MARY WORSHIP?
A Study of Catholic Practice and Doctrine
Mary Ann Collins (A Former Catholic Nun)
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INTRODUCTION
Jesus said that the truth will set us free. (John
8:32) However, He did not say that the truth would
necessarily be easy to accept. It was painful for me
to learn the information that I am about to share with
you, but it was also liberating and it led to a closer
relationship with God.
As a faithful Catholic, and later as a nun, I
practiced Mary worship for many years without
realizing it. The prayers and practices were so
familiar. They were taught to me by good people,
sincere people that I trusted. I prayed rosaries and
wore a scapular and engaged in other “devotions” which
I honestly thought were good and pleasing to God.
Because of my lack of knowledge of the Bible and of
Church history, I honestly had no idea that I was
actually worshipping Mary.
If modern Catholic teachings and doctrines about Mary
are true, then they will not be contrary to Scripture,
the writings of the Early Fathers, or the decrees of
past popes. For a devout Catholic to question these
issues and put them to the test can be painful. It
certainly was for me. However, it would be far more
painful to have God correct us when we face Him on
Judgment Day.
LETTING THE CATHOLIC CHURCH SPEAK FOR ITSELF
I believe in letting people speak for themselves.
Therefore my primary sources about Catholic doctrines
and history come from the Catholic Church.
First and foremost is the official Catechism of the
Catholic Church which was written for the purpose of
summarizing the essential and basic teachings of the
Roman Catholic Church. It was approved by Pope John
Paul II in 1992 and the English translation was
released in 1994. The latest English edition was
printed in 2000. Most of my other sources are either
practicing Catholics or else former Catholics whose
approach is loving and respectful and who have
thoroughly documented their work.
When I cite the Catechism I will give paragraph
numbers rather than page numbers. I will summarize
what it says. If you want to see the paragraphs for
yourself, there are two web sites with search engines
for the Catechism. (Their addresses are given in the
Notes.) You can search by topic or by paragraph
number. [1]
Scripture quotations are from the King James Version
of the Holy Bible.
If you really want to understand Catholic teaching in
the light of Scripture and the history of the Catholic
church, then I strongly recommend reading the
following two books. The authors are former Catholics
who love and respect Catholics. They are gentle and
respectful in their approach. (See the Bibliography
for information about these books.)
The Gospel According to
Tradition and the Word of God, by James G. McCarthy.
This book is easy to read, well documented, objective,
and gentle. It is a comprehensive guide to Catholic
beliefs, based on Catholic sources. It examines
Catholic teachings in the light of Scripture.
The Church of Rome at the Bar of History by William
Webster. This book compares modern Catholic doctrines
with the teachings of the early Church.
For a good overview of Catholicism, I recommend the
video Catholicism: Crisis of Faith. A friend of mine
said that in one hour, this video gave him a better
understanding of Catholicism than he had received from
a college course on the subject. This video is gentle
and respectful. An annotated transcript is available
on‑line. (Information about videos follows the
Bibliography.)
WILL THE
When I was in the convent, our mother superior told us
about Catholics in
Mary, were doing things that we would only do when
worshipping God. We were concerned about this. We
considered this practice to be unusual and unbalanced.
We thought that the American practice of Catholicism
was the true thing. However, many years later I
realized that if you want to know what something
really is, then look at how it behaves when it is in a
position of power. In
minority. To see the true spirit behind Catholicism,
watch what the Catholic Church does in countries where
it is in power.
One place where the Catholic Church is strong is
always thought that the Inquisition was ancient
history. However, the last official Spanish execution
for heresy occurred in 1826. A schoolmaster was hanged
because he substituted the phrase “Praise be to God”
in place of “Ave Maria” (“Hail Mary”) during school
prayers. [2]
I always thought that abuses of power by the Catholic
Church were something that happened long ago. However,
look at the following example from the
where the Catholic Church is strong.
Beginning in 1948 there was a series of apparitions of
Mary in the city of
sometimes accompanied by showers of rose petals and
other supernatural phenomena. They occurred in a
convent. The local bishop personally experienced a
shower of rose petals and thereafter supported the
apparitions. The media mocked the supernatural events
in Lipa and street vendors sold phony “holy rose
petals.” In response to the bad publicity, the
sent a Papal Administrator to take over the diocese
where the apparitions occurred. He replaced the bishop
and the mother superior. The nun who saw the
apparitions was forced to leave the convent. The nuns
were ordered to destroy all materials associated with
the apparitions, including a statue. The convent was
sealed and the nuns were not allowed to talk to anyone
outside the convent. An official Commission of Inquiry
was convened, which unanimously ruled that the
apparitions were not valid. However, they did not
interview anybody who had personal, first-hand
knowledge of the events. Several of the bishops who
were part of the Commission of Inquiry stated on their
deathbeds that the Papal Administrator had forced them
to sign the verdict by threatening to excommunicate
them if they did not sign it. [3]
After years of no longer being a Catholic, I attended
a Catholic funeral. When I went into the church
something hit me hard. It had always been there, but I
had never noticed it before because I was used to it.
There were statues of Mary and the saints. They looked
solid, real, as if they represented people of power.
Jesus only appeared as a helpless baby in Mary’s arms,
as a dead man nailed to a cross, and as little wafers
of bread hidden inside a fancy box. Visually and
emotionally the message was very clear - if you want
real power, if you want someone who can do something
for you, then go to Mary and the Saints.
DEVOTION TO MARY
If you want to see what a person's real priorities
are, then watch what they do when their life, or the
life of a loved one, is in danger. When Pope John Paul
II was shot, while the ambulance was rushing him to
the hospital, the Pope was not praying to God or
calling on the name of Jesus. He kept saying, over and
over, “Mary, my mother!” Polish pilgrims placed a
picture of Our Lady of Czestochowa on the throne where
the Pope normally sat. People gathered around the
picture.
of the rosary. When the Pope recovered, he gave Mary
all the glory for saving his life, and he made a
pilgrimage to
Jesus said, “[W]here your treasure is, there will your
heart be also.” (Luke 12:34) Some statues of Mary have
real crowns made of gold. The web sites listed in the
Notes show pictures of statues of Our Lady of
and Our Lady of Lourdes wearing crowns. [5] The
statues in the pictures are replicas, and their crowns
are ceramic and painted gold. But the crowns on the
original statues at Fatima and
made of real gold.
Vast sums of money are spent on some special statues
of Mary. For example, the statue of Our Lady of the
Pillar in
pounds of gold and diamonds, with so many diamonds
that you can hardly see the gold. In addition, it has
six other crowns of gold, diamonds and emeralds. It
has 365 mantles which are embroidered with gold and
covered with roses of diamonds and other precious
stones. It has 365 necklaces made of pearls and
diamonds, and six chains of gold set with diamonds.
[6]
In Sabana Grande,
underway to construct a huge statue of Our Lady of the
Rosary. Inside the base of the statue there will be
chapels, conference rooms, apartments, a food court,
and radio and TV stations. There will also be
observation decks. This statue will be part of a
500-acre “
article in Caribbean Business, this statue “will top
at 1,500 feet." According to an article by the
Associated Press, the statue will be 305 feet high.
[7] The discrepancy in numbers can be explained by
looking at the Statue of Liberty, which is a 151 foot
statue on top of a 154 foot base. Some sources say
that the Statue of Liberty is 305 feet high (which
includes the height of the base) and some say that it
is 151 feet high (which is the height of the actual
statue). What we probably have in Sabana Grande is a
305 foot statue with a 1,200 foot base.
I have personally participated in American processions
which honored Mary. We walked through the streets
following a statue of Mary which was carried on a
platform, high up where it was clearly visible. We
sang songs in Mary’s honor. We prayed rosaries and
other prayers to her. These were small processions. At
gather on the anniversary of the apparition of Our
Lady of Fatima. The celebration includes a procession
of a million people following a statue of Mary and
singing her praises. [8]
One popular prayer in Mary’s honor is the Hail Holy
Queen, which is known in Latin as the Salve Regina. It
is traditionally included as part of praying the
rosary.
For Catholics who are reading this, please try to
overcome your familiarity with this text and really
look at the words. Doesn’t this sound like worship?
“Hail, holy Queen, Mother of Mercy! Our life, our
sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor
banished children of Eve. To thee do we send up our
sighs, mourning and weeping, in this valley of tears.
Turn, then, most gracious Advocate, thine eyes of
mercy toward us; and after this our exile show unto us
the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O
loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.”
Alfonsus de Liguori
(1696-1787) was a principal
proponent of the Marianist Movement, which glorifies
Mary. He wrote a book entitled The Glories of Mary
which is famous, influential and widely read. In this
book, de Liguori says that Mary was given rulership
over one half of the
the kingdom of mercy and Jesus rules over the kingdom
of justice. De Liguori said that people should pray
to
Mary as a mediator and look to her as an object of
trust for answered prayer. The book even says that
there is no salvation outside of Mary. Some people
suggest that these views are extreme and not
representative of Catholic Church teaching. However,
instead of silencing de Liguori as a heretic, the
Catholic Church canonized him as a saint and declared
him to be a “doctor of the Church” (a person whose
teachings carry weight and authority). Furthermore,
his book is openly and officially promoted by the
Catholic Church, and his teachings have influenced
popes. [9]
Pope Benedict XV said of Mary that “[O]ne can justly
say that with Christ, she herself redeemed mankind.”
[10] Pope Pius IX said, “Our salvation is based upon
the holy Virgin... so that if there is any hope and
spiritual healing for us we receive it solely and
uniquely from her.” [11]
A lay movement called “Vox Populi”
(“Voice of the
People”) gathers signed petitions to send to the Pope,
seeking to have him officially declare that Mary is
Co‑Redemptrix. Over six million signatures have
been sent to him, representing 138 countries and all
seven continents. This doctrine is supported by over
40 cardinals and 600 bishops worldwide. [12]
The Catholic Church exalts Mary as an idealized,
larger-than-life, perfect mother. However, the Bible
shows that at one point Mary misunderstood Jesus’
calling to the point that she thought He was insane
and she tried to prevent Him from doing what God
wanted Him to do. Look at Mark 3:20-34.
“And the multitude cometh together again, so that they
could not so much as eat bread. And when his friends
heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for
they said, He is beside himself.’” (Mark 3:20-21,
emphasis added)
The New International Version says “His family." The
New King James Version says “His own people.” The King
James Version says “his friends." According to
Strong’s Greek/Hebrew Dictionary the Greek word has a
variety of meanings, including “kinsmen." However, we
don’t have to depend on the exact meaning of the word
here because it will be made clear in verse 31.
Strong’s defines “lay hold on” as “to use strength,
i.e. seize or retain." It defines “beside himself” as
“become astounded, insane."
Verses 22 through 30 describe a confrontation between
Jesus and the scribes. Then we get back to what is
happening with the people who thought that Jesus was
out of His mind and were so concerned that they were
coming to “lay hold on him” (seize him).
“There came then his brethren and his mother, and,
standing without, sent unto him calling him. And the
multitude sat about him, and they said unto him,
Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for
thee. And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother,
or my brethren? And he looked round about on them
which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my
brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of God, the
same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.” (Mark
3:31-35, emphasis added)
CATHOLIC DOCTRINES ABOUT MARY COMPARED WITH WHAT THE
BIBLE SAYS
My sources for this section are the Bible and the
Catechism of the Catholic Church, which has numbered
paragraphs. For the sake of simplicity and brevity, I
will just say Catechism plus the number of the
paragraph(s). For example, “Catechism 411, 493” means
“Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs numbered
411 and 493."
For each doctrinal category, I will indicate the
Catholic doctrine, followed by the appropriate
references from the Catechism. I will follow this with
quotations from the Bible which relate to the
doctrine. For the sake of clarity, I will emphasize
some portions of Biblical quotations by using boldface
type. The last book in the Bible is called “The Book
of Revelation” in Protestant Bibles and “The
Apocalypse” in Catholic Bibles. I will refer to it as
“Revelation."
IMMACULATE CONCEPTION -- Mary was preserved from all
stain of original sin from the first instant of her
conception. (Catechism 490-492).
In Luke 1:46-47, Mary said: “My soul doth magnify the
Lord, And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour."
Mary knew that she needed a savior.
The doctrine of the Immaculate Conception was first
introduced by a heretic (a man whose teachings were
officially declared to be contrary to Church
doctrine). For centuries this doctrine was unanimously
rejected by popes, Fathers and theologians of the
Catholic Church. [13]
ALL HOLY - Mary, “the All-Holy,” lived a perfectly
sinless life. (Catechism 411, 493)
Romans 3:23 says “For all have sinned, and come short
of the glory of God." Revelation 15:4 says, “Who shall
not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? For thou
only art holy." Romans 3:10 says, “There is none
righteous, no, not one."
Jesus is the only person who is referred to in
Scripture as sinless. Hebrews 4:15 says, “For we have
not an high priest which cannot be touched with the
feelings of our infirmities; but was in all points
tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” 2
Corinthians 5:21 says, “For he hath made him to be sin
for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the
righteousness of God in him.” 1 Peter 2:22 says,
"Who
did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth."
In contrast, Mary said that God is her Savior. (Luke
1:47) If God was her Savior, then Mary was not
sinless. Sinless people do not need a Savior.
In the Book of Revelation, when they were searching
for someone who was worthy to break the seals and open
the scroll, the only person who was found to be worthy
was Jesus. Nobody else in Heaven or on earth
(including Mary) was worthy to open the scroll or even
look inside it. (Revelation 5:1-5)
PERPETUAL VIRGINITY - Mary was a virgin before, during
and after the birth of Christ. (Catechism 496-511)
Matthew 1:24-25 says, “Then Joseph being raised from
sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and
took unto him his wife: And knew her not till she had
brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his
name JESUS.” “Till” (until) means that after that
point, Joseph did “know” (have sexual relations with)
Mary. (See Genesis 4:1 where Adam “knew” Eve and she
conceived and had a son.)
Jesus had brothers and sisters. The Bible even tells
us their names. Matthew 13:54-56 says,
“And when he was come into his own country, he taught
them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were
astonished, and said, Whence hatch this man this
wisdom, and these mighty works? Is not this the
carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And
his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?
And his sisters, are they not all with us?”
Other Scripture verses which specifically refer to
Jesus’ brothers are: Matthew 12:46; John 2:12; John
7:3; Acts 1:14; and Galatians 1:19.
I was always taught that “brothers” and “sisters” were
general terms that really could refer to any kind of
kinsman, including cousins. This is true in the Hebrew
language. However, the New Testament is written in
Greek, which is an extremely precise language. It
makes a clear distinction between the words used to
describe family relationships. There is a Greek word
which refers to people who are relatives but not of
the immediate family, such as aunts, uncles, nephews,
nieces and cousins. There are other Greek words which
refer specifically to a person’s brother or sister
within a family. [14]
MOTHER OF GOD - Because she is the mother of Jesus,
and Jesus is God, therefore Mary is the Mother of God.
(Catechism 963, 971, 2677).
The Incarnation means that Jesus was both fully God
and fully man. Mary was only the mother of Jesus as
man, and not the mother of Jesus as God. According to
the Bible, the world was created through Jesus. This
was long before Mary was born. Hebrews 1:1-2 says,
“God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake
in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in
these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he
hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he
made the worlds."
Colossians 1:16-17 says,
“For by him [Jesus] were all things created, that are
in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and
invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or
principalities, or powers; all things [including Mary]
were created by him, and for him: And he is before all
things [including Mary] , and by him all things
consist."
John 8:58 says, “Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily,
I say unto you, before Abraham was, I am.” Jesus
existed before Abraham was born. That means that He
also existed before Mary was born. In John 17:5, Jesus
says, “And now O Father, glorify thou me with thine
own self with the glory which I had with thee before
the world was.” So Jesus existed even before the world
began. Jesus came first - not Mary.
MOTHER OF THE CHURCH - Mary is the Mother of the
Church. (Catechism 963, 975).
Acts 1:13-14 gives a picture of a group of people
praying together. Mary is mentioned as one of them,
but nothing indicates any special prominence.
“And when they were come in, they went up into an
upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and
John, and Andrew, Phillip, and Thomas, Bartholomew,
and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon
Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James. These all
continued with one accord in prayer and supplication,
with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with
his brethren.”
Mary was probably in the Upper Room when the tongues
of fire fell upon the 120 disciples. However, she is
never mentioned again in the Book of Acts, which is
our only historical record of how the Church was born.
She is also not specifically identified in the
epistles. Paul did send greetings to “Mary”, but that
was a common name. (In the Gospels and in the Book of
Acts, she is referred to as “Mary the mother of Jesus”
to distinguish her from other women named Mary.)
It is notable that John, who took Mary into his home
after Jesus was crucified, does not mention her in his
epistles, and he only mentions her on two occasions in
his Gospel (the wedding at
Jesus). John mentions Mary Magdalene more than he
mentions Jesus' mother.
ASSUMPTION - At the end of her life, Mary was taken up
(“assumed”) body and soul into Heaven. (Catechism 966,
974)
There is no biblical reference to the assumption of
Mary. The Gospel of John was written around 90 A.D.,
which is more than 100 years after Mary was born.
(Surely Mary was more than ten years old when Jesus
was conceived.) If Mary had been supernaturally
assumed into Heaven, wouldn’t John (the disciple that
Mary lived with) have mentioned it? When Enoch and
Elijah were taken up to Heaven, the Bible recorded it.
With Elijah it was recorded in some detail. (See
Genesis 6:24 and 2 Kings 2:1‑18.)
The Assumption of Mary was officially declared to be a
dogma of the Roman Catholic faith in 1950. This means
that every Roman Catholic is required to believe this
doctrine without questioning it. However, as we will
see, the teaching of the Assumption originated with
heretical writings which were officially condemned by
the early Church.
In 495 A.D., Pope Gelasius issued a decree which
rejected this teaching as heresy and its proponents as
heretics. In the sixth century, Pope Hormisdas also
condemned as heretics those authors who taught the
doctrine of the Assumption of Mary. The early Church
clearly considered the doctrine of the Assumption of
Mary to be a heresy worthy of condemnation. Here we
have “infallible” popes declaring something to be a
heresy. Then in 1950, Pope Pius XII, another
“infallible” pope, declared it to be official Roman
Catholic doctrine. [15]
CO-MEDIATOR - Mary is the Co-Mediator to whom we can
entrust all our cares and petitions. (Catechism
968-970, 2677)
There is only one mediator and that is Jesus. 1
Timothy 2:5-6 says, “For there is one God, and one
mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus:
Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in
due time.” Hebrews 7:25 says,Wherefore
he [Jesus] is
able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God
by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession
for
them.” Ephesians 3:12 says, “In whom [Jesus} we have
boldness and access with confidence by the faith of
him.”
If Jesus is constantly interceding for us and He is
able to save us “to the uttermost,” (utterly,
completely) then He doesn’t need Mary’s help. If we
can approach God with “boldness” and “confidence”
because of our faith in Jesus, then we don't need
Mary’s help either.
QUEEN OF HEAVEN - God has exalted Mary in heavenly
glory as Queen of Heaven and earth. (Catechism 966)
She is to be praised with special devotion. (Catechism
971, 2675)
Psalm 148:13 says, “Let them praise the name of the
Lord: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is
above the earth and heaven.” This makes it quite clear
that only God’s name (not Mary’s) is to be exalted.
(In Catholic Bibles the numbering of the chapters and
verses of some of the Psalms is slightly different.)
When people tried to give Mary special honor and
pre-eminence because she was His mother, Jesus
corrected them.
“And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a
certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and
said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and
the paps which thou hast sucked. But he said, Yea
rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God,
and keep it.” (Luke 11:27-28)
In chapters four and five of the Book of Revelation,
we are given a quite detailed picture of Heaven. God
is seated on the throne, surrounded by 24 elders and
four living creatures. The Lamb (Jesus) is standing in
the center of the throne. Thousands upon thousands of
angels circle the throne, singing God's praises. And
Mary is not in the picture at all.
COMPARING CATHOLIC TEACHINGS ABOUT MARY WITH MODERN
GODDESS WORSHIP
Goddess worship is not ancient history. It is going on
today. It is practiced in Wicca and a variety of
modern pagan religions. (Wicca is a religion based on
witchcraft. It involves goddess worship, rituals and
spells.)
The credibility of goddess worship has been increased
through its acceptance by university professors and
its incorporation into textbooks. Wiccan doctrines are
being promoted in publicly funded, accredited colleges
and universities. Nursing school textbooks are overtly
promoting goddess worship, including textbooks written
by the National League for Nursing (an accrediting
agency for nursing schools). [16]
The following table compares the Mary of Roman
Catholic theology and religious practice with the
Biblical portrayal of Mary and with the goddess which
is worshipped by Wiccans and modern pagans. My
information about Wicca comes from the book Wicca:
Satan's Little White Lie by Bill Schnoebelen (who was
the high priest of a Wiccan coven before he became a
Christian), the World Book, the on-line version of The
Encyclopedia Brittanica, and numerous web sites. [17]
BIBLICAL MARY
CATHOLIC MARY
THE GODDESS
Humble and obedient. Calls herself “the handmaid of
the Lord.”
The Pope officially gave Mary the title “Queen of
Heaven” and established a feast day honoring Mary,
Queen of Heaven.
Wiccans call their goddess the “Queen of Heaven."
Knew she needed a savior: “And my spirit hath rejoiced
in God my saviour.” (Luke 1:47)
“Immaculate Conception” (Mary was conceived sinless,
without original sin) and “All-Holy” (Mary lived a
sinless life).
Goddesses don't need salvation. They make the rules.
Normal wife and mother who had other children.
“Perpetual Virginity” (Jesus' brothers and sisters
are considered to be cousins).
Goddesses don't have human children.
No biblical evidence that Mary didn't die like a
normal person.
“Glorious Assumption” (Mary was bodily taken up into
Heaven).
Goddesses don't die.
Jesus told John to take Mary into his home and take
care of her as if she was his own mother.
Catholics are the adopted children of Mary. “Woman
behold your son” (John 19:26) is taken to apply
literally to every Catholic.
Witches are the adopted, “hidden children” of the
Queen of Heaven.
Normal woman.
Sometimes pictured standing on a crescent moon,
wearing a crown or with a circle of stars around her
head.
Moon goddess.
Normal woman.
Supernatural (apparitions accompanied by miracles and
healings).
Supernatural.
Points people to Jesus. Mary said, “Whatsoever he
saith unto you, do it.” (John 2:5)
Can make Jesus do things. A full page newspaper ad
showing Mary and Jesus says, “He hasn't denied her
anything in 2,000 years. What would you have her ask
Him?” This is not official Catholic doctrine but it is
a widespread attitude which is encouraged by pious
literature.
Points to herself.
Wants to be worshipped.
Knew that she needed a savior. (Luke 1:47)
Apparitions of “Mary” have promised that if people
wear certain objects (such as a Scapular or Miraculous
Medal) or say certain prayers then they are guaranteed
to go to Heaven. The Catholic Church has not
officially approved of these practices, but it has
also not discouraged them.
Invoked to make supernatural things happen through
witchcraft (the use of special objects and special
verbal formulas).
Goddesses don't need a savior.
Goddess worship has infiltrated main-line Christian
denominations. In November 1993, a Re‑Imagining
Conference was held in
the 2,000 participants were women. This ecumenical
church conference was sponsored by and attended by
members of over a dozen denominations, including
Presbyterians, Episcopalians, Catholics, Lutherans and
Methodists. They prayed to Sophia, the goddess of
Wisdom, calling her their Creator. They did rituals
for this goddess, including a communion service where
bread and wine were replaced by milk and honey. They
openly rejected the doctrines of the incarnation and
the atonement. This conference was repeated in 1996,
1998 and 2000. [18] An on‑line report (with
photographs) is available at
http://www.layman.org/layman/news/reimagining‑revival.htm
There are Wiccan web sites with web pages devoted to
individual goddesses. The Virgin Mary is included
among the goddesses of the following web sites: The
Spiral Goddess Grove, The White Moon, and Goddess
2000. They consider Mary to be the “Divine Feminine”
and say that for centuries, many people have “blended”
their ancient goddesses with Mary. [19]
HOW DID WE GET HERE?
How did modern Catholic doctrine about Mary wander so
far away from the teachings of the Bible and the Early
Fathers? Two reasons are the importance given to
Church tradition and the doctrine of papal
infallibility.
The Catholic Church officially states that Church
tradition is equal in authority to the Bible.
(Catechism 80, 84, 86, 97) The problem is that
Catholic tradition consists of various expressions of
worship and belief of the Catholic people. (Catechism
78, 98, 113, 2650, 2661) It is nebulous. It keeps
changing. You cannot find it written in one place. You
can’t really put your hands on exactly what it is.
The Early Fathers used Scripture as the standard
against which they tested Church tradition. The modern
Catholic doctrine that Church tradition is equal in
authority with the Bible is contrary to the writings
of the Early Fathers. [20]
According to Jesus, Scripture is the plumb line for
measuring everything else. He judged religious
traditions by comparing them to Scripture. When
religious traditions contradicted Scripture, he
condemned them. This shows clearly that nothing is
equal in authority to Scripture. The Bible stands
alone as the standard by which all other things are to
be judged.
“Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and
certain of the scribes, which came from
when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with
defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they
found fault. For the Pharisees, and all the Jews,
except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the
tradition of the elders. And when they come from the
market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other
things there be, which they have received to hold, as
the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of
tables. Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why
walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of
the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands? He
answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias
prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This
people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart
is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me,
teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For
laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the
tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and
many other such like things ye do. And he said unto
them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that
ye may keep your own tradition. For Moses said, Honour
thy father and thy mother; and Whoso curseth father
or
mother, let him die the death: But ye say, If a man
shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that
is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be
profited by me; he shall be free. And ye suffer him no
more to do ought for his father or his mother; Making
the word of God of none effect through your tradition,
which ye have delivered: and many such like things do
ye.” (Mark 7:1-13, emphasis added.)
According to the official teaching of the Catholic
Church, Catholic men and women are not allowed to
believe what they read in the Bible without checking
it out with the Catholic Church. They are required to
find out how the bishops of the Church interpret a
passage and they are to accept what the bishops teach
as if it came from Jesus Christ Himself. They are not
allowed to use their own judgment or follow their own
conscience. They are required to believe whatever the
bishops teach without questioning it. (Catechism 85,
87, 100, 862, 891, 939, 2034, 2037, 2041, 2050)
The Catholic Church teaches that when the bishops
officially teach doctrine relating to faith and
morals, then God super–naturally prevents them from
making any errors. This is called “infallibility." It
applies to official councils, such as the Second
Vatican Council. It also applies to other teachings,
as long as the bishops and the Pope are in agreement
about them. (Catechism 890, 891, 939, 2033, 2034,
2049)
The Pope is said to be infallible whenever he makes an
official decree on matters of faith and morals.
According to Catholic doctrine, it is impossible for
the Pope to teach false doctrine. Catholics are
expected to obey the Pope without question even when
he is not making an “infallible” statement about
doctrine. They are expected to submit their wills and
minds to the Pope without question. (Catechism 892,
2037, 2050)
The Early Fathers, and the theologians and canon
lawyers of the Middle Ages, never taught that the
bishops or the Pope were infallible. This is
demonstrated by the fact that in 680 A.D. the Sixth
Ecumenical Council condemned a pope as a heretic. It
was not until the fourteenth century that the theory
of infallibility began to emerge. With the development
of this theory came a change in the interpretation of
some biblical passages. [21]
The history of the early Church shows that the Bishop
of
example, Pope Gregory (590-604 A.D.) explicitly stated
that all of the bishops were equal. He specifically
repudiated the idea that any one bishop could be the
supreme ruler of the Church. [22]
The claim for papal infallibility does not stand up to
the test of history. For example, Pope Zosimus
(417-418 A.D.) reversed the pronouncement of a
previous pope. He also retracted a doctrinal
pronouncement that he himself had previously made.
Pope Honorious was condemned as a heretic by the
Sixth
Ecumenical Council (680-681 A.D.). He was also
condemned as a heretic by Pope Leo II, as well as by
every other pope until the eleventh century. So here
we have “infallible” popes condemning another
“infallible” pope as a heretic. In 1870, the First
Vatican Council abolished “infallible” papal decrees
and the decrees of two “infallible” councils. [23]
In the seventeenth century, the Catholic church
officially condemned Galileo as a heretic because he
taught that the earth revolves around the sun. This
did not conflict with the Bible or with the teachings
of the Early Fathers. However, it was contrary to
seventeenth century Catholic theology. The Greek
philosopher Aristotle taught that the sun revolves
around the earth. Aristotle influenced Thomas Aquinas,
a thirteenth century theologian and “doctor of the
Church” whose theology had a major impact on the
Catholic Church. Some modern astronomers believe that
Galileo was right. Others believe that Einstein's
theory of relativity makes the question irrelevant.
[24] Either way, Galileo was not a heretic for
disagreeing with Aristotle. The “infallible”
pronouncement of the Catholic Church regarding
Galileo's teaching was wrong.
Most people have heard of “papal bulls” and
“infallibility." Have you ever seen what they actually
look like? Following is the ending of the bull
Ineffabilis Deus in which Pope Pius IX declared the
dogma of the Immaculate Conception of Mary in 1854:
“Therefore, if some should presume to think in their
hearts otherwise than we have defined (which God
forbid), they shall know and thoroughly understand
that they are by their own judgment condemned, have
made shipwreck concerning the faith, and fallen away
from the unity of the Church; and, moreover, that
they, by this very act, subject themselves to the
penalties ordained by law, if, by word or writing, or
any other external means, they dare to signify what
they think in their hearts.” [25]
The phrase “subject themselves to the penalties
ordained by law” is significant because less than 30
years earlier, a man in
[26]
MARIAN APPARITIONS
On May 13, 1981, a man shot Pope John Paul II. As the
ambulance carried him to the hospital, the Pope kept
praying, “Mary, my mother! Mary, my mother!”
One year
later, the Pope made a pilgrimage to
Our Lady of Fatima for saving his life and to
consecrate the entire human race to her. [27] The
video Catholicism: Crisis of Faith shows the Pope
kissing the feet of a statue of Mary. [28]
Millions of pilgrims go to shrines which honor
apparitions of Mary. Every year fifteen to twenty
million pilgrims go to Guadalupe in Mexico, five and a
half million go to Lourdes in France, five million go
to Czestochowa (Jasna Gora) in Poland, and four and a
half million go to Fatima in Portugal. Special dates
draw huge crowds. On August 15, half a million
pilgrims go to
people go to
million pilgrims went to
Guadalupe. [29]
Are these pilgrims worshipping Mary? You can observe
them and see for yourself, thanks to a video entitled
Messages from Heaven. (Information about this video is
given following the Bibliography.)
If you watch the video, you will see the Pope bow in
front of a painting of Mary and cover the area with
incense. You will see a million pilgrims walking in a
procession, following a statue of Our Lady of
and singing songs in her honor. You will see several
million people in a procession following a painting of
Our Lady of Guadalupe. You will see people weeping and
raising their arms towards Mary. You will see the
largest assembly of bishops and cardinals since the
Second Vatican Council, gathered together to join Pope
John Paul II in solemnly consecrating the entire world
to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
CONCLUSION
Proverbs 14:12 says, “There is a way which seemeth
right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of
death.” Our minds can be deceived and so can the minds
of bishops and popes. Only the Bible is totally
trustworthy. When religious traditions conflict with
the plain meaning of Scripture then we need to discard
those traditions. We cannot afford to do otherwise,
because our eternal destiny is at stake.
The Apostles told the religious leaders of their day,
“We ought to obey God rather than men.” (Acts 5:29b)
As an old hymn says, “On Christ the solid rock I
stand. All other ground is sinking sand.”
If you are not persuaded that Catholicism encourages
and even requires a level of “devotion” to Mary that
really is a form of worship, then I challenge you to
ask God what He thinks about it. If you are sincere in
your prayer and open to letting God show you the
truth, then He will.
CONTACTS
To contact the author, send an e-mail message to
MaryAnnCollins@juno.com.
If you would like to discuss specific issues, please
contact the following ministry. The members are former
Catholics. Their approach is loving, respectful and
well informed. Their web site has many documents which
you can print, including an annotated transcript of
the video Catholicism: Crisis of Faith. Some of their
documents are also available in Spanish.
Good News for Catholics
E-mail: gnfc@gnfc.org
Web Site: http://www.gnfc.org
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
USING THIS ARTICLE
You have my permission to copy this article, in whole
or in part. You have my permission to quote from it.
You have my permission to post it on your web site.
You have my permission to incorporate the entire
article, or portions of it, into publications of your
own. You have my permission to sell it for profit. I
do not want any fees or royalties or financial
remuneration of any kind.
The information in this article is the result of many
years of personal struggle and search for truth. I
want to make it as easy as possible for people to get
this information and to pass it on to anyone who might
be helped by it.
May the Lord bless, guide, and reveal His truth to
everyone who reads this article.
Mary Ann Collins. July 1, 2001
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Aardsma, Gerald E. “Geocentricity
and Creation”, Vital
Articles on Science/Creation, July 1994, Impact No
253.
Research. It is available on‑line at
http://www.icr.org/pubs/imp/imp-253.htm.
Anderson, James (Associated Press). "Giant statue of
Mary part of shrine plan," Lexington Herald-Leader,
July 17, 1999. This is available on-line with two
different titles, at:
http://www.kentuckyconnect.com/heraldleader/news/071799/faithdocs/shrine17.htm
and
http://www.star-telegram.com/news/doc/1047/1:RELIGION64/1:RELIGION64071699.html
Beauclair, Steve. "Skyscraper statue slated for Sabana
Grande; $42 million Virgin Mary part of
News cover story).
Bloesch, Donald G. Essentials of Evangelical Theology,
Vol. I. San Francisco,
Publishers, 1982. The author is an evangelical
Christian. He quotes some papal encyclicals.
Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Catholic Conference, 2000. This book comes in numerous
editions and languages. Because it has numbered
paragraphs, statements can be accurately located in
spite of the variety of editions.
Davis, Philip G. Goddess Unmasked: The Rise of
Neopagan Feminist Spirituality.
Publishing Company, 1998. This book can be ordered
directly from the publisher
(888‑773‑6782).
Heintz, Peter. A Guide to Apparitions of Our Blessed
Virgin Mary, Part I, 20th Century Apparitions.
Catholic book. It covers 60 apparitions in detail. It
is methodical, with 33 categories of information for
every apparition. The book is out of print. According
to the publisher (who is now out of business), copies
of the book were sent to major Marian institutions.
The book can be obtained from the following web site:
http://www.marianland.com/101books.html
Hunt, Dave. A Woman Rides the Beast.
Harvest House Publishers, 1994.
Johnson, Paul. A History of Christianity.
Simon & Schuster, a Touchstone Book, 1995. The author
is Catholic.
McCarthy, James G. The Gospel According to
Comparing Catholic Tradition and the Word of God.
author is a former Catholic.
Queenship
Jubilee Year 2000 Catalog.
publication. The catalog has a section called “Vox
Populi” where they promote books which support the
doctrine that Mary is our Advocate, Mediator, and
Co-Redemptrix. They promote petitions asking the Pope
to officially give Mary those titles. They promote an
inexpensive pamphlet (for wide distribution) which
supports those doctrines. They also summarize the
status of the petition, giving numbers of people who
have signed it, and the numbers of cardinals and
bishops that support the doctrines.
Schnoebelen, Bill. Wicca: Satan's Little White Lie.
his conversion to Christianity, the author was the
high priest of a Wiccan coven for over 12 years. He
taught and initiated hundreds of Wiccan novices. He
shows the truth behind “white” witchcraft and “Earth
Religion” including insights which trace the epidemic
of child abuse directly to the root of the rapid
spread of Wicca.
Tetlow, James. Messages from
Heaven. This book is
scheduled to be published in the summer of 2001. It
can be ordered by phone (877-370‑7770). James
Tetlow is a former Catholic. In doing the research
for
this book, he read literally hundreds of Catholic
books about Marian apparitions.
Webster, William. The Church of Rome at the Bar of
History.
Trust, 1996. The author is a former Catholic.
VIDEOS
Catholicism: Crisis of Faith. Lumen Productions,
Box 595
0-962-9152-0-3. This video was produced by James G.
McCarthy, a former Catholic and the founder of Good
News for Catholics. It covers a wide range of issues,
including Mary. You can order it through D&K Press
(800-777‑8839). An annotated transcript of the
English version, with 83 footnotes, is available
on‑line at http://www.gnfc.org/transcript.html
Information about foreign language versions is
available at http://www.gnfc.org/ccf.html
Messages from Heaven. Eternal Productions,
324
This video deals primarily with apparitions of Mary.
It also deals with UFOs and angels. The producer is a
former Catholic who has read literally hundreds of
Catholic books about Marian apparitions. You can order
the video by phone (877-370‑7770) or
on‑line at http://video.labargemedia.com It is
also available at D&K Press (800-777‑8839).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NOTES
(links may become invalid after time)
[1]
http://www.christusrex.org/www2/kerygma/ccc/searchcat.html
and http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc.htm
This second
address didn’t always work for me. If you have a
problem with it, then go to http://www.scborromeo.org
and click under “Must Know” where it says “The
Catechism of the Catholic Church." If these addresses
don’t work for you, then you can do an Internet search
for catechism + Catholic.
[2] Paul Johnson, A History of Christianity, page
308. Paul Johnson is a prominent historian and a
Catholic.
[3] Peter Heintz, A
Guide to Apparitions of Our
Blessed Virgin Mary, pages 151-164. The author is a
Catholic. The following web site gives a brief summary
of the events, including the rose petals, but it fails
to mention the forceful Church politics involved:
http://198.62.75.1/www1/apparitions/pr00013.htm
[4] James G. McCarthy, The Gospel According to Rome:
Comparing Catholic Tradition and the Word of God, pp.
181-184; 199-200.
[5]
http://www.pacificheritage.com/images/Products/fatimachild22.JPG
[6] Dave Hunt, A Woman Rides the Beast, pages
239-240.
[7] Steve Beauclair,
"Skyscraper statue slated for
Sabana Grande; $42 million Virgin Mary part of
(Late News cover story). James Anderson (Associated
Press), "Giant statue of Mary part of shrine plan,"
Lexington Herald-Leader, July 17, 1999. This article
is available on-line at
http://www.kentuckyconnect.com/heraldleader/news/071799/faithdocs/shrine17.htm
[8] James Tetlow,
Messages from Heaven, Chapter 1. (I
read a pre-publication manuscript and therefore don’t
know what page this information will occur on when the
book is published.)
[9] William Webster, The Church of Rome at the
Bar of
History, page 87.
[10] In the Encyclical Intersodalicia
(1918). Quoted
in Donald G. Bloesch, Essentials of Evangelical
Theology, Vol. 1, page 196.
[11] In the Encyclical of February 2, 1849.
Quoted in
Donald G. Bloesch, Essentials of Evangelical Theology,
Vol. 1, page 196.
[12] Queenship Jubilee
Year 2000 Catalog, page 92.
This is a catalog of the
World Peace, which promotes the doctrine of Mary as
Advocate, Mediator, and Co-Redemptrix. It also
promotes the petition. The catalog gives information
about the petition's progress, and about church
leaders who support the doctrine.
[13] William Webster, The Church of Rome at the
Bar
of History, pages 72-77.
[14] William Webster, pages 79-80.
[15] William Webster, pages 81-85.
[16] Philip G. Davis, Goddess Unmasked: The Rise
of
Neopagan Feminist Spirituality, pages 29-33. The
author is a university professor who wrote this book
because of his concern about Wiccan teaching at his
university.
[17] World Book, Millennium 2000 is a CD-ROM by
IBM.
For information about Wicca, see “Contemporary
Witchcraft,” an article from the on‑line version
of The Encyclopedia Brittanica which describes Wicca:
http://www.britannica.com/eb/article?eu=115001&tocid=214884
[18] Philip G. Davis, pages 3-4 and 28-29. Dates of
follow-up conferences are given at
http://www.rexp.com/rc.html
[19] http://www.goddess2000.org/Mary.html
http://www.thewhitemoon.com/mary/main.html
http://www.spiralgoddess.com/Mary.html
[20] William Webster, The Church of Rome at the Bar
of History, pages 22-33. For a description of how
pious practices can become official Catholic doctrine,
and how this conflicts with both Scripture and the
writings of the Early Fathers, see James G. McCarthy,
The Gospel According to
Tradition and the Word of God, pages 281-309.
[21] William Webster, pages 34-55.
[22] William Webster, pages 56-63.
[23] William Webster, pages 63-71.
[24] Gerald E. Aardsma,
“Geocentricity and Creation,”
Vital Articles on Science/Creation July 1994.
Information about Aristotle's influence on Thomas
Aquinas comes from a class on Metaphysics which I took
at
[25] Philip Schaff,
The Decree of Pope Pius IX on the
Immaculate Conception, in The Creeds of Christendom,
vol. II (New York: Harper, 1877), pages 211-212.
Quoted in William Webster, pages 187-188.
[26] Paul Johnson, A History of Christianity,
page
308.
[27] James G. McCarthy, The Gospel According to
Comparing Catholic Tradition and the Word of God,
pages 181-184 and 199-200.
[28] This video covers a broad range of topics,
including Mary. The producer is a former Catholic.
[29] James Tetlow,
Messages from Heaven, Chapter 1.
Mr. Tetlow also produced a video with the same title.
If you can afford to get both, I would recommend it.
The book gives a lot of information and it is
thoroughly documented. The author is a former
Catholic. The book and video are respectful and gentle
in their approach.