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The short answer to this question is no. Catholics only Worship the Lord Almighty and they have that very clear. Adoring anyone other than God goes against the First Commandment, and thus is a sin.

Mary and the Saints are examples to follow of a close life in Christ. That is why Catholics have a special respect for them called veneration. This veneration is never adoration or worship in any way.

Why do Catholics pray to Mary and the saints?

Although it is the common way to call it, Catholics don’t actually “pray to Mary and the Saints”. What we do, is ask for intersession, by asking them to pray for us. I understand that for some saying “praying to” implies worship.

When we say that we are praying to a Saint, what it means is that we are asking someone (a saint) to pray for us.

Protestants believe in intersession when they ask someone else (friends or family) to pray for them. This is exactly the same thing Catholics do when asking a saint to pray/intercede for us.

Asking for intersession doesn’t in any way equal worship. Just as, you don’t worship friends and family by asking them to pray for you. In the Bible, we can find that it is good to pray for others.

¹⁶ Confess therefore your sins one to another: and pray one for another, that you may be saved. For the continual prayer of a just man availeth much.

James 5:16

There is only one mediator and that is Jesus. We don’t need Mary and the Saints as mediators.

If you believe there is only one mediator and that is Jesus you are absolutely right. Catholics believe that too. Jesus is the only way to go to the Father as He said himself. We don’t see Mary and the Saints as mediators at all.

As I explained previously they are intercessors for us only. We ask them to pray for us.

As the Bible says in 1 Timothy 2:1-6 There is one mediator, and that one is Jesus. However, at the beginning of the same chapter, we can see that there is a need for supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings to be made for all men.

1 I desire therefore, first of all, that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men:

² For kings, and for all that are in high station: that we may lead a quiet and a peaceable life in all piety and chastity.

³ For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour,

⁴ Who will have all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

⁵ For there is one God, and one mediator of God and men, the man Christ Jesus:

⁶ Who gave himself a redemption for all, a testimony in due times.

Catholics need to be canonized to be saints and not everyone can be a saint.

This is a very common misconception about Catholicism.

The truth is that every one of us is called to be a saint. That is the only way to achieve heaven actually. Being a good person is not good enough. So if someone is in heaven, that person is a saint, regardless if the Catholic Church has infallibly declared them to be saints.

If my granny is in heaven she is a saint. You can achieve sainthood from wherever God puts you. This can be your place as a homemaker, as a parent, as a teacher, in your marriage, etc.

Canonization is a special recognition the Catholic Church gives to people who have led virtuous lives, and that is very evident that they had a life of sainthood.

 By canonization the Pope does not make the person a saint. Rather, he declares that the person is with God and is an example of following Christ worthy of imitation by the faithful.

The Process of Beatification and Canonization

When someone dies, we don’t know where that person goes after facing the Lord and being judged by Him. A person can be in heaven or condemned, we don’t know for sure.

Because this is not to be taken lightly, the Church makes a deep investigation. It can take years for someone to be canonized. They also see if there are any miracles like an incorrupt body, or unexplained medical healings, related to that person.

If there is certainty about the claim that someone is in heaven, then the Church will canonize him or her as a saint.

I need no intermediaries, I can pray directly to God. Why do Catholics need to go first to intermediaries before going to God?

Of course, you can pray directly to God! Catholics do that all the time. Asking someone else to pray for you, either a friend, family or a Saint is a plus for your prayer. Not an obstacle between God and you.

In the same way, Christians of all denominations ask someone to pray for them all the time too. This means they ask for intersession all the time as well.

As I said, there is no difference in asking the Saints to pray for you. They after all are holy and have achieved something neither you, I, friends, and family have achieved. They are closer to God and therefore more reliable.

As we quoted before in James 5:16 “For the continual prayer of a just man availeth much”.

Friends and family may not be in close communion with God, may not be free of sin, or may forget to pray for you. They may not be righteous at all in the Biblical sense. That being said, everyone is always welcome to pray directly to God and no one is required to ask others to pray for them.

Even Martin Luther asked St Anne, the mother of the Virgin Mary, to help him in that storm after which he decided to get into religious life.

If you feel very strongly against intersession then be honest with yourself and don’t ask anyone else to pray for you.

Where is intersession in the Bible?

As I mentioned before, we have James 5:16 and 1 Timothy 2:1. But there are many examples of intercession in the Bible. I will quote some from the Old and the New Testament.

Abraham intercede for the just and that helps to save his nephew Lot.

²⁸ What if there be five less than fifty just persons? wilt thou for five and forty destroy the whole city? And he said: I will not destroy it, if I find five and forty.

²⁹ And again he said to him: But if forty be found there, what wilt thou do? He said: I will not destroy it for the sake of forty.

³⁰ Lord, saith he, be not angry, I beseech thee, if I speak: What if thirty shall be found there? He answered: I will not do it, if I find thirty there.

³¹ Seeing, saith he, I have once begun, I will speak to my Lord. What if twenty be found there? He said: I will not destroy it for the sake of twenty.

³² I beseech thee, saith he, be not angry, Lord, if I speak yet once more: What if ten should be found there? And he said: I will not destroy it for the sake of ten.

³³ And the Lord departed, after he had left speaking to Abraham: and Abraham returned to his place.

Genesis 18:28-33

Queen Esther intercedes for her people to the King knowing this may cost her life.

³ Then she answered: If I have found Favour in thy sight, O king, and if it please thee, give me my life for which I ask, and my people for which I request.

⁴ For we are given up, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. And would God we were sold for bondmen and bondwomen: the evil might be borne with, and I would have mourned in silence: but now we have an enemy, whose cruelty redoundeth upon the king.

⁵ And king Assuerus answered and said: Who is this, and of what power, that he should do these things?

⁶ And Esther said: It is this Aman that is our adversary and most wicked enemy. 

Esther 7:3-6

Job pray to the Lord for his friends

⁷ And after the Lord had spoken these words to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Themanite: My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends, because you have not spoken the thing that is right before me, as my servant Job hath.

⁸ Take unto you therefore seven oxen, and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer for yourselves a holocaust: and my servant Job shall pray for you: his face I will accept, that folly be not imputed to you: for you have not spoken right things before me, as my servant Job hath.

⁹ So Eliphaz the Themanite, and Baldad the Suhite, and Sophar the Naamathite went, and did as the Lord had spoken to them, and the Lord accepted the face of Job.

¹⁰ The Lord also was turned at the penance of Job, when he prayed for his friends. And the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.

Job 42: 7-10

Mary intercedes for the Couple to Jesus in the Cana Wedding about the wine.

1 And the third day, there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee: and the mother of Jesus was there.

² And Jesus also was invited, and his disciples, to the marriage.

³ And the wine failing, the mother of Jesus saith to him: They have no wine.

⁴ And Jesus saith to her: Woman, what is that to me and to thee? my hour is not yet come.

⁵ His mother saith to the waiters: Whatsoever he shall say to you, do ye.

⁶ Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three measures apiece.

⁷ Jesus saith to them: Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim.

⁸ And Jesus saith to them: Draw out now, and carry to the chief steward of the feast. And they carried it.

⁹ And when the chief steward had tasted the water made wine, and knew not whence it was, but the waiters knew who had drawn the water; the chief steward calleth the bridegroom,

¹⁰ And saith to him: Every man at first setteth forth good wine, and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse. But thou hast kept the good wine until now.

John 2:1-10

The Roman officer intercedes for his servant to be healed by Jesus.

1 And when he had finished all his words in the hearing of the people, he entered into Capharnaum.

² And the servant of a certain centurion, who was dear to him, being sick, was ready to die.

³ And when he had heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the ancients of the Jews, desiring him to come and heal his servant.

⁴ And when they came to Jesus, they besought him earnestly, saying to him: He is worthy that thou shouldest do this for him.

⁵ For he loveth our nation; and he hath built us a synagogue.

⁶ And Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent his friends to him, saying: Lord, trouble not thyself; for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof.

⁷ For which cause neither did I think myself worthy to come to thee; but say the word, and my servant shall be healed.

⁸ For I also am a man subject to authority, having under me soldiers: and I say to one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doth it.

⁹ Which Jesus hearing, marvelled: and turning about to the multitude that followed him, he said: Amen I say to you, I have not found so great faith, not even in Israel.

¹⁰ And they who were sent, being returned to the house, found the servant whole who had been sick.

Luke 7:1-10

The Canaanite woman intercedes for her daughter to be healed by Jesus.

²² And behold a woman of Canaan who came out of those coasts, crying out, said to him: Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David: my daughter is grieviously troubled by the devil.

²³ Who answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying: Send her away, for she crieth after us:

²⁴ And he answering, said: I was not sent but to the sheep that are lost of the house of Israel.

²⁵ But she came and adored him, saying: Lord, help me.

²⁶ Who answering, said: It is not good to take the bread of the children, and to cast it to the dogs.

²⁷ But she said: Yea, Lord; for the whelps also eat of the crumbs that fall from the table of their masters.

²⁸ Then Jesus answering, said to her: O woman, great is thy faith: be it done to thee as thou wilt: and her daughter was cured from that hour.

Matthew 15:22-28

The rich man gets condemned and intercedes for his family from the afterlife.

²² And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom. And the rich man also died: and he was buried in hell.

²³ And lifting up his eyes when he was in torments, he saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom:

²⁷ And he said: Then, father, I beseech thee, that thou wouldst send him to my father’s house, for I have five brethren,

²⁸ That he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torments.

²⁹ And Abraham said to him: They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.

³⁰ But he said: No, father Abraham: but if one went to them from the dead, they will do penance.

³¹ And he said to him: If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they believe, if one rise again from the dead.

Luke 16:22-23, 27-31

Where in the Bible say to pray to Mary or to seek her intercession?

Now, as we mentioned in the Cana wedding, there is an example of her interceding for the couple to Jesus.

We can see that Jesus’ initial answer to His Mother was “No.” The reason this miracle took place was that the human being He loves most in the entire universe—His Mother—asked Him. None of us can compete with that.

From this example, we know we can turn to her. We also see that Jesus preached about intercession not just with words, but through His actions.

Also, Jesus leaves her to us as a spiritual Mother in John 19:26-27

²⁶ When Jesus therefore had seen his mother and the disciple standing whom he loved, he saith to his mother: Woman, behold thy son.

²⁷ After that, he saith to the disciple: Behold thy mother. And from that hour, the disciple took her to his own.

Jesus loved her so much that He took care of her in a moment of excruciating pain and suffering. If He loves her, why wouldn’t we love her too? He loved us so much that He left His own Mother as our spiritual Mother. We all ask our mothers to pray for us.

Mary and the disciples were still walking on this earth while the New Testament was being written. The last book, written by John around the year 90, includes the account of Jesus entrusting Mary to him at the cross.

It makes sense that while they were fulfilling their mission, they all prayed for each other, including Mary. They prayed and asked one another to pray for them, just as we pray for friends, family, and even those we don’t know.

The saints are dead, they can’t hear you and they can’t pray for you.

In the Creed, we make clear that we believe in One Catholic and Apostolic Church, the Communion of the Saints, and everlasting life. If we believe in eternal life we know for sure that the Saints are very alive.

We are in communion with the saints through baptism, and we all belong to One Church. Here on earth, we are the militant Church, and in heaven, we call it the triumphant Church. In the end, we are all together in One Church.

As I mentioned before in the Bible we have the example of the deceased rich man, in Luke 16:22-23, 27-31. The interesting thing about this passage is that this dead man intercedes for his family from the afterlife.

We can see of course that his request was denied, but we all have experienced prayers that are conceded and prayers that are denied to us.

We have more evidence in the Bible.

The Bible says we are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses. Those are the saints.

1 And therefore we also having so great a cloud of witnesses over our head, laying aside every weight and sin which surrounds us, let us run by patience to the fight proposed to us:

² Looking on Jesus, the author and finisher of faith, who having joy set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and now sitteth on the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12: 1-2

Also in the book of Revelation, we can see that the Saints are praying and their prayers are heard by God.

³ And another angel came, and stood before the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given to him much incense, that he should offer of the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar, which is before the throne of God.

⁴ And the smoke of the incense of the prayers of the saints ascended up before God from the hand of the angel.

Revelation 8: 3-4

We can directly relate this to Psalm 140, in which incense is related to prayers that go up to Heaven.

1 I have cried to the, O Lord, hear me: hearken to my voice, when I cry to thee.

² Let my prayer be directed as incense in thy sight; the lifting up of my hands, as evening sacrifice.

Psalm 140: 1-2

The saints are dead, and contacting them is a sin

You may be referring to Necromancy, which is condemned in the Bible.

¹⁰ Neither let there be found among you any one that shall expiate his son or daughter, making them to pass through the fire: or that consulteth soothsayers, or observeth dreams and omens, neither let there be any wizard,

¹¹ Nor charmer, nor any one that consulteth pythonic spirits, or fortune tellers, or that seeketh the truth from the dead.

¹² For the Lord abhorreth all these things, and for these abominations he will destroy them at thy coming.

Deuteronomy 18:10-12

There is a big difference between seeking the truth, fortune, or future information from the dead, and asking for the intercession of the saints who are in heaven.

An example of this is when King Saul goes to see a medium to contact Samuel who has passed away. That of course is a sin, because he wanted to see his fortune in war, and he was not just asking for prayers.

³ Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel mourned for him, and buried him in Ramatha his city. And Saul had put away all the magicians and soothsayers out of the land.

⁵ And Saul saw the army of the Plilistines, and was afraid, and his heart was very much dismayed.

⁶ And he consulted the Lord, and he answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by priests, nor by prophets.

⁷ And Saul said to his servants: Seek me a woman that hath a divining spirit, and I will go to her, and inquire by her. And his servants said to him: There is a woman that hath a divining spirit at Endor.

⁸ Then he disguised himself: and put on other clothes, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night, and he said to her: Divine to me by thy divining spirit, and bring me up him whom I shall tell thee.

¹¹ And the woman said to him: Whom shall I bring up to thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel.

1 Samuel 28:3-8,11

Jesus, who is free of sin, hung out with dead people In his transfiguration. Elijah (who actually never died, he was taken into heaven) and Moses. Because of this, we know that they are close to Him in Heaven.

This is possible, because as the Bible says, we know that our God is a God for the living, not of the death.

²⁷ He is not the God of the dead, but of the living.

Mark 12:27

Since we believe in eternal life, there is no issue in asking the Saints to intercede, aka pray, for us.

There is no evidence in the Bible that Mary or the Saints are closer to God than us.

In the Old Testament, we have the example of Job in Job 42: 7-10. God was angry at Job’s friends and told them that only through Job’s prayer, their prayers would be listened. That example alone is very clear.

We also have Jesus’s transfiguration, in there we can see He is in a close relationship with Elijah and Moses.

1 And after six days Jesus taketh unto him Peter and James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into a high mountain apart:

² And he was transfigured before them. And his face did shine as the sun: and his garments became white as snow.

³ And behold there appeared to them Moses and Elias talking with him.

Matthew 17:1-3

Jesus also had favorites on this earth. Didn’t he choose 12 among thousands? Didn’t He hang out more with Peter, John, and James than with the other disciples? We can see this in several passages of the Scripture.

Also, it simply makes sense. The Saints are in heaven with Him. They are free of sin, and they have achieved things none of us on earth have. We are not free of sin, we are broken and we have limitations related to life in this world.

Another example is the Cannan wedding. There is no way any of us here on earth or the saints can compete with His Mother. The Bible tells us that all generations should call her Blessed.

There is no other woman on earth who has this distinction.

⁴⁷ And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

⁴⁸ Because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid; for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.

⁴⁹ Because he that is mighty, hath done great things to me; and holy is his name.

Luke 1:47-49

Praying to Mary or the saints steals love and worship from God. How is that good?

If you have a spouse and children, I am sure you love them. You also may have friends and extended family who you love too. Does loving your friends and extended family take away your love for your wife and children?

Does having a husband or wife and children steal your love from Jesus and God the Father? It Shouldnt. Actually, God should be the center of your marriage. If you place your family above God there is a problem.

That goes directly against the first commandment: To love God above all things. The same happens with the saints. We should never put them above our love for God. Actually, it is the opposite.

Studying the life of a virtuous person in God (a saint), makes you love God more and understand what He wants for us with more clarity. It should help us to get focused and joyful about the Lord, and increase our dedication to Him.

Catholics worship images and statues of Mary and The saints.

Having religious images does not equal idolatry. Idolatry is to put a statue or image in place of God. Again that goes against the first commandment.

In the same way, everyone has a picture of the family in their homes. We know that it is not my husband, wife, or children, just a representation of them. The same happens with religious images and statues for the Catholics.

Religious statues and images were allowed in the Bible. We find this in the construction of the Ark of the Covenant, and in the Salomon Temple.

Regarding the Ark of the Covenant.

1 And Beseleel made also the ark of setim wood: it was two cubits and a half in length, and a cubit and a half in breadth, and the height was of one cubit and a half: and he overlaid it with the purest gold within and without.

⁶ He made also the propitiatory, that is, the oracle, of the purest gold, two cubits and a half in length, and a cubit and a half in breadth.

⁷ Two cherubims also of beaten gold, which he set on the two sides of the propitiatory: ⁸ One cherub in the top of one side, and the other cherub in the top of the other side: two cherubims at the two ends of the propitiatory,

⁹ Spreading their wings, and covering the propitiatory, and looking one towards the other, and towards it.

Exodus 37:1, 6-9

Regarding the building of the Salomon Temple

²² And there was nothing in the temple that was not covered with gold: the whole altar of the oracle he covered also with gold.

²³ And he made in the oracle two cherubims of olive tree, of ten cubits in height.

²⁴ One wing of the cherub was five cubits, and the other wing of the cherub was five cubits: that is, in all ten cubits, from the extremity of one wing to the extremity of the other wing.

²⁵ The second cherub also was ten cubits: and the measure, and the work was the same in both the cherubims:

²⁶ That is to say, one cherub was ten cubits high, and in like manner the other cherub.

²⁷ And he set the cherubims in the midst of the inner temple: and the cherubims stretched forth their wings, and the wing of the one touched one wall, and the wing of the other cherub touched the other wall: and the other wings in the midst of the temple touched one another.

²⁸ And he overlaid the cherubims with gold.

²⁹ And all the walls of the temple round about he carved with divers figures and carvings: and he made in them cherubims and palm trees, and divers representations, as it were standing out, and coming forth from the wall.

³⁰ And the floor of the house he also overlaid with gold within and without.

1 Kings 6: 22-30

The first Christians also had images in the catacombs, where they hid and used to have Mass.

In the Middle Ages, not everyone could read or had access to a Bible. So images and statues were a way to evangelize and teach about the faith.

Protestants have images and statues too. They criticize Catholics, but at the same time have manger scenes at Christmas. This includes Mary and Saints like Saint Joseph and the Wise Men.

They also have Crosses in their churches and around their necks. I have also seen praying hands in their houses. If they are so against religious images, they should remove all of this too.

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