Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Catholics and Statue Worship

Q: My neighbor says that Catholics worship statues. Wouldn’t it be breaking the first commandment to pray to a statue?

A: Catholics do not pray to statues and relics, but to the persons they represent. We respect them, meaning not merely showing respect to stone and wood and paper, but to the persons these things represent. It is just as right to show respect to the images of Christ and the saints, as it is of those whom we honor or love on earth. The first commandment forbids the making, or the use of, statues only when they promote false worship.

Jenna