Catholic Idolotry

[TimOliv]

I was reading up on the miracles that some attribute to Audrey Santo

littleaudreysanto.org/

And I came across something that is just a wee bit disturbing. I found posted on a few websites a “Prayer to Little Audrey”

A prayer to little Audrey:

Oh wonderful little Audrey on whom God has deigned
to prove His love for the innocent and pure of heart by
indelibly stamping His seal of salvation on you for our
sanctification and salvation. I-We beg you to intercede
for us poor sinners for the grace and courage to bear
whole-heartedly whatever cross God has chosen for us
before the foundation of the world. Your silence is more
eloquent than a thousand words. Your sufferings and
resignation to His holy will is a soothing balm for the
wounds of Jesus and His cross, so despised and rejected
in these days of darkness. Amen.

How exactly does one conclude that we are permitted to pray to living persons in the same we pray to canonized saints? This kind of thing makes me realize how much we need to reform some of the Catechism programs in this country.

 

[Genesis315]

I don’t think it’s idolatry. This is no different than asking a saint for intercession or asking a friend on earth for intercession. The problem here is simply that someone still on earth can only hear prayer requests through natural means. It’s just pointless and misguided, but I don’t see it as some sort of grave sin.

 

[TimOliv]

I don’t think it’s idolatry. This is no different than asking a saint for intercession or asking a friend on earth for intercession. The problem here is simply that someone still on earth can only hear prayer requests through natural means. It’s just pointless and misguided, but I don’t see it as some sort of grave sin.

Well, it was seen as serious enough for the Bishop of Worcester to order it be ceased immediately. And actually, it IS different from praying to a saint for intercession. Saints, we know, are in heaven and are capable of praying for us.

And as for asking someone to pray for us, yes, we can ask a living person to pray for us, but praying to that person is completely inappropriate. Otherwise I would think prayers to the Pope would be acceptable.

 

[lizaanne]

None of the links seem to work on that site - who is this person?

~Liza

 

[lizaanne]

Ok - I finally got in. Hmmm - I’m skeptical.

And I don’t feel the prayer in the OP is appropriate. It just seems a bit misplaced somehow.

~Liza

 

[YADA]

I have no knowledge of this particular person and / or whether this amounts to idolatry…

This may just be semantics but if you ask some one to ask God for a favor for you [to interceed in your life] it is the same as if you ***prayed ***that the person pray to God on your behalf.

Pray means to ask, intreat, implore

see Webster’s Online dictionary:

m-w.com/dictionary/pray

I think you maybe confusing the action of praying with the action of worship. To pray to a person is not worship. You can pray to Go or pray to your next door neighbor. One might address the prayer differently from one to the other. One might expect a different response from God than from your neighbor but… : )

 

[TimOliv]

It is still completely inappropriate to be praying to living people as if they were canonized saints. Period.

 

[YADA]

I am not exactly sure what you mean exactly by ‘praying to living people’ as if they were canonized. If you mean extolling their virtues in your request that they intercede and/or praying to them in absentia [as in not directly requesting their intercession], then I agree.

In times of distress when seperated from my spouse I have been known to send prayers to God and prayers to husband seeking his intercession for me… Don’t always know that it works but we are ‘joined as one’ and it always makes me feel better :>)

 

[Catherine_Grant]

The initial post to this thread is based on an unapproved private revelation, which is a banned topic. The generic question of whether living people can be prayed to could be discussed in a new thread in Apologetics.

Thank you to all who participated. This thread is now closed.