Praying to JP2

[Katiethemule]

Hello friends,

I read an article recently on the National Catholic Register about an investigation regarding a potential miracle attributed to JP2 which would accelerate his canonization.

Apparently, a South American Catholic prayed to JP2 and asked him to heal his Parkinson’s. He was sub-sequentially healed and attributes this miracle to our former Pope. I am confused as to how this prayer fits into Catholic doctrine. When we pray to the saints, we are asking for their intercession. Praying, “JP2, please heal my parkinson’s” isn’t exactly a call for intercession, such as “JP2, please pray that God would heal my disease”.

Is it acceptable to go beyond the initial prayer for intercession, and ask for specific and divine** intervention**? I realize it is tricky because if JP2 actually healed this man, it was not of his own doing, but through the power of Christ in Him. So where is the line? Or perhaps it is easier to flip the question around, and ask, “what is prohibited in our prayers to saints”?

Thanks!

 

[wcknight]

ALL power and glory comes from the Father. Praying 'to a saint" does NOT mean that, that saint has power apart from the Almighty. SO even though we may ask a saint for a favor or healing, that does not mean we are bypassing the Almighty,

 

[marlap2]

In this case, I believe that it is a matter of semantics, or a lack of understanding of the language. Every good Catholic that I know who prays novenas, or asks for the intercessions of the saints knows very well who the Master, Healer, Author of Miracles and Creator is, (GOD!) however, sometimes in our haste in prayer we may formulate the words improperly. Our hearts are in order, our tongues may be confused.

As well, this is a South American speaking to an English reporter who may have misquoted him. I work for a newspaper and this is not uncommon.

There’s not a Catholic worth his weight in blessed salt who misunderstands this, but unfortunately there’s a ton of non-catholics who will say to this statement, “oh, look, here they go again, praying to people…” sigh.

 

[Mumbles140]

I agree with the other responders. Even if the man ‘prayed to Blessed (is that his current ‘status’?) Pope John Paul II for healing’, as a Catholic, he would know that he was asking the deceased Pope to take on his cause and intercede for him to God.

I remember reading “Cities of the Plain” by Cormac McCarthy, which is the last book of the Border Trilogy. In it, while discussing Mexico in the mid-1900s, he talks about in Mexico, it seems there is no God, only the Virgin Mary. While this is separate from the point he was making, I think it illustrates that some people see devotions to Mary as worship - but for Catholics who have a real understanding of Mary’s role in salvation, they see devotions to Mary only strengthen our devotion to God.

Picture it this way - God hears our voices from the gates of Heaven all the way down to Earth, but how much clearer is the voice of Mary and the saints, who carry our prayers to Him?