Hi, Paul —
Thanks for the question/comment.
Your e-mail implies that Catholics
worship Mother Mary.
Whoever told
you that is either 1.) an uneducated Catholic, or 2.) an anti-Catholic
Catholics worship God alone. We honor
Mary, as
well as other saints. We hold
Mary in a special place
of honor because of her
special role in our salvation,
including yours!
Catholics
don't worship Mary.
Mother Mary and the saints are helpful
to Christians on earth as role models,
as attested to in Hebrews below.
The author of Hebrews 13:7 is not
undermining the sole mediation of
Jesus.
Because it is a family affair.
13 7 Remember your leaders, who preached
the word of God to you, and as
you reflect on the outcome of
their lives, take their faith
as your model.
Hebrews 13:7 New Jerusalem Bible |
You said:
Moreover, he
has categorically said that anyone
who says anything more or different
than what the Apostles have said,
is not coming from God.
You will find nothing that the Church
teaches, that does not come from
the Apostles, in at least seed form.
There is a growth in the Church and
development that occurs over time through Oral Tradition, the Biblical teaching Protestants reject. It's not a change from what the Apostles
taught. It's a different manner of how the Church's teachings were passed down from generation to generation to today.
The Protestant reformers didn't want
development; they wanted to change
and throw out teachings. One of the
reasons Jesus established the Papacy
in the Church was so His Prime Minister,
the Pope, would be there throughout
the ages to protect and safeguard
all Catholic Teachings Jesus desired
his faithful members to believe until His Second Coming.
Hope this helps,
Mike
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