Expert: Sal - 6/16/2008

Question
Hi Sal,

I was hoping you could tell me a little more about veneration of saints and if there is reference to it in the Bible. How is it not idolatry? I was raised Catholic and I still am, I am just having a hard time with this tradition.

I was taught to kneel in prayer before a statue of a saint. There are places to light candles around statues of saints. There are saint medals to wear at certain times. There is a St. Joseph statue in my window right now because I am trying to relocate my family. There are many more examples.

I do not pray to a saint. I ask a saint to pray with me. But I was taught to pray to saints. I was taught to kneel before a statue of them. I was taught to ask them for guidance and protection. I was taught to respect them the same way I was taught to respect and love God.

In a prayer and petition to St. Joseph it says "I place in you all my interests and desires"  "I confidently place myself and all my concerns under your care and protection"  I could not pray these words to a saint, it does not feel right.

I think there is a fine line between veneration and worship and I think that line is crossed by a lot of Catholics. Do you think the line is crossed? Do people take it too far or is this the way God wanted us to honor other human beings?

I appreciate your time to answer my question.
Thank you, Alicia

Answer
Dear Alicia:

Thank you for sharing your concerns. First, let me say that I believe that you are right that some Catholics, a minority, do cross the line between veneration and worship of saints. Second, if you feel uncomfortable with a particular pray or with prayers to saints in general then by all means don’t do it. It’s not a requirement for Catholics to pray to saints. I believe that it is an advantage to have their prayers united with ours, but it is not necessary for all Catholics to take advantage of this. Third, if you were taught to respect the saints on an equal basis with God then you were taught wrong. The Catholic Church does not condone such a thing. The saints are to be honored and venerated, but never on a equal basis with God. God alone is to receive our worship. Fourth, your statement, “I do not pray to a saint. I ask a saint to pray with me” is perfect. I agree 100% as does the Church.


Catholics view Christians as one family (Romans 12:5) with God as our Father (Ephesians 4:5-6). What father would not be pleased when his children help one another? Catholics believe that this unity shared by Christians is very profound. “If one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all members share its joy” (1 Corinthians 12:26). The fact that God’s children can and should help one another by prayer is beyond dispute. “I beg you brothers, for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of the Spirit, join me in the struggle by your prayers to God on my behalf” (Romans 15:30). “But you must help us with your prayers, so that on our behalf God may be thanked for the gift granted us through the prayers of so many” (2 Corinthians 1:11). Other examples of intercessory prayer for other Christians may be found in Ephesians 6:18-20; Philippians 1:19; Colossians 4:24; 1 Thessalonians 5:25; 2 Thessalonians 1:11; 3:1-2; Philemon 22; James 5:13-16, and 1 John 5:16. We even have biblical examples of praying for those who are not united with God’s family (Matthew 5:44 and 1 Timothy 2:1-4).

Catholics do not pray to the saints in the same way as we do to God. All prayer is directed to God. However, Catholics do ask for saints to pray with us to God. We believe in the communion of saints. That means that those Christians who have died are still in communion with Christians still here on earth. They still care about our needs from heaven just as they did while here with us. The Bible gives us clear examples of believers who have left this life still caring for, and interceding for, other believers.

In the Old Testament we read of Judas Maccabeus who related a vision that God had given to him concerning deceased believers. “What he saw was this: Onias, the former high priest…was praying with outstretched arms for the whole Jewish community. Then in the same way another man appeared…Onias then said of him, ‘This is God’s prophet Jeremiah, who loves his brethren and fervently prays for his people and their holy city’” (2 Maccabees 15:12-14). So here we have evidence of deceased believers, a high priest and a great prophet, continuing their intercession for God’s people even after their deaths.

Also in the Old Testament which did not have the full revelation of God (see Hebrews 1:1-2) we find an understanding that one may pray for another. “If a man sins against another man, one can intercede for him with the LORD” (1 Samuel 2:25).

Jesus informs us that the faithful that have left this life are still alive to God. “Moses in the passage about the bush…called the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. All are alive to Him” (Luke 20: 37-38). Jesus graphically demonstrated this truth on the Mount of Transfiguration where he spoke to Elijah and Moses (Matthew 17:3). Elijah may never have died since he was taken up to heaven while apparently still alive (2 Kings 2:11). Moses, however, had certainly died long ago (Deuteronomy 34:5-8). In the New Testament we read of Christians in heaven interceding for those on earth. “Along with their harps, the elders were holding vessels of gold filled with aromatic spices which were the prayers of God’s holy people” (Revelation 5:8).  

Catholics believe that the Bible would not so strongly recommend and show the practice of intercessory prayer if it were not of great benefit to us. One such benefit is that the strong faith of the saints can serve to support our weaknesses. The saints can supply what is so lacking in our own faith. Jesus illustrated this by helping someone based on the faith of others. Examples of this can be found in Matthew 8:5-13; 15:22-28; Mark 2:1-5; 9:17-29; Luke 8:41-42, 49-55.

Catholics reason that if we are to pray for one another while here on earth (I Timothy 2:11), and our brothers and sisters who have left this life are alive before God (Mark 9:4), and if the prayers of a holy person are very powerful (James 5:16), and if those Christians in heaven have been made perfect (Hebrews 12:22-23; Revelation 21:27), then it follows that the prayers of the saints in heaven must be infinitely more powerful than the prayers of the sinners here on earth. Therefore, we rightly and wisely seek the intercession of the saints.

Protestants sometimes accuse Catholics of being idolaters because they do not understand the Catholic use of statues. They mistakenly think that the statue is being worshipped because they see a Catholic praying before it. No Catholic praying before a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary is worshipping her as a goddess. The statue merely helps the person focus in his prayer.


Some Protestants claim that even the act of bowing down before a statue is a sin. They claim that the intentions of the individual do not matter. They base this on Exodus 21:5. “…you shall not bow down before them.” The reason God said this to the Israelites was that the Israelites were prone to commit idolatry because of their years of captivity in Egypt (see Exodus 32:1-8). Therefore, God did not want them to even bow down before an image. Since Catholics are not in captivity and are extremely unlikely to worship the saint’s image, the prohibition against “bowing down” would not apply.

It may be informative for the Protestant to realize that his position against all bowing down does not conform to the Bible. When we search the Bible we find that Lot is not condemned for bowing down before two strangers (actually angels) in an act of courtesy (Genesis 19:1). We find that Jacob is not condemned for bowing down seven times before Esau in an act of respect for his elder brother (Genesis 33:3). We find that Bathsheba and Nathan are not condemned for bowing down before David in an act of respect for the office of king (1 Kings 1:16, 23, 31). And we find that Solomon is not condemned for bowing down before Bathsheba in an act of love for his mother (1 Kings 2:19).

If the Protestant view against images was the biblically correct view then we should expect God to condemn the Israelites for fashioning and believing that a bronze idol could heal them. However, not only do we not find God condemning the Israelites we find that He actually authorized the practice (Numbers 21:4-9)!

So we see that the Bible clearly does not consider “bowing down” to be a sin in all cases. The Bible shows that the intentions of the individual are of great importance in determining if an act is sin or not. The true intentions of the heart are known to God alone (Psalms 44:22; 139:1-2; Hebrews 4:13).  

If I can be of further help please just let me know.

God Bless You,
Sal