Do Catholics have to pray to Mary?

[twf]

Catholics believe this as well. Popes and saints down through the centuries have strongly encouraged devotion to the Virgin and to the saints… but what we are talking about here are obligations, as in the minimum required by us to remain Catholics in good standing. Private prayer is certainly necessary to advance in holiness. Devotion to Mary certainly is a huge part of that… but outside of the Liturgy, the Church doesn’t bind the faithful to a particular prayer routine.

 

[godisgood77]

Think propers on Marian feasts rather than the ordinary of the Mass

A link would be helpful

as in the minimum required by us to remain Catholics in good standing

I really don’t believe anyone is advocating for doing the minimum … this is simply a matter of clarity… if you read through the topic, you will find that, save a few folks, people are just talking nerdy about their beliefs. I don’t think anyone who believes in the Immaculate Conception, the Assumption, the Virgin Birth and the Divine Motherhood aa doing the minimum… that is quite a lot

 

[JimG]

Making Peace with the Mediatrix

 

[KMG]

Nobody said worship. The topic is prayers to Mary, which these are.

 

[Trader]

I have a hard time understanding how people so misunderstand the Church’s doctrine of the communion of saints, unless they have deeply ingrained Protestant errors.

If your children were sick, would you pray for them? If your answer is no, I have nothing else to say. If yes, then why? They don’t need your prayers; they can go directly to God themselves, can’t they?

This is what Catholics do; we pray for each other, and we ask others to pray for us. This is not optional because we are all united by baptism, including all those on earth, purgatory, and heaven. If you believe God hears and answers the prayers of people like you and me, how much more will he hear the prayers of those in heaven who have already been perfected? Mary, the virgin mother of God, is first among all the saints, but is much more like her fellow human beings than she is her son, who is, was and always will be a divine being.

We know from scripture that Jesus was obedient to his mother when he was 12 and was found teaching in the temple. He consented to her mere suggestion at the wedding in Cana. If you reject the communion of saints, you have already separated yourself from the Church, but just like the prodigal son, the father greatly desires that you return.

 

[Don_Ruggero]

I have been told by my priest that we are not required to pray to Mary per the church. It is always recommended to do so, but never a requirement.

I have asked on another Catholic forum a couple years back and they verified that it is not a requirement to do so. When looking online I have found nothing that states we are required to do so, encouraged, but not required.

It sounds like you have a very wise and good priest who is providing you with pastoral care. He is giving you the better counsel, @lonegreywolf20. And you are correct in rejecting what you have encountered from anonymous lay people on this forum which has run afoul of what your priest has told you.

He is, moreover, quite correct in what he has told you.

 

[Don_Ruggero]

I have no personal issue with praying to Mary but do have a problem when people say it is required when I do not believe it is s I think it may turn off potential converts.

We need to state what the Church actually teaches and not place burdens on people.

Precisely.

 

[KMG]

But it is “required” in the sense that there are prayers to Mary in the liturgy.

 

[Don_Ruggero]

Actually, it does allow me that choice. I am given that choice according to my priest and I am going to believe him over some person on the internet.

Again, you are absolutely correct to follow the counsel of your own parish priest and ignore those on anonymous forums who counsel otherwise.

In fact, the rules of this forum are very explicit in directing those responding not to give advice that is contrary to proper authorities, including the parish priest.

Do not offer or solicit medical, psychiatric, or legal advice. Do not give advice that is contrary to civil law. Do not give advice to a minor that opposes the instruction of a parent or legal guardian. All such discussions should be directed to the proper authorities: parents, guardians, therapists, parish priests, or primary care providers.

If you find yourself being harassed or the object of an agenda poster, you should contact the forum’s moderators to ask them to intervene in your behalf and to take corrective action. This is also articulated in the forum’s rules.

 

[KMG]

Don Ruggero, nobody on this thread gave medical, psychiatric, or legal advice. Nobody contravened civil law. Nobody gave advice to a minor. So your post about forum rules is irrelevant to this thread.

 

[Don_Ruggero]

Don Ruggero, nobody on this thread gave medical, psychiatric, or legal advice. Nobody contravened civil law. Nobody gave advice to a minor. So your post about forum rules is irrelevant to this thread.

No.

The poster has told you that he is acting under the direction of his parish priest. That authority trumps yours in every way – and the forum rules require you to acknowledge the superior authority of the priest who has cura animarum for the poster you have attacked.

 

[KMG]

I did not “attack” the poster. That is inflammatory language and a false accusation.

The forum rules do not require complete assent to the advice every parish priest gives, and they do not require that one refrain from any criticism of said advice.

The point remains, the liturgy is replete with prayers to the Virgin Mary. The poster in question said he regularly refuses to say the Confiteor because it has a prayer to the Virgin Mary.

That is a problem for Catholics…and it is a problem a priest cannot erase by saying it is okay not to pray a Mass prayer you disagree with on principle.

But again, nobody gave medical, psychiatric, or legal, etc. advice.

A reasonable person might argue that you are deliberately seeking to have people banned who disagree with you.

 

[Don_Ruggero]

I am going to leave this thread now as it is going round and round in circles.

I bid you all fair well.

This came up right after I hit send on my last post, so I am going to respond.

If this is the case, then I guess I should move on and find a different denomination, because if its as you said, I cannot remain Catholic.

I am very sorry to read this – and your other posts – as well as the appeals of others to try to help you and to make the attacks upon you stop. I am very sorry you did not reach out to @cawebmaster or @camoderator. As the forum rules state:

Moderators have special authority; they are responsible for this forum. But so are you. With your help, moderators can be community facilitators, not just janitors or police.

When you see bad behavior, don’t reply. It encourages the bad behavior by acknowledging it, consumes your energy, and wastes everyone’s time. Just flag it. If enough flags accrue, action will be taken, either automatically or by moderator intervention.

They are explicit in stating that other members interacting with you must

Always Be Civil

And also:

Don’t harass or grief anyone

If you are still following this, @lonegreywolf20, you should disregard anything said here which is contrary to what your parish priest directs. He together with the Bishop who is over him are the ones who have the care of your soul and the ones to make provision for you and your spiritual needs. No one else.

 

[CilladeRoma]

Yes, you are attacking anyone who disagrees with you and you are not actually listening to those who disagree with you.

There is a huge difference between prayers in the liturgy and have a special devotion to a particular Saint.

We are talking about, personal, private devotion of Mary, outside of the liturgical worship (Mass &LOTH).

While a laudable practice, it is not a requirement for any Catholic to have a personal, private devotion to Mary.

That does not mean that one does not believe what the Church teaches, Dogmatically, about Mary. It means that while I honor and am grateful to her for her fiat, devotion to her, in any special way, whatever that may be is not required of me or any Catholic.

To say anything else is to be forwarding an agenda.

 

[KMG]

Again, the issue here that I have posted about is not devotions outside Mass. It is the question of whether one may freely omit prayers of the Mass and liturgy one doesn’t agree with…in this case, prayers to Mary. The poster in question admitted he refuses to pray the Confiteor. I simply stated the truth: that is a problem for Catholics. The poster in question said he would rather leave the Church than be expected to recite prayers like the Confiteor. That is a problem, and it is a problem a parish priest cannot simply erase by saying it’s okay to omit prayers of the Mass one disagrees with.

 

[adgloriam]

@Don_Ruggero I have witnessed on CAF a heavy tendency (a need) predominantly from US Catholics to dismiss Marian devotions. I can appreciate the overwhelming difficulty of comprehending Fátima due to its complexity. It is easier, no doubt, to circumvent Marian devotions.

There is however, an animosity. And the presentation of Our Lord at the temple brought various threads debating Marian devotions.

I would simply say, that both seasoned catholic lay, and prospecting converts are reflecting what is partwise also an anti-Marian mindset with possible protestant influence at its origin (reflecting in this the religious composition of their country).

One has to equate, that Marian apparitions are a powerful force of conversion, and the pertaining devotion and apologetic are relevant. The opposite, coming from Catholics -a rashness to dismiss Marian devotions as irrelevant- seems somewhat exaggerated and a product of specific social/religious pressure they themselves suffer.

I do believe Father, when I practice First Saturday Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I am contributing to reparation for indifference and hate incited against Our Lady.

Yes, to the best of my knowledge, we are only required to believe the dogmas…

 

[Don_Ruggero]

Yes, to the best of my knowledge, we are only required to believe the dogmas…

Which the poster has said he has given the assent of faith to.

The matter is for his parish priest to make disposition for – and apparently he has.

 

[KMG]

The intercessory efficacy of the Virgin is a dogma of the faith to which Catholics must assent.

Lex orandi, lex credendi. The liturgy contains prayers that reflect this dogma.

Catholics cannot refuse IN PRINCIPLE to pray to Mary.

 

[lonegreywolf20]

I am still receiving emails regarding replies to this thread and it was nice to read yours this morning. I was not aware that I could report them as I was starting to believe that I was in the wrong.

Thank you!

 

[lonegreywolf20]

I am unable to message you so I will go ahead and ask here.

As far as the Confiteor goes, my priest says that I do not have to pray it because it does have Mary and the saints in it, is this correct as well?

He said I could pray another prayer instead.

If I must, then I will do so, but in was going by what my priest said I am able to do and rejecting what lay people were saying as I believe my priest to have the authority to know what I can and cannot do better than a lay person.