregarding the entire context of scripture.
When Catholics kneel before a statue, such as one of Christ, they’re adoring Christ, not the image. You have to make a distinction based on a person’s intentions. Otherwise, you’re falling into the trap of judgmentalism–pretending you can read motives, thoughts, and souls. If a Protestant kneels, holds up a Bible, and thanks God for his inspired word, does that mean the Protestant is worshipping a book?
Second, the Church did not change the Ten Commandments. The Church did not add a “Thou shall not covet” commandment. The prohibition against coveting is found in both Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5. The Church honors these texts as divinely inspired.
Christ’s peace,
Deacon Frederick Bartels
Deacon Frederick Bartels,
Nice try, but the Catholic church most definitely changed the Ten Commandments! God gave ten commandments to Moses, and the last commandment, #10, is “Thou shall not covet.” However, the Catholic catechism states both #9 and #10 as two “Thou shall not covet.” Because the Catholic church removed the second commandment stating no graven images. Kneeling in front of a statue is worshiping the statue. We are to focus on God, not images. I pray that you will be enlightened and learn the biblical truth, not the falsehoods of the Catholic church.
Joseph,
You’re apparently failing to make the distinction between the Church’s teaching on the 10 Commandments and the precise order in which they’re listed in scripture. Exodus 20: “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife” (20:17) and Deuteronomy 5: “‘Neither shall you bear false witness against your neighbor. Neither shall you covet your neighbor’s wife;” (5:20:21). The Church includes both of these in its list of the 10 Commandments.
The Church did not change these. The traditional formula of the 10 Commandments given by the Church is in accord with sacred scripture. The Church identifies a moral distinction between coveting your neighbor’s wife and desiring (or coveting) your neighbor’s goods and therefore orders the 10 Commandments in the Catechism accordingly. This is NOT a change to the commandments but is a way of listing them that identifies the distinctions. Both coveting a neighbor’s wife and goods are prohibited.
Finally, the Church did not remove any portion of the second commandment. It’s teaching on idolatry and graven images is found in nos. 2112 – 2114 of the Catechism under the first commandment. The Catechism of the Catholic Church doesn’t simply copy scripture verbatim, but explains scripture in light of the living belief of the Church.
Why is this such a concern for you? There’s a difference between explaining the teaching of scripture and changing it. The Church NEVER changes the meaning of sacred scripture.
Do Catholic and orthodox Christians prostrate in front of the Virgin Mary icons?
What I mean by prostration is “people putting their foreheads on the ground”.
I’m using google translate.
I hope I wrote it correctly.
Christ is the intercessor NOT MARY or anybody or anything else.
Romans 8:34
John,
Rom 8:34: who is to condemn? Is it Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us?
Catholics agree that Christ died and rose again to redeem mankind. We also agree that he intercedes for us at the right hand of the Father. However, Rom 8:34 has nothing to do with your assertion that no saint or anyone else can intercede for others. Saints who are in Christ can intercede for others by virtue of the fact that they are participating in Christ’s mediatorship in a secondary way. God calls us to pray for others. That’s intercession. That’s what the saints do. The problem with your position, is that it’s an isolationist view. Saints who have gone before us are alive in Christ. They’re called to participate in his mission of salvation and intercession for their brethren on earth.
Dear Deacon Frederick Bartels,
Thank you so much for writing such a wonderful article and for defending the Catholic faith in the comments and willingly answering everyone’s questions even when it was hard. I, myself, have being having a hard time in my faith but seeing your article has really made me feel so happy and has renewed the courage in my heart to live my faith well even when faced with doubt and fear in the face of opposition and inquisition. Keep inspiring others and thank you so much. God bless you.
Dear Zita,
Thank you for your kind words. Praise be to Jesus Christ and his grace, which allows me to do what I do. I’m pleased you’ve found this stuff beneficial.
Pax Christi,
Deacon Bartels
Excellent article Deacon!
It is fascinating how many who were raised “anti-Catholic” (as i was) are exactly what Fulton Sheen said, that we are against what we THINK the Catholic Church is, not against what it actually is. Seeing the icons and statues ALL OVER the, Yahweh commanded, temple has been huge for me. I am now joyfully a Catholic Inquirer and this was helpful to show me that the Catholic Church IS in Full Continuity with the Hebrew Israelite Faith of Abraham Israel!
The current Protestant Churches have continuously incorporated more and more Judaizing heresies into their beliefs as time goes on and on.
I pray The Church will stay pure as our Lord guaranteed it would!
This is ‘Beautiful’. Thank you Deacon Frederick Bartels for such a logical and truthful explanation of our Catholic teaching, belief and practice of our belief on this subject. I converted to the Catholic Faith while in my early twenties. I was attacked for this by family members and often accused of believing and practicing things as a Catholic, that Catholics do not believe or practice. I am 66 years old now. I have educated myself and studied at Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology in Indiana. this has given me the ‘knowledge’ to deals with these types of accusations. It has always puzzled me that so many non-Catholics know of the second Commandment of the Decalogue, and what it states, but are unaware of what it prohibits and what it allows, or have historical knowledge of the Second Commandment.. God Bless You.
Dear Terrance Hawkins,
Thank you so much for your kind words. I’m pleased that you’ve found the information beneficial. God bless you too!
I came to this site for information on adoration. My fear is the bowing down to statues and objects in the catholic religion. I found it hard to understand and disliked the judging of others that occurs in religions. Why do Christians argue with other Christians? We are all sinners in need of a savior, and Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father accept through Jesus. The great commission clearly states “Go into the world and preach the gospel (The Good News) to all. James 1-21 speaks to all of us about the importance of Doers-Not Hearers Only. The best religion is the one that brings a person closer to God. Luke 6-37 “Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Study the word of God. Go out and spread the great news.
Mr. Dobs,
I hope your concerns about Catholics and idolatry have been resolved. Catholics do not worship statues, Mary, or other saints. We worship the Tripersonal God alone.
In terms of your comment about Christians arguing with other Christians: Christ founded one Church on the headship of Peter (Matt 16:17-19). He did not found Protestantism. As Catholics, we’re interested in evangelizing other Christians in the hope that they will recognize and accept the truth about the Catholic Church and enter into full communion with her. God willed the Church founded by his Son as the home for mankind. All are called to become Catholic.
Arguing (as in discussing issues) is not at all a bad thing. That’s how we learn and hopefully come away changed for the better.