Do Catholics Worship Mary?

The Catholic Claim That Mary Is Not Worshiped

If you ask why Roman Catholics worship Mary, the mother of Jesus, the Catholic apologists will tell you they don't worship Mary.

When people ask me why do Catholics worship Mary, the first answer I have to say is, we don't worship Mary.

Why do Catholics worship Mary? Obviously the answer is, we don't.

Catechism of the Catholic Church in section 971 says it is an essential part of Christian worship to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary. And say, what? Of Christian worship? Really? Now, it doesn't mean we worship Mary.

Absolutely not.

Marian Devotion, Veneration, and the Appearance of Worship

Well, here is the Pope kissing statues and portraits of Mary in reverence. Here he is burning incense to a likeness of Mary. Here he is bowing and praying before these likenesses. Catholic sources say he prays to Mary.

How are these things not worship? Here are people bowing to images of Mary and appearing to pray to them. Praying the rosary involves more prayer to Mary than to God. Here is a massive parade on a religious feast day dedicated to Mary with a portrait of her in front of the procession.

Here is another Marian parade, and another, and another. They sing songs to her, they write psalms to her, they burn candles to her. They will say this isn't worship, it's veneration. But really, what's the difference?

Mary, Divine Attributes, and the Title Queen of Heaven

They ascribe to Mary divine characteristics like omnipresence, believing she can hear them from anywhere and grant requests. They claim she was without sin when Jesus said, No one is good but God alone.

She makes appearances, foretells the future, and does miracles. They give her divine names like Queen of Heaven. The only place that title appears in the Bible is in Jeremiah, for an idol. In Exodus 20, 3 through 5, God says, You shall have no other gods before me.

You shall not make for yourself a carved image or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them.

When we understand the text.