Expert: Charlie B - 8/19/2009

Question
QUESTION: Dear Charlie;

It is interesting to know your background was Protestant but you later embraced The Catholic Church.

One of the key issues which has been the debate since ages between both the groups is Saint Veneration & ikon-ism. And the one i & same issue that I confront every day whenever i come across a protestant; even from my own family. That too being practiced excessively by Roman Catholic Church compared to other Eastern Orthodox Churches.

I'm personally interested to see this through; my acid test to believe this will be the following:

Did the First Century Church Fathers (like Polycarp, etc...) who lived between 60AD and 300 AD - Basically the Pre-Constantine Era Saints who personally were taught by the Apostles. Did they advocate and approve Saint Intercession and Veneration; do we see clear evidence of this in their writings/teachings.

I would go by their belief as they are the community of people who decided what needs to stay and what needs to go out as part of the Holy Bible; it is because of them we have the canonized scriptures & the Apostolic Creed accepted all over the World to this very day.

If they recommended praying to Saints and Veneration of Ikons then they have to be trusted; as only their wisdom helped in shortlisting the Bible.

As i assume you would have gone through the Church History in Detail; Do you find evidence in early Church of this practice which is not explicitly found in the New Testament.

Thanks in Advance for your reply



ANSWER: Charles,
Thanks for your question.  To think about the answer to your question, "Do you find evidence in early Church of venerating saints, not explicitly found in the New Testament?" think in terms of a timeline.

From a timeline standpoint, how could any of the early Church Fathers venerate what we now think of as "saints" when there were none (with the exception of the Old Testament) before their time?   All of the saints, for which many of the early Church Fathers are saints as declared by the Catholic Church, came AFTER them over the last 1,700 to 1,900 years.  

What does the Old Testament say about venerating saint-like figures?  That's an excellent Google question to research.  Here's two interesting sites to this question to explore:
http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/inquirers/inq_veneration.aspx
and
http://willingcatholicmartyr.blogspot.com/2009/04/bible-teaches-praying-to-and-v

I know some Protestants have intellectual challenges with some Catholic practices.  Let's say your mother has passed away.  I ask them, "Are your mother's prayers for you more powerful than other people's prayers for you?"   They generally answer, 'yes.'   Then ask your mother to pray for you, I respond, and it's not much different asking saints in Heaven with your mother, to also pray for you.  :-)

Since you're Australian, may I suggest a book to you by another Australian, Matthew Kelly who now resides in the US and who speaks internationally in more than 50 countries:  "Rediscovering Catholicism."   It's a superb read and I think you would enjoy it, mate.
God bless,
Charlie

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Charlie

Many Thanks for the answer;

i was particularly keen that by the time the Church Fathers appeared between 100 to 300 AD; almost all the Apostles were martyred. Peter was Crucified upside down and Paul was beheaded and both done by Nero which the whole World saw between the 60-70AD.

Thomas was killed in Chennai (Erstwile Madras; the place where I belong to) in 72 AD; and the news would have reached the Early Fathers as well.

Do we find evidence of them praying to the Apostles and asking for their intercession.  

Answer
Charles,
I do not know if we find evidence of the early Church Fathers praying to the Apostles, but common sense in spirituality would likely conclude, yes.  We will likely never know for sure, but a martyred Apostle of Christ himself would be in their relative, recent history, passed on with words of stories being their main means of communicating the faith.
God bless,
Charlie