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We don't worship Mary, but …
Roman Catholics in the US are quick to say that they don’t worship Mary. That said, the Vatican website provides the “Litany of Loreto.” The prayer states: Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy. Christ hear us. Christ graciously hear us. God, the Father of heaven, have mercy on us. God the Son,…
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The Novelty of Praying to the Dead
One kind reader sent me an email suggesting that describing prayers to the departed saints as “idolatrous” is a novelty in view of the testimony of Scripture. The term, “idolatrous,” is not the best word for the sin. Nevertheless, surely the novelty is the practice of praying to anyone but God. Attempts to contact the…
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Mary, Another Redeemer?
Roman Catholic Pope Francis weighed in on the debate over the question of whether Mary is a co-redemptrix (link to Vatican site): Christ is the Mediator, Christ is the bridge that we cross to turn to the Father (see Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2674). He is the only Redeemer: there are no co-redeemers with…
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"Behold Your Mother" by Tim Staples – a Review by TurretinFan
“Behold Your Mother,” by Tim Staples, “respectfully but clearly answers every conceivable Protestant objection to Mary, the Mother of God,” according to Mitch Pacwa. Of course, Protestants don’t object to Mary, but we understand he means the Marian dogmas of Roman Catholicism. Al Kresta, with unintentional irony, states that Tim “addresses objections I haven’t seen…
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Deeper Criticism of Francis' Typo Tweet
“Our Mother Mary is full of beauty because [s]he is full of grace.” – Francis of Rome via Twitter about a year ago. The typo (corrected with bracketed insertion) was amusing, but there’s a bigger problem. Who is more full of grace – Mary or Jesus? Yet of Jesus it is said “he hath no…
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Christ – Our Only Carer in John's Repose
In the apocryphal “Repose of St. John the Evangelist and Apostle” (found here), John is quoted as praying: Jesus is the one who plaited the crown with your own plaiting. The one who created the crown of all the saints and these many plants which transformed into people, yours is the flower which does not…
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The "Here I am" Girl or the "Where were you" Girl?
As reported by the Vatican Information Service, Benedict XVI stated (on 18 May 2012): Mary of Nazareth is the woman of a full and total “Here I am” to the divine will. In her “Yes”, repeated even when faced with the sorrow of the loss of her child, we find complete and profound beatitude”. A)…
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Quick Reply to "Mary is Jesus' Mother, So He'll Listen to her"
There’s a rather popular Roman Catholic argument that goes something like this: “Mary is Jesus’ mother. Jesus never sinned. The Fifth (fourth for RCs) Commandment is ‘Honor thy father and thy mother.’ Therefore, if Mary asks Jesus to do something for her, He’ll do it out of obedience to his mother.” But consider this: the…
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In Whom Do You Trust? Through Whom Does your Salvation Come?
Christians are those who follow Christ, who have faith in Christ for salvation. They ascribe to him power and glory, which they do not ascribe to any creature. They have one mediator, as it is written: 1 Timothy 2:5-6For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who…
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Lourdes and other "Worthy of Belief" Fictions
Louis asked: But does your church believe this story [the story of “St. Philomena”] is true? Or are they saying that even if this vision [revelation that Maria Luisa di Gesù, a Roman Catholic nun, claimed she received] is a delusional lie (a false sign or wonder), then it is still “not contrary to the…