Pope Francis, God and the Big Bang Theory

Pope Francis: 'Evolution Is Not Inconsistent With The Notion Of Creation'

Religion News Service  | By Josephine McKenna

Posted: 10/27/2014              

VATICAN CITY, VATICAN - OCTOBER 22: Pope Francis waves to the faithful as he arrives in St. Peter's Square for his weekly audience on October 22, 2014 in Vatican City, Vatican. (Photo by Franco Origlia/Getty Images) | Franco Origlia via Getty Images

VATICAN CITY (RNS) Pope Francis on Monday (Oct. 27) waded into the controversial debate over the origins of human life, saying the big bang theory did not contradict the role of a divine creator, but even required it.
The pope was addressing the plenary assembly of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, which gathered at the Vatican to discuss “Evolving Concepts of Nature.”
“When we read about Creation in Genesis, we run the risk of imagining God was a magician, with a magic wand able to do everything. But that is not so,” Francis said.
“He created human beings and let them develop according to the internal laws that he gave to each one so they would reach their fulfillment.”
Francis said the beginning of the world was not “a work of chaos” but created from a principle of love. He said sometimes competing beliefs in creation and evolution could co-exist.
“God is not a divine being or a magician, but the Creator who brought everything to life,” the pope said. “Evolution in nature is not inconsistent with the notion of creation, because evolution requires the creation of beings that evolve.”
Unlike much of evangelical Protestantism in the U.S., Catholic teaching traditionally has not been at odds with evolution. In 1950, Pope Pius XII proclaimed there was no opposition between evolution and Catholic doctrine. In 1996, St. John Paul II endorsed Pius’ statement.
Some wondered if Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI wanted to change that when he and some acolytes seemed to endorse the theory of intelligent design, the idea that the world is too complex to have evolved according to Charles Darwin’s theory of natural selection. Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn of Vienna, a close associate of Benedict, penned a widely noticed 2005 op-ed in The New York Times that said “Evolution in the sense of common ancestry might be true, but evolution in the neo-Darwinian sense — an unguided, unplanned process … is not.”
Giovanni Bignami, a professor and president of Italy’s National Institute for Astrophysics, welcomed Francis’ comments, saying he had buried the “pseudo theories” of creationists.
“The pope’s statement is significant,” Bignami told Italian news agency Adnkronos. “We are the direct descendents from the Big Bang that created the universe. Evolution came from creation.”
Giulio Giorello, professor of the philosophy of science at Milan’s University degli Studi, said he believed Francis was “trying to reduce the emotion of dispute or presumed disputes” with science.
Francis made his speech while unveiling a bust in honor of Benedict, his predecessor, at the Vatican.
“Benedict XVI was a great pope: great for the power and penetration of his intellect, great for his significant contribution to theology, great for his love of the church and of human beings, great for his virtue and piety,” he said.

A Feast Day for Two Apostles

Ordinary Time: October 28th

Feast of Sts. Simon and Jude, Apostles

        
Today the Church celebrates the feast of Sts. Simon and Jude whose names occur together in the Canon of the Mass and are also celebrated on the same day. Possibly this is because they both preached the Gospel in Mesopotamia and Persia where it is said they had both been sent, but in actual fact we know nothing for certain about them beyond what is told us of their being called as Apostles in the New Testament. St. Jude is the author of a short Epistle which forms part of the New Testament.

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Sts. Simon and Jude
However meagre in details is the history of these glorious apostles, we learn from their brief legend how amply they contributed to this great work of generating sons of God. Without any repose, and even to the shedding of their blood, they "edified the body of Christ"; and the grateful Church thus prays to our Lord today: "O God, through the work of the apostles you have spoken your Word of love, your Son, into our world's deafness. Open our ears to hear; open our hearts to heed; open our will to obey, that we may proclaim the good news with our lives."St. Simon is represented in art with a saw, the instrument of his martyrdom. St. Jude's square points him out as an architect of the house of God. St. Paul called himself by this name; and St. Jude, by his Catholic Epistle, has also a special right to be reckoned among our Lord's principal workmen. But our apostle had another nobility, far surpassing all earthly titles: being nephew, by his father Cleophas or Alpheus, to St. Joseph, and legal cousin to the Man-God, Jude was one of those called by their compatriots the brethren of the carpenter's Son. We may gather from St. John's Gospel another precious detail concerning him. In the admirable discourse at the close of the last Supper, our Lord said: "He that loveth Me, shall be loved of My Father: and I will love him and will manifest Myself to him." Then Jude asked Him: "Lord, how is it, that Thou wilt manifest Thyself to us, and not to the world?" And he received from Jesus this reply: "If any one love Me, he will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him, and will make Our abode with him. He that loveth Me not keepeth not My word. And the word which you have heard is not Mine, but the Father's who sent Me."The churches of St. Peter in Rome and Saint-Sernin at Toulouse dispute the honor of possessing the greater part of their holy remains.—Excerpted from The Liturgical Year, Abbot Gueranger O.S.B.

Cardinal Burke says he didn't say what he said

Cardinal Burke: I didn’t say the Pope is harming the Church, it’s the lack of clarity

John-Henry Westen Follow John-Henry

By John-Henry Westen                                                                                                                                              

Vatican Cardinal Raymond Burke has issued a clarification concerning a misrepresentation of his statement in an interview with BuzzFeed.  While the agency reported that Cardinal Burke said the Pope is “harming the Church,” Cardinal Burke in fact said that the harm stems from the lack of clarity about the pope’s positions on matters related to marriage and Holy Communion.
The cardinal added that only a statement from the Pope himself could remove the lack of clarity.

Here is Burke’s full clarification, given to the Dignitatis Humanae Institute, which had helped set up the Buzzfeed interview:

As a priest, bishop and finally a cardinal, I have only ever sought to serve Our Lord's Church in humble obedience to the Magisterium and to the Holy Father. Needless confusion regarding my motives does not help me in this service, especially when substantial questions of principle are at stake.  I very strongly believe that one also serves loyally by expressing a contrary judgment, in accord with the pursuit of the truth, and that one only serves faithfully when one has dutifully and clearly spoken, in obedience to one's conscience.
I did not state that Pope Francis has harmed the Church.  Rather, as the now published verbatim interview reveals, I was perfectly clear that it was a lack of clarity about where the Holy Father stands on issues related to marriage and Holy Communion that had caused the harm.  It is precisely for this reason that I subsequently said that only a statement from the Holy Father himself could now remove this lack of clarity.
Sadly, confusion, such as that generated by this particular interview, has been used to portray those opposed to Cardinal Kasper's thesis as motivated by a personal animus against the Holy Father.  This is just not the case, though it no doubt helps the cause of those with certain ideological axes to grind to make this appear so.

Permanent Deacons coming to Malta

Permanent Deacons: ‘The church needs to address today’s realities’ – Fr John Berry

Therese BonniciMonday, 20 October 2014

               "Society needs a church that is credible, that is representative of society and that is not afraid of getting its hands dirty. It needs to address the different realities faced by society today and be present throughout the joys and sorrow of the people. Appointing permanent deacons is hopefully one of many steps the church will take to re-connect with society," says Fr John Berry.
Last week, Archbishop Paul Cremona approved the ordination of permanent deacons, allowing laymen, including married ones, to celebrate marriages, baptisms and funerals. Fr Berry is part of a taskforce assigned to set out a plan for the implementation of permanent deacons in Malta.
The decision was announced during the general assembly on 10 October, but discussions within the diocese had started back in 2003. In other countries, permanent deacons were introduced back in the 1960s. "Malta has lagged behind," said Fr John, "and has continued to hold the mentality of a clerical church, in which everything surrounds the priest himself and those around him.
"The decision came in the wake of criticism in the media that the Maltese church is lacking leadership. Archbishop Paul Cremona may not be a leader and he may not be ambitious, but he has a vision of allowing the church to display its humane element," Fr John says. [This interview was conducted on 15 October, before yesterday's announcement that the Archbishop was stepping down.]
"This decision is not about the alleged leadership crises, it is rather a decision to address the realities of today. A permanent deacon, who is also a married man, can provide a more realistic version of the situations faced by families today. One cannot criticise the church for not being up to speed with such realities, because priests are cut off from society.
"The idea is not simply spreading the word of God, but building a community. We need to make the structure work. The church has a duty of service to the community, and permanent deacons will have a ministerial role in helping the church with its service."
"This contributes for a new model for the church, one which is more whole, more representative; one that welcomes everyone in it. People from all walks of life can contribute - not only by spreading God's word, but also by ensuring social justice.
"I only hope this is the first of other decisions to follow, allowing the church to be more present in people's lives. The church is still relevant today."
Inevitably, the decision was not welcomed by everyone within the church. Some feared that a deacon will somehow take the role of the priest. However, Fr John stresses that this is not about replacement, but about the church being inclusive, allowing people to become members and hold different roles.

Role of permanent deacons
Permanent deacons will report to the archbishop, allowing for both a centripetal and centrifugal force - a flow of communication toward the authoritative figures and back to the community. Deacons will be allowed to speak for the church. Vocation is crucial in such an appointment, given that it is a permanent one, hence the term, 'permanent' deacon. The deacon can conduct a baptism, wedding or funeral but cannot forgive sins in the sacrament of penance, offer mass, administer the sacrament of confirmation or confect the holy Eucharist.
The training programme is still being developed. It will not be necessary to have a background in theology to become a deacon. Training is based on four major pillars: the humane, the spiritual, the intellectual and the pastoral. A psychological screening ensures that the individual concerned is emotionally stable, has good judgment and is aware of people's needs. Secondly, the deacon is responsible for the spiritual well-being of the community and, thirdly, knowledge of the gospel and church teachings is required. Lastly, pastoral training ensures that the potential deacon knows how to be of service to the needs of the community. The training will take approximately three years.




>>First seen at Deacon's Bench.
Note: Diaconate is so much more than Sacraments & Liturgy; this is not addressed in this article and there is a reference to a lay man being allowed to.....once ordained, a Permanent Deacon is CLERGY, no longer in the lay state.

Pope Francis warns about being lukewarm; be a child of light

You are hurting the Church if you're lukewarm, Pope Francis warns

                  

Pope Francis meets with students in Paul VI audience hall on May 31, 2014. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA.

By Ann Schneible

Vatican City, Oct 27, 2014 / 10:14 am (CNA/EWTN News).- In his homily for Mass celebrated at the Santa Marta residence Monday Pope Francis warned against the harm of “lukewarm” Christianity, calling on faithful instead to be “children of light.”

The Lord has strong words towards Christian who avoid overstating their Christianity, the Pope told the congregation on Oct. 27. Such Christians do great harm “because their Christian witness is a witness which ultimately disseminates confusion, disseminates a negative witness.”

At the End Times, the Pope continued, the Lord will say to these “gray” Christians: “You are neither hot nor cold. If only you were hot or cold. But because you are lukewarm – therefore gray – I vomit you from my mouth'.”

Contrasting lukewarm Christians with the “children of light” and the “children of darkness,” the Holy Father described these “gray” Christians as going from one side to the other, making it difficult to determine whether they follow God or the devil.

“They are always lukewarm,” he said. “They are neither luminous nor dark.”

Pope Francis turned his reflection to the day's first reading from Saint Paul, calling on Christians to be children of light, rather than children of darkness. In order to know which sort of children we are, the Pope said, we should consider whether the words we use fall into one of four categories: hypocritical, empty, frivolous, or obscene.

Such words, he said, are not used by “the children of light. They are not from the Holy Spirit. They are not from Jesus, they are not the words of the Gospel. . . this way of speaking, always speaking of filthy things, or frivolously, or empty, or speaking hypocritically.”

Instead, the Holy Father said, citing Saint Paul, we are called to imitate God by walking in charity, goodness, and gentleness. “Therefore, be imitators of God and walk in charity. And this is the word of a child of light.”

“There are luminous Christians, full of light,” the Pope said, “who seek to serve the Lord with this light.” He added that there are “dark” Christians “who lead a life of sin, a life far from the Lord.”

Warning against being deceived by statements which are “beautiful, well said, but empty,” Pope Francis challenged Christians to ask themselves: “Am I a Christian of light? Am I a Christian of darkness? Am I a Christian of gray?” In this way, he said, we can “take a step forward toward an encounter with the Lord.”

Awesome reflection by Kathy Schiffer on why we go to Mass on Sunday!

Next Sunday, I’ll Be Going to Church. Where Will You Be?

October 27, 2014 by Kathy Schiffer

Sunday’s coming.  Where will you be?
I got into a discussion recently with some good Catholic friends about going to church on Sunday.  To my surprise, several of them had recently failed to fulfill their Sunday obligation to attend Mass.

I’m pretty sure this is not a unique phenomenon among believers, even among those who consider themselves faithful Catholics.

• Sometimes, people will explain away their having missed the Sunday liturgy:  They had a headache; or they were out late the night before; or they have company coming; or [eye roll] they can pray just as well on the golf course….
• Sometimes, it comes down to something the parish is doing wrong:  The homilies are boring, or the church is ugly, or the music is not to your liking, or no one ever talks to you, or the air conditioning isn’t working properly.

LET’S TALK ABOUT THIS!

See, I think we (Catholics, that is) need to rethink our reason for attending Mass.  Some Protestants I know go church-hopping because they want [choose one:  better fellowship, or a popular speaker, or a great youth program, or ....]  But for a Catholic, these are nice but are essentially window dressing.  I mean, JESUS IS THERE, AND HE COMES TO US!
There are two other reasons we MUST be there:

FIRST, God commands us to keep holy the Lord’s Day.  To be more specific:  Jesus founded His Church, and He authorized His Church to represent Him here on earth; and the Catholic Church tells us that this–attendance at Sunday Mass–is the way we must keep the day holy.  If you agree that Jesus founded the Catholic Church and delegated Peter and his successors to run it, then you must recognize the legitimate authority of the Church to make rules which are intended for our good.
That means you acknowledge that the Catholic Church was founded by Christ Himself, and was appointed as His representative on earth, until He comes in glory. There’s gotta be someone in charge, and when the Catholic Church says “This is how we understand the Third Commandment” and imposes a requirement, you must acknowledge her authority.
Whether you benefit personally on that particular day, whether you like the liturgy and the music (and believe me, I don’t always!), whether the homily is good, you are there to worship because the Catholic Church tells you you must be there.
If you screw up and miss, will God forgive you? I think so. But still, again, if you’re Catholic…. attendance at Mass every Sunday is mandated, under penalty of mortal sin.  You are required to worship God, and you are required to do it in that particular way:  by attending Sunday Mass.  Get out of bed and get over there!
SECOND, It’s the best deal in town for us!  Peter asked, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”  That’s true–Where else can you go to hear the words of Christ, and to join with Him so intimately, to let Him come into you and transform you, leading you to greater holiness?

I remember once hearing a radio broadcast featuring Rosalind Moss, the former Catholic Answers apologist who founded a new religious order, the Daughters of Mary, Mothers of Israel’s Hope.   Rosalind was recounting an imaginary conversation with a young woman who had left the Catholic Church for another denomination–preferring the music and the women’s groups and the social activities for the kids.  I don’t remember all the details, but essentially, Jesus asked her, “But which of these things would you choose over Me?”  
And that’s the heart of it:  At Mass, Christ is truly present–Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity.  He gives Himself to us in the reading of the Word, and in the Eucharist.  That happens even when the homily is boring, when the cantor is off-key, when the church is only half-filled.  “Whenever two are three are gathered in My name,” Jesus reminds us, “there I am in the midst of them.”  In the Mass, that is even more true, because we have the unimaginable opportunity to unite wholly and fully with Him in the Eucharist.

Read more: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/kathyschiffer/2014/10/next-sunday-ill-be-going-to-church-where-will-you-be/#ixzz3HLRiYIA5

Bishop & Saint known as the Apostle of Ethiopia

St. Frumentius

Facts

Feastday: October 27
Patron of Aksumite Empire
Death: 380

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Called Abuna or the father of Ethiopia, sent to that land by St. Athanasius. Frumentius was born in Tyre, Lebanon. While on a voyage in the Red Sea with St. Aedesius, possibly his brother, only Frumentius and Aedesius survived the shipwreck. Taken to the Ethiopian royal court at Aksum, they soon attained high positions. Aedesius was royal cup bearer, and Fruementius was a secretary. They introduced Christianity to that land. When Abreha and Asbeha inherited the Ethiopian throne from their father, Frumentius went to Alexandria, Egypt, to ask St. Athanasius to send a missionary to Ethiopia. He was consecrated a bishop and converted many more upon his return to Aksum. Frumentius and Aedesius are considered the apostles of Ethiopia

Celebrating the Priesthood on this World Priest Sunday

Priesthood Sunday October 26, 2014

A Challenge...

Do not be afraid...

...to go out on the streets and into public places, like the first Apostles who preached Christ and the Good News of salvation in the squares of cities, towns and villages. This is no time to be ashamed of the Gospel (cf. Rom 1:16). It is the time to preach it from the rooftops (cf. Mt 10:27).

 

Do not be afraid to break out of comfortable and routine modes of living, in order to take up the challenge of making Christ known in the modern “metropolis”. It is you who must “go out into the byroads” (Mt 22:9) and invite everyone you meet to the banquet which God has prepared for his people. The Gospel must not be kept hidden because of fear or indifference. It was never meant to be hidden away in private. It has to be put on a stand so that people may see its light and give praise to our heavenly Father (cf. Mt 5:15-16).

-St John Paul the Great

An invitation...

On This Special Day...

Please join me on this special day, Priesthood Sunday, in praying for our priests, in praising God for their courage and their generosity. As your bishop I urge you to make your appreciation for your parish priest known. A simple note, a smile or a phone call to assure him of your loving care and gratitude for his presence in the life of your local church will go a long way to serve the greater good of our wonderful and growing Catholic Church.
-Bishop Joseph Gossman, Diocese of Raleigh

A Question...

Why Priesthood Sunday Is Important

The reasons for this celebration (of Priesthood Sunday) should be obvious. The number of priests per Catholic has declined over the past 40 years. This makes it more difficult for individual parishioners to establish a close relationship with any one particular priest. When I was growing up, our pastor served in our parish for 34 years. My mom and dad knew him well. His presence and service were significant factors in the story of my own vocation. Furthermore, priests are no longer the only ones who offer pastoral care to our people. Yet without a priest, no parish is able to be a Eucharistic community. It is important to reaffirm the importance of the priesthood of Jesus Christ and its central place in the life of our Church.
-Archbishop John G. Vlazny, Archdiocese of Portland

They are Called

"He calls them to lead your holy people in love, nourish them by your word and strengthen them through the sacraments. Father, they are to give their lives in your service and for the salvation of your people as they strive to grow in the likeness of Christ and honor you by their courageous witness of faith and love."
--Preface to the Liturgy of the Chrism Mass

Informing on the truth of Catholicism

7 Things Every Protestant Should Know About Catholicism

December 12, 2013 by Marcus Guevara 31 Replies

I compiled this short list based on questions I normally receive and some common misconceptions of the Catholic Church. This article is not meant to be all encompassing and I don’t go into great detail on any subject. This isn’t meant to be an antagonistic or hostile article. It’s simply something to get people thinking and I really feel that Protestants will appreciate the Catholic perspective on some of these issues. If you have feedback or questions post them in the comment box below the article.

So without further delay….
#7 Not Every Catholic Practices or Understands Their Faith
Surprise. Some Catholic’s aren’t really Catholic. Some don’t even really know what it means to be Catholic. It’s easy to find a Catholic who doesn’t go to Church on Sundays or who doesn’t really treat others with love and respect. I often encounter people who claim to be Catholic but don’t feel the need to go to Church or pray. One can be Catholic by name and not really Catholic by action. I’ve encountered Protestants on many occasions who are surprised to find that I am so devout and dedicated to God and living Christ’s message… because I’m Catholic. They become even more perplexed when they find out that I read the Bible, know a good deal about Church history, and can adequately defend the Catholic Church’s teachings that many consider to be controversial or difficult to understand. Many Catholics, however, don’t know how to express or explain their beliefs even if they understand them. Getting someone else to understand something is not always an easy thing to do. After years of studying of the faith, engaging in dialogue and debates, writing articles and contemplating the Catholic faith I still have trouble putting some things into the right words. That’s because the Catholic Church has been around for 2000 years so there is 2000 years worth of history to understand and explain. A person can devote his entire life and career to understanding the Catholic Church’s history and have enough material to last the span of their career. However, every Catholic should at least have a basic understanding of all the tenets of the faith.
The Church is continuously trying to improve the current catechetical programs to help people develop a better understanding of the faith through Sunday school and private Catholic schools. Parents, however, have the primary responsibility of ensuring they teach their children about the faith and give them the opportunities they need to grow their understanding by involving them in the Church. Children learn best from the example of their parents. This isn’t always the case so often people will grow up never really learning anything about the faith until someone asks them why they call themselves Catholic. I was that person. I didn’t know anything about the Catholic faith until I started to have people challenge me and ridicule my faith. I didn’t like losing arguments and looking silly. I also wanted to know the truth so I started investigating and that started my journey toward the faith. Throughout the years I have often given incorrect answers that were based on my improper understanding, guessing, or opinion. I’ve been corrected many times and I know I still don’t understand everything. However, just because a Catholic gives a wrong answer, can’t give an answer, doesn’t know Scripture or doesn’t practice their faith doesn’t mean the Catholic Church’s teachings are wrong. The Catholic Church should be evaluated based on official documents and by speaking to those who have a solid and in-depth understanding of Church teaching that is based on reliable research and not opinion.

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#6 Bad Catholics Does Not Equal a Bad Church
The Catholic Church seems to be in the spotlight a lot. It seems like every so often the Catholic Church is in the news over some scandal, tabloid, controversy or misunderstanding. It’s true that there are media outlets and reporters that unfairly misconstrue the Catholic Church and its representatives at times (it should be stated that there are also fair and honest reporters and media outlets out there). However, it is also true that some members of the Church (even important ones) make big mistakes and we can’t blame that on the media. Probably the most common thing I hear about is the cases where Priests have molested children. There have been priests that have made terrible mistakes but the question is not “do people in the Church make mistakes?” I’m well aware that there have been cases of priest molestation, bad handling of those cases by bishops, corrupt leaders and Popes with illegitimate children. The question is – since there are some bad Catholics does that mean that the Catholic Church itself is bad? I pulled up a news site today (September 12, 2013) and found two articles concerning recent incidents. One article was about a child psychiatrist in Utah who was found to have child pornography on his computer (see http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/09/10/utah-child-psychiatrist-held-on-child-porn-charges/). The other article was about a police chief who raped a child (see http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/09/10/louisiana-police-chief-indicted-on-child-rape-charges/). Does this mean that the field of child psychiatry is corrupt or that the Louisiana law enforcement is a corrupt system? Not necessarily. It depends. The point is that sin is a human problem. You can find similar cases of rape, child molestation, financial fraud and murder committed by teachers, school officials, CEO’s, military members and every other institution and organization on the planet. Whether an institution is corrupt depends on what the institution teaches.
The Catholic Church has never taught or condoned the behavior that others condemn it for. In fact, the Catholic Church condemns those sins whether they are committed by its own members or those outside the Church. However, even though the Church condemns the sin (or the behavior) it does not condemn people. The Catholic Church invites sinners into the Church because it is like a hospital for sick people and sin is a disease that infects all human people. If we expected the Catholic Church to “clean house” and get rid of all the sinners then all its members would be kicked out – including the Pope. This does not excuse the terrible things done by some of the leaders but bad people don’t equal a bad institution.
Related: The Conversion Story of Marcus Guevara – Founder of ThirstingforTruth.com
#5 Protestants are viewed as Separated Brothers and Sisters
I once heard Scott Hahn, a convert to Catholicism and a popular Catholic scholar, state that Catholics and Protestants have about 90% of Theology in common. That 10% that separates us is important and should not be ignored. However, it is even more important that we not forget that 90% which bonds us together as brothers and sisters of the same mission. We can learn a lot from each other. I also admire many of my Protestant friends’ love for the Bible and zeal for the faith. I never hesitate to have a good dialogue about the differences between Catholics and Protestants but I always make it a point to acknowledge and give recognition to a person who is working hard toward a deeper relationship with Christ.
#4 The Catholic Church Does Not Teach or Advocate Worship of Mary or the Saints
Contrary to what you have always heard the Catholic Church has never taught or condoned the worship of Mary or the Saints. I have been a part of, or visited, various Catholic groups, ministries, organizations, churches, and conferences over the years. I’ve met a ton of Catholics and I’ve never once met a person who believed in worshiping Mary or the Saints. I’ve also never seen an official Church document that teaches or condones the practice. If anyone can produce one please send it to Marcus@ThirstingforTruth.com or paste a link in the comments below. I have, however, heard many Protestants accuse me of this practice without much evidence. I plan on posting an article dedicated to this topic soon but for now I’ll just give a short rebuttal. Most people think Catholic’s worship Mary and the Saints because we pray to Mary and the Saints. This would be true if prayer and worship was the same thing. But they’re not.
Related: 7 Reasons Catholics Are Devoted To Mary
Prayer is spiritual communication and while you can worship God through prayer you are not always worshiping when you are praying. For example, “God, why did you let this happen to me?” is a prayer. You are communicating your feelings to God, but you are not worshiping God. “God please don’t let me get in trouble for stealing. I’ll never do it again” is also a prayer and it is certainly not worship. Just because people pray to a Saint doesn’t mean they are worshiping the Saint. Praying to a Saint, or the Saints, is a practice where we ask them to pray for us and offer our prayers to God.

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“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” (James 5:16)
To Catholics, the Saints are not dead but alive. They are more alive than we are now. Therefore, they are a help to us. Prayer allows us to communicate with those members of the body of Christ who enjoy the beatific vision.
Related: Why Do Catholics Pray to Saints?
#3 The Catholic Church Compiled the Canon of the Bible Centuries After Jesus’ Death
Most people are completely unaware that there was no official canon of inspired Scripture (what we call the Bible) for about 300 years after Christ died. The Bible is not one book. It is a collection of many books from many different authors. Today you can go to a book store and say “I need a Bible” (nowadays you probably need to specify that you need a Christian Bible). They will bring one out to you and within a few short minutes you can walk out of the store confident that you have all the 27 inspired books of the New Testament in your hand. Ever wondered why that is? Have you ever questioned why the book of Hebrews, James or Revelations belongs in the Bible? Have you ever wondered if maybe the Gospel of Judas or the Gospel of Mary Magdalene was supposed to be a part of the New Testament but somehow they got lost? Have you heard of the Gospel of Judas or the Gospel of Mary Magdalene? Why not? They were written and floating around in existence since before the canon of the New Testament was established.
The problem is that there is no book in the Bible that says “The following books are inspired by God”. Most people, Protestants and Catholics, just take for granted that all these books are combined together with a cover that says BIBLE and don’t ask any questions about where it came from or why those certain books belong in there. The only reason that we have a Bible today is because the Catholic Church recognized that there was a need to establish an official list of books that the people of God could trust as inspired works. God then guided the Catholic Church who was able to recognize the inspiration of God to establish an official canon. Here is a Protestant website I found that gives a short summary of how the Bible came to be (see http://www.gotquestions.org/canon-Bible.html).
I find it funny that the author attributes the credibility of the established Bible canon to these obscure “Councils” without any mention that they were official Catholic Councils. At the beginning and his article he stresses the fact that “Ultimately, it was God who decided what books belonged in the biblical canon… It was simply a matter of God’s convincing His human followers which books should be included in the Bible.” Then at the end he reiterates his point “Again, it is crucial to remember that the church did not determine the canon. No early church council decided on the canon. It was God, and God alone, who determined which books belonged in the Bible.” Catholic’s have no argument that it was not God who determined the inspired canon. God inspired the authors who wrote the books in Scripture. However, the entire article is pointless if only to say “Here are the councils in which the canon of Scripture was debated and established… but remember no early church council decided on the canon”. Yes they did! With God’s guidance they did decide on the canon of the Bible and it was not “simply a matter of God’s convincing His human followers which books should be included in the Bible”. That is not at all a simple task. Look at the tens of thousands of Protestant denominations who all have differing beliefs. There was great debate at the time about certain books that Church leaders believed should not have been in the Bible – like the book of Revelation. God didn’t compile the books and send a copy down to earth in a little parachute basket. He spoke to his Church and the Church recognized His voice. The interesting thing is that if the Church was prevented from error on the canon of the Bible, how could it then later become corrupt? If it’s possible that the Church who established the canon becomes corrupt, then is it possible that the canon of the Bible that was authoritatively defined by the Church is not the correct canon? That’s what Martin Luther thought. In fact, it was his influence that changed the canon of the Old Testament that Christians accepted for 1500 years (removing what he called “the Apocrypha”). Luckily, Martin Luther didn’t get his way with the New Testament books he wanted removed from the Bible. Otherwise, Protestants would have a different New Testament today and this would be a very different article.
#2 Catholicism is the Original Non-Denominational Church
Most people have no idea what the word Catholicism means. It comes from the Greek Catholicos which is sometimes spelt as Katholicos, or Katholikos, (καθολικός in the ancient Greek). It means “concerning the whole, general, or universal”. Universality means it is a fit for everyone. No one is excluded. So the Catholic Church can be translated as the universal Church, the Church for everyone, or even loosely as the original non-denominational Church (if you consider that non-denominational churches are themselves denominations since they don’t literally accept belief in anything or everything).
#1 Catholics are Christians
Every time I get the “Oh, you’re not a Christian. You’re a Catholic, right?” from a well-meaning Protestant I do a face palm. When I hear a Catholic say “I’m not a Christian. I’m Catholic” I do a double face palm. A Christian is a follower of Christ. There was no such thing as a non-Catholic Christian for the first one thousand years. Even after that Protestant Christianity didn’t come around until the 1500’s. Protestant Christianity normally can be thought of as non-Catholic Christians (Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, Non-denomination… etc). Although there are non-Catholic Christians that are not protestant like the Greek Orthodox. Simply put – Catholics are Christians because we are followers of Christ.