Question Details	Asked By	Asked On
How do you remove rhetoric from reality?	paraclete	04/05/05
I'm greatly disturbed by a statement I just witnessed on the PBS program "newshour" An american female was being interviewed regarding the Late Pope and she said "we know he will always be there and we can pray to him" Surely catholics dont equate the Pope to God, to Christ, don't think he now has any ability to answer prayer, surely the catholic church has moved on from this nonsense of saints as intercessors
Clarification/Follow-up by arcura on 04/06/05 12:07 am: Paraclete, Do you mean to tell me that if some loved one asked you to pray for them you would not? Think about that a minute. Being a Christian you are a saint, right? Of course. Well then ..... To ask or request is to pray. Even in court cases that asks for a settlement the terminology is pray, "The plaintiff prays for $_____." If I request something from you, Saint Paraclete, I am praying to you. People around the world pray to saints here on earth and in the hereafter. It's called "The communion of Saints" which has been a part of Christianity for 2000 years. My prayer to you is that you try to understand that. Peace and kindness, Fred
Answered By		Answered On
arcura		04/05/05
Happy to inform you that Catholics still revere the saints. They are our brothers and sisters who have gone home before us. Yes we can ask them to pray to God for us. Jesus is the one intercessor to God the Father, but you and I can be intercessors for others to Him. Every time you pray for someone for God's help for some reason you are an intercessor. God told Job's friends to ask Job to pray for them because he was more righteous than were they. Jesus tells us that the saints are not dead! God is God of the living both here and in the hereafter, not the god of the dead, that's Satan. If people believe that John Paul II is now a saint they believe he can hear them and will pray to God for them just as he did in the mortal world here. Who is to say he is not a saint now? Even so, God hears all prayers, even those to the saints. And I'm sure that He is OK with that. Why? Because those saints are a part of God’s glory. They are the ones that help set the example for us on how to tread the road home to God during this life. Praying to and asking Saints to pray for us is glorying God in two ways for His success in bringing us home. God's love, understanding, peace and kindness to you, Fred

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