My "Great" Apologetic Note

Top Twelve Accusations/Stereotypes any Catholic have to put up with:

I. Catholics follow the traditions of men, not the Bible.
II. There were no Protestants back then because the Catholics killed them all.
III. Catholics worship the Virgin Mary and depend on her for salvation.
IV. Catholics depend on their good-works, not Christ, to get them into Heaven.
V. In the Catholic Mass, Jesus is crucified over and over.
VI. Asking for the intercession of saints equals communing with the dead and is therefore a form of witchcraft.
VII. “Hoc est corpus meum” = Hocus-pocus.
VII. Catholics will put flowers on a statue of Mary because they think she is actually inside of it.
IX. The Roman Catholic Church is the Whore of Babylon.
X. Catholics see the Pope as some sinless demigod.
XI. Priests are child-molesters.
XII. Purgatory is an invented doctrine to scare people and to fill the collection plates.

How can we refute these stereotypes and accusations? Maybe with a lot of Bible-reading, long paragraphs and tons of patience. It would take pages to explain away this ill-repute. Take pages to list every scriptural passage that supports the Catholic Church; take weeks to mat out every argument and theological dispute. Yet the attacks are flung forth like holy water on Palm Sunday (pardon the pun). There are only a few things I could say which in no way do justice to the great apologists, the Holy Scriptures, or the renowned theologians of this day:

“Always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who calls to account the hope that is within you yet do it with gentleness and reverence.” 1 Peter 3:15

All is done through the power of Christ "in unity of the Holy Spirit to the glory of the Father". The priest is no one but a servant of Christ whom was given certain authority. "And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out (exorcism) and to heal all manners of sickness(understood as anointing of the sick). " -Matthew 10: 1

Concerning Apostolic Succession:

“He breathed on them and said unto them “Receive ye the Holy Ghost, whosesoever sins ye remit are remitted and whosoever sins ye retain, they are retained.” - John 20:22-23.

A special task was entrusted to Peter by Christ, indeed he selected him as head of theApostles, to be his shepherd-in-standing.
“So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee.
He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.
He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?
He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee.
He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me?
And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee.
Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not.
This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spokenthis, he saith unto him, Follow me.” - John 21: 16-19
Recall an earlier dialogue between Christ and Peter: “He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” - Matthew 16:15-19
Giving someone the keys to your house is like saying “Hey, I trust you enough to watch the place while I’m gone. From now on, what you say goes.”
Take a look at the Old Testament comparison:
“And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah: And I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy girdle, and I will commit thy government into his hand: and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah.
And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.” - Isaiah 22:20-22.

What exactly DO Catholics claim about the Pope? Well first of all, he’s a guy, sinful and human as any other man (actually, I recall that Pope John-Paul II went to confession weekly…) He has the successive office of the Apostle Peter who often spoke for the Jesus’s disciples and was given the keys remember? How do we know this? Well since the New Testament ended with the early church, historical documents picked up from there. Peter had a fellow-disciple Linus, (see 2 Timothy 4:21) whom he left his office to. Yes, being an Elder or Bishop was an office. “Let his bishopric another take.” -Acts 1:20
Recall also in Acts, that new apostles were formally chosen and ordained for the proclamation of the Kingdom of Heaven: “Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith,and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.” - Acts 14:22.
The head of the Apostles’ teachings and moral instruction are infallible, NOT every word that comes out of his mouth. “Whatever thou shalt bind on earth will be bound in heaven and whatever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” roughly translates just as when the master hands over his house-keys, “Whatever you say I’ll hear, and it goes.” Now one will bring up that some of the past Popes have been corrupt scoundrels. Cannot your teacher or Pastor have grievous flaws and still teach you what’s right? Of course!
“Then spake Jesus to the multitudes and to his disciples, saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses seat: all things therefore whatsoever they bid you, these do and observe: but do not ye after their works; for they say, and do not.” - Matthew 23: 1-3
Jesus himself says it is right to obey one of spiritual authority even if they don’t practice what they preach. Infallible instructions are to be set apart from fallible actions.
Is the Pope divine, something to be worshipped? No! “Thou shalt have no gods before me.”
-Exodus 20:30
I can assure you the Pope wouldn’t wish to be worshipped, for he turns all glory to Christ (and wouldn’t want to be smote on the spot.) Secondly, the Pope is called servus servorum, “the servant of servants”. Regarding the bear on the papal crest who is carrying a bunch of luggage, the current Pope, Benedict XVI, has compared himself to a beast of burden to the Lord.
Perhaps he was thinking: “Remember that the servant is not greater than his Lord.” -John 15:20. Though Peter was elected head of the Apostles, he refrained from glorification.
“And when it came to pass that Peter entered, Cornelius met him, and fell down athis feet, and worshipped him. But Peter raised him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man.” - Acts 10:25-26.
So, I hope that you now see the Pope as a Church leader, not greater than his master, who provides moral and theological guidance, see him as a faithful student of the Lord who interprets the Scriptures and makes new teachings according to them. You can call him “Pope”, “Padre”, “Holiness” or “man with the funny hat” for all I care, but please give him due respect.

O Scriptura!

While its Latin name sounds pretty, the doctrine of Sola Scriptura “Scripture alone” presents some snags. One of the most common accusations thrown against Catholics is that they do not follow the Bible (or even read it for that matter!). This is a false stereotype. “The Catholic Church has always venerated the Scriptures as she venerates the body of the Lord.” - Catechism of the Catholic Church, 103.
If you consider how Catholics kneel before the Eucharist, which they believe is the Lord’s body; you can imagine that they love their Bible! In fact, the traditions of the Catholic Church (said to be invented by men) are held in accordance to the Sacred Scriptures. When does depending on only the Bible become too much?
Writer and Apologist, Scott Hann implied that “Sola Scriptura has resulted in so many divisions as churches based on this doctrine have divided into some 30,000 denominations. Groups such as Lutherans disagree profoundly with Baptists on the nature of sacraments, others disagree on the nature of baptism itself- all due to clashing interpretation of the Bible."
What has the Good Book to say on this? “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, forreproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” - 2 Timothy 3:17
Scripture is the basis on which doctrine and tradition are formed.
That doesn’t dismiss tradition.
“And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.” – 2 Timothy 2:2
“ Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.” -2 Thess 2:15
The Bible itself encourages the reading of scriptures instructed by a teacher:Consider the dialogue between the disciple Philip and the eunuch: “And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said,Understandest thou what thou readest? And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me?” – Acts 8:30-31
Catholics are not blind sheep hanging on every word of their priest. In attendance of Mass, they hear a good portion of Scripture reading and a sermon related to it. Consider a college freshman who opens a book on organic chemistry, sees a paragraph of the synthesis of carboxylic acids and is dead confused. Should she not approach a professor before attempting the synthesis herself? While many would agree that Scriptures are not as complicated as organic chemistry, the Bible can be very complicated.
Confusion can arise and these confusions can be avoided by seeking the instruction of al earned interpreter of Scriptures (i.e. an ordained Pastor).

Dinner with Jesus (literally?)

“I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.
This is the bread whichcometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life ofthe world.

The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?

Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.
Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.” - John 6:48-58.

Perhaps a very irksome claim by Roman Catholics is that Jesus gives his body and blood at Communion, in the form of bread and wine, and continues to be present at every communion. It’s salt in theological boiling water. A majority of Christians claim that in John 6, Jesus is speaking metaphor (as he does at the Last Supper). Unlike his parables, which are stated once or twice, our Lord emphasizes himself as “the bread of life” over 5 times!
After the Jews ask “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” Jesus does not recant or clarify but says, “Verily (truly) except you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.” The idea of eating and drinking Jesus’s body and blood must have sounded grotesque to the Jews and to his disciples.
“These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum. Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying;who can hear it? When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?” - John 6:59-61.
At this point, Jesus could have said, “You don’t understand, it was a metaphor.” He did not, letting his words linger until the Passover before his arrest and crucifixion. All ofthe Gospels, apart from John, which contains the “Bread of Life” discourses, note the Last Supper.
“And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it tothe disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gavethanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the newtestament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” - Matthew 26:26-28
From some viewpoints, Jesus is speaking of his suffering to come, when his bodywould be broken and his blood spilled. Indeed this implies his redeeming sacrifice, butalso his grace and fellowship with the disciples. The Last Supper was an intimate moment partaken with the Jesus’s closest friends (hence the term “Communion”). Strangely, Jesus ends his supper with a command: “This do in remembrance of me…” - Luke 22:19.
From that day, after the crucifixion of Christ, the custom of Christians is to holdCommunion or The Lord’s Supper “In remembrance”:
“And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread fromhouse to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart.” -Acts 2:46
The Lord’s Supper acted as cement to hold the early church together in fellowship. In addition to Baptism, healing of the sick, and joining man and wife (Matthew 19:5), therewas instituted the ordinance/sacrament of Communion.
What was the nature of the Lord’s Supper? Was it symbolic of the Lord’s sacrifice or a literal representation of thissacrifice and resulting forgiveness of sins?
“And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body,which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying,
This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till hecome.” -1 Corinthians 11:24-26.
It remains obvious the Lord wanted the disciples to proclaim his great sacrifice in their Communion. He desired that the Church show his redeeming death until he comesagain. But the question remains, was Jesus present in the bread and wine, literally, physically there? Again we turn to the Lord’s Supper as practiced in the Scriptures. In Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, abuses and irreverence towards the Communion are described: “For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, andanother is drunken. What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not.” -I Cor 11:21-22.
Moreover: “Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord,unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examinehimself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.” -1 Cor 11:27-29
The bread and wine at the Lord’s Supper is so revered that merely partaking in anunworthy/sinful state was considered self-damnation! That’s heavy punishment for justeating and drinking a meal the wrong way. Unless, in the bread and wine, there is thebody and blood of God’s begotten son, the presence of Christ. The letter of Corinthians isperhaps most explicit in the meaning of Communion:
“The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ?The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.” - 1 Cor 10: 16-17.
The Lord’s Supper IS the communion of the body and blood of Christ. Interestinglyearly Christians saw it that way too.
“At this point bread is brought, with wine mixed with water to the president who accepted them and prayed offering up “praise and glory to the father of the universe, through the name of the Son and Holy Spirit” then giving thanks “for our being deemed worthy to recieve these things at his hands. The bread and wine over which the thanksgiving has been said is distributed by the deacons, who later brought the bread and wine to those who could not be at the meeting. None is allowed to share unless he believes the things, which we teach are true and has been washed with the waters that bring the remission of sins and give second birth, and that lives as Christ ordered us to live. For we do not receive them as ordinary bread and wine- but as Jesus Christ our Savior.”
This account of the early Christian service is given by Justin Martyr, a presbyter (Pastor) who lived from 100-165 AD. It is dated to about 150 AD. Talk about early writings. Some of the earliest writings outside of the Bible portray Communion as involving the true body and blood of Jesus Christ. Ignatius of Antioch, one of the Apostolic Fathers and a direct disciple of the ApostleJohn, mentions the Communion as "the flesh of our Saviour Jesus Christ. (wikipedia.org/ Eucharist).
What are the arguments against these views? That the Last Supper is metaphor that the Communion or Eucharist claims to sacrifice Christ over and over again, and that Jesus couldn’t possibly have meant for people to consume his flesh and blood.Roman Catholics explain the Eucharist (from the Greek Eucharista “thanksgiving”) as a sacrifice, a pure and spotless offering. “For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shallbe great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name,and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD ofhosts.” - Malachi 1:11.
The Eucharist is sacrifice in that it represents and makes present the sacrifice of the cross. – Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1366. “Our Lord and God, was once and for all to offer himself to God the Father on thecross, to accomplish everlasting redemption. But because his priesthood was not to endwith his death, The Last Supper leaves the Church a visible sacrifice by which the bloodysacrifice accomplished would be presented, its memory perpetuated until the end of theworld and its salutary power applied to the forgiveness of sins we daily commit.”- Catechism, 1366- 189, Council of Trent (1562).

The Catholic Church also believes it’s faithful to be part of the “sacrifice”:“With him, she (the Church) offers herself entire. She unites to Christ’s intercession with the Father. In the Eucharist, the sacrifice of Christ also becomes the sacrifice of the members of his Body (in this sense, again the Church, see 1 Cor 12:12). - Catechism 1368.
Perhaps with this attitude one can understand the Catholic’s importance of repentance and staying free from sin. Maybe one can see why they approach Communion with such humility and fear of God. Not that Christ hasn’t redeemed the Catholic but they strive to be holy “For I am holy” – 1 Peter 1:16.


This brings us to another Catholic belief that people vehemently disagree with: The Confession of sins to a priest. Should a priest be doing God’s job? Is it undermining Christ, our Only redeemer to tell one’s sins to another man? Let’s go back to the Scriptures where Christ grants minor powers to his Apostles:“Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.” --John 20:23
He says to his disciples that whose sins they remit, forgive in his name, are forgiven by him and whose sins they retain, withhold from him, are withheld from his forgiveness. Surely, one must repent in order to be forgiven. In order for an apology to be accepted, it has to be made.
A majority of Christians will argue that asking Christ alone and directly is good repentance enough, for no middle-man is needed. There is nothing wrong with apologizing personally to the Lord, but for extra reassurance, he has instituted the confession of sins.
“And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, andhath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing theirtrespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we prayyou in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.” – 2 Cor 5: 18-20
Many worry this puts too much power in the hands of men. It does not; for any minister is but a servant of the Lord, only acting as an “ambassador, praying in Christ’sstead.” When Christ left the earth ascending into heaven, he left his earthly Pastors withthe duty to act in persona Christi “in the person of Christ”. They are not assuming thesame level as Christ, rather he acts through them. A priest in the confessional, regardlessof his own biases and flaws, is being instrument of Christ’s grace.Jesus in the Scriptures acknowledges the importance of confessing sins:
“Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” –James 5: 16.
He encourages reconciliation before going to the place of worship: “Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brotherhath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.” – Matthew 5:24.
From this we have that there is nothing un-Biblical about confession of sins. Moreover, the oral admittance of faults teaches a lesson in humility, reveals one’s offenses before the Lord that they may not be repeated, and gives chance for Pastoral advice. If anything, the Catholic’s confession is more helpful. It dispels any questions that might be left after repenting to God personally and cultivates honesty.

Ave Maria.

“And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee,named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house ofDavid; and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail,thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.” - Luke 1: 26-28.
Bringing Mary, the mother of Jesus into the picture, things get more hairy. Every Christian acknowledges that Mary was a virgin when she bore Jesus; that she bore the Son of God. What people disagree on is whether Mary was free from sin, remained sinless and is dwelling now in heaven with her son.
From the Scriptures, we know that Mary was greeted by an angel, he saluted her (hence “Hail Mary”) and that he proclaimed her favored and blessed amongst women. When hearing of the purpose God has for her, she does not laugh as the barren Sarah had when told she would bear a child, but submits to God’s will. “And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thyword. And the angel departed from her.” - Luke 1:38.
From this point on, Mary carries the child Jesus in her womb radiating such glorythat her cousin Elizabeth and Zacharias notice their Lord’s presence to come. “And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth. And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:
And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.” -Luke 1: 40-42.
Mary raised the child Jesus accepting his divinity and recalling the words of Simeon (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed, Luke 2:37), accepting his fate. At the moment of Christ’s death, shestood there with him while most of the disciples had fled revealing her sorrow and love. Jesus even entrusted his disciples to care for her in his absence: “When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved,he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!” -John 19:26.
From the Scriptures it is apparent that God and Jesus, Father and Son, cared for Mary very much. Jesus’s disciples after his death and resurrection, kept her in their company. While nothing is said of Mary’s death, it’s likely that God ensured her a special place in heaven.
It is entirely certain that...God...would never have permitted her body to have been resolved into dust and ashes. Explaining these words of Sacred Scripture: "Who is this that comes up from the desert, flowing with delights, leaning upon her beloved?" [Song of Songs 8:5].
Recall the Mary is the handmaid of the Lord, a being of admiration in the eyes of the Holy Spirit. (www.wikipedia.org/ Christian views of Mary).
Because Mary was not only favored by God, but saw fit to bear the Word Incarnate unto the earth, it would be perfectly logical to say she was without sin. Recall the reverence with which the Jews held the Ark of the Covenant, containing the tablets of Moses. Only the high priests dared to touch the Ark concealed within the tabernacle. Imagine the reverence fit for a vessel that actually contained the living God! Logically, God would not have allowed his vessel to be touched by sin.
Why else did he choose Christ to be born of a virgin? Don’t you think God would also keep pure the womb that held his begotten son? To claim that Mary was a sinner is to claim Christ was born from sin. Yet we know that Jesus was born sinless, perfect. Sin could never hold such perfection, not ever... Though Mary couldn’t totally understand the greatness of her task to come, to raiseand cherish the Savior of all Mankind, she rejoiced in the Lord:
“And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in Godmy Saviour. For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.” - Luke 1:46.
Okay, Mary is certainly special. Although the first part of the “Hail Mary” is found in Scripture, where is the second part; “Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.” As I said earlier, anything that has touched God is revered as holy. Mary bore Jesus, the Son of God, also the second person of the Trinity, thus making her, “mother of God”. Since God has a special place for his “handmaid” presumably in heaven, she is joined with the heavenly host. Mary was once a human on earth, free from sin but not free from sorrow or pain, she has compassion for us.
Therefore when Catholics ask Mary for help, to pray for them, they are doing just that. They are not bestowing upon her any kind of worship. The mother of Christ is deserving of adoration and it is easy to see Mary in her son’s arms whispering our petitions.Many Protestants say that the veneration of Mary appeared later on in the Church as a made-up and heretical doctrine. They claim that statues and pictures of the Virgin get too much attention however pictures of Mary in early Christian churches can be found dating from the 4th Century AD. The oldest picture of Mary with the child Jesus was found in a church at the 2nd Century AD. (www.wikipedia.com/ Christian views of Mary).
In fact: “Worship" has never been used in this sense in Catholic literature when referring to the veneration of the Blessed Virgin). Mary, they point out, is not divine, and has only such powers to help as are granted to her by God in response to her prayers. Such miracles as may occur through Mary's intercession are ultimately the result of God's love and omnipotence.” (ibid).
Enough said.

The Saints: Who Won the Race.

If Protestants might accept the admiration of Mary the mother of Christ, the asking of saints for intercession crosses into spiritual taboo. It is labeled as communion with the dead, praying to those other than God, a definite no-no. However, the Scriptures make clear reference to the company of saints who dwell in heaven, those who have endured unto salvation:
“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, letus lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.” - Hebrews 12:1.
They are also providers of hope to those still struggling on earth: “Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all thesaints, for the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel.” - Colossians 1:4-5. However the verse above this, (Col 1:2) mentions saints in Colosse, obviously onearth. Mind that saints on earth will also be saints in heaven. Recall the great cloud ofwitnesses who have “run the race” so to speak.
The word for “witness” in Greek is martyr. Many of these saints on earth had been killed for their faith. Their faith on earthhas earned a place in heaven with the Lord (He that findeth his life shall lose it: and hethat loseth his life for my sake shall find it.” – Matthew 10: 39)
Saints in heaven give inspiration to those still running the race, suffering and struggling against sin. A saint dead is a soul in heaven and God is “Not the God of the dead but of the living.” – Matthew 22:32.
Is it of no avail, even sinful to ask the saints in heaven for help. God is the God of the living therefore death does not separate souls from him. The souls of saints are ever alive, close companions to God and friends to men. “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching there unto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.” -Ephesians 6:18.
Is there anything wrong with asking a friend or elder for advice, asking “How did you do it, please help me so I can too succeed”? Because the saints are alive in heaven, asking their intercession is NOT praying or communing with the dead. When one seeks saintly help, they are not literally praying to the saint but through them. In the end, all supplications go to the Lord, all of Mary’s prayers; those of the saints- are given to the Lord. Seeking their intercession is no different from asking your friend or Pastor to pray for you. Since saints are closer to the heavenly God: better yet.



I have spent hours of my time and sacrificed sleep to present this body of information. I’ve thumbed through the Bible and Catechism, searched apologetic writings and browsed the internet encyclopedias to hopefully disprove of put in better insight the views of the Roman Catholic Church. If anything comes from my vain paragraphs, devout listing of scriptural passages and explanation of doctrine (to the best of my ability), I hope … no pray, that Catholics be seen as Christians who love Christ and are worthy of his love. Men and women of all ages, nations and tongues who listen to the guidance of Peter’s Successor and seek to adore, glorify and please Jesus Christ. Those in the one body of the Church (according to 1 Corinthians 12:12) unified; faithful in His Kingdom to come, faithful in the gracious body and blood of the Savior, as Christ the Son intended.


Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam…
- To the Greater Glory of God.
~Amen