Bringing you the "Good News" of Jesus Christ and His Church While PROMOTING CATHOLIC Apologetic Support groups loyal to the Holy Father and Church's magisterium
Home About
AskACatholic.com
What's New? Resources The Church Family Life Mass and
Adoration
Ask A Catholic
Knowledge base
AskACatholic Disclaimer
Search the
AskACatholic Database
Donate and
Support our work
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
New Questions
Cool Catholic Videos
About Saints
back
Disciplines and Practices for distinct Church seasons
Purgatory and Indulgences
About the Holy Mass
About Mary
Searching and Confused
Contemplating becoming a Catholic or Coming home
Homosexual and Gender Issues
Life, Dating, and Family
No Salvation Outside the Church
Sacred Scripture
non-Catholic Cults
Justification and Salvation
The Pope and Papacy
The Sacraments
Relationships and Marriage situations
Specific people, organizations and events
Doctrine and Teachings
Specific Practices
Church Internals
Church History

Charlie Heller wrote:

Hi, guys —

  • Do Catholics pray to saints?
  • If so, does that mean Christ isn't the highest authority?

Charlie Heller

  { Do Catholics pray to saints and, if so, does that mean Christ isn't the highest authority? }

Eric replied:

Charlie,

In Latin, the word for pray, orare, simply means to ask, and yes, we ask those in Heaven for their intercession for our needs, just as we ask those on Earth for their intercession for our needs as well. Certainly Christ, being God, is the highest authority, but asking others for their intercession does not contradict this because they are interceding with Christ for us. In other words, they are not competing with Christ for mediatorship with the Father; rather, they intercede with Christ, and Christ intercedes with the Father.

It is certainly true that we should go directly to Christ for our needs, but just as we ask (or should ask) our friends and relatives to pray for us, we ask our Heavenly friends and relatives to do so as well. In Revelation 5:8 we see the elders in Heaven carrying to God as bowls of incense the prayers of the saints (holy ones, which includes those on Earth). In Jeremiah 15:1, we see that Moses and Samuel — who lived in different time periods, it will be noted — stood before God to intercede for Israel.

This is a topic we've covered before. For example, see:

Also see this Catholic Answers tract on the topic:

Eric

Please report any and all typos or grammatical errors.
Suggestions for this web page and the web site can be sent to Mike Humphrey
© 2012 Panoramic Sites
The Early Church Fathers Church Fathers on the Primacy of Peter. The Early Church Fathers on the Catholic Church and the term Catholic. The Early Church Fathers on the importance of the Roman Catholic Church centered in Rome.