Answer to the Allegation against the Catholic Church: the First Commandment

It becomes a common spit to the belief of Catholics the asking of prayers to the saints and Mary. They said that we deleted the first commandment because of the alleged accusation that we worship the saints and so committed idolatry.

The first commandment says, “I am the Lord, your God. Thou shall not have other gods beside me.”

My co-workers who belong to the Christian denomination, Light of the World Wide Ministries, said that we deleted this commandment because we worship the saints. This allegation I will try to defend as false.

Question #1: What do we mean by worship?

We have to widen our understanding of the role of the saints in our way of worship to God. If all Christian denominations don’t tire themselves accusing us of deleting the first commandment, we, Catholics, shouldn't also tire answering that we don’t.

As what I have mentioned in my article, “I Would Miss You,” says the world, one of the three pillars of faith is worship. God deserves to be worship and none others.

We, Catholics, don’t delete the first commandment by our way of asking for prayers from the saints and mother Mary. We are asking help from them since they are closer to God.

If you badly need to ask an increase of allowance from your father who is very strict, aren’t you going to ask help from your mother?

This is the same to the role of the saints and mother Mary. We don’t pray for them. We ask help from them. They become our closer instrument to the Lord because we believe that the prayer of the holy is very effective. They are holy, and thus, we believe that our petition to the Lord will be much faster heard than we rely on our own effort of praying.

Question #2: Why do we, Catholics, touch and wipe the statues of the saints and mother Mary?

This is what we, Catholics and non-Catholics alike, should know and understand. We don’t command the devotees to touch and wipe the statue of the saints. We prohibit them from doing this. Have you heard a knowledgeable Catholics to the doctrines and teachings of the Church saying, “Yes, you can wipe the statue.” No! It is because we don’t allow that.

However, who are we to hinder the one who feels the necessity of the aid of the saints and mother Mary? They feel the need of the help of the saints and mother Mary. Though we prohibit them from doing it, we have no right to stop the emotion of the in need.

Question #3: Why do we have statues?

Man is visual. In order to remember, we need a physical image that can be seen and touch. We don’t remember things and faces so long. In order to remember, we need a remembrance.

This is the answer why we have statues. Statues are there not to be worship but to be a remembrance. That saints, mother Mary, and Jesus are historically real. They existed long before we did. Because of their image, we remember how great their lives were here on earth, and we who are living now will make them as examples and model of faith.

We, Catholics, do not practice idolatry. We worship only one God. We pray only one Lord. However, because of the foul of sins we committed, our effort is not enough. Whether we accept it or not, we need help. This is the reason why we ask help from saints and mother Mary.