Why did Pope St. Zachary condemn the veneration of Uriel?

[Nanotwerp]

“At the Council of Rome of 745, Pope St. Zachary, intending to clarify the Church’s teaching on the subject of angels and curb a tendency toward angel worship, condemned obsession with angelic intervention and angelolatry, but reaffirmed the approval of the practice of the reverence of angels. This synod struck many angels’ names from the list of those eligible for veneration in the Church of Rome, including Uriel. Only the reverence of the archangels mentioned in the recognized Catholic canon of scriptures, Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, remained licit.”

I’m thinking about Uriel being my patron saint, but I don’t know if I can or not. I don’t get why Pope Zachary removed Uriel from the saint veneration list, if Eastern Catholics still venerate him. Was the condemnation only for the Roman Rite? If so, I don’t understand why? Can someone enlighten me?

 

[Vico]

“At the Council of Rome of 745, Pope St. Zachary, intending to clarify the Church’s teaching on the subject of angels and curb a tendency toward angel worship, condemned obsession with angelic intervention and angelolatry, but reaffirmed the approval of the practice of the reverence of angels. This synod struck many angels’ names from the list of those eligible for veneration in the Church of Rome, including Uriel. Only the reverence of the archangels mentioned in the recognized Catholic canon of scriptures, Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, remained licit.”

I’m thinking about Uriel being my patron saint, but I don’t know if I can or not. I don’t get why Pope Zachary removed Uriel from the saint veneration list, if Eastern Catholics still venerate him. Was the condemnation only for the Roman Rite? If so, I don’t understand why? Can someone enlighten me?

Just apocryphal. There is a list of nine from Revelation of Esdras.

(Douay Rheims) Tobias 12
15 For I am the angel Raphael, one of the seven, who stand before the Lord.
Haydock commentary:
Raphael. We know also the names of Michael and Gabriel. All others are apocryphal; such as Uriel, Saltiel, Jeadriel, Barachiel, &c.

— Seven. This number is clearly specified by S. John, Apoc. i. 4. A mass in their honour was approved by Pius IV. It is supposed that the seven deacons in the Church of Rome, and of Jerusalem, were instituted in imitation of them. The kings, Assuerus, &c. had seven chief officers. Est. i. 10. C.

— Lord, ready to fulfil his orders, as innumerable other angels, of inferior degree, are likewise. M. Dan. vii. 10.

— These were the princes of the heavenly court. S. Jerom (con. Jovin.) admits only seven orders of angels. C.

— Gr. “I am Raphael, one of the seven holy angels who offer up the prayers of the saints, and go out before the glory of the Holy One. And they were both troubled,” &c. (H.) at so unusual a thing, (M.) and filled with reverential awe. H.

— They might also suspect that death would shortly follow. C. Gen. xvi. 13

 

[Nanotwerp]

Just apocryphal. There is a list of nine from Revelation of Esdras.

(Douay Rheims) Tobias 12
15 For I am the angel Raphael, one of the seven, who stand before the Lord.
Haydock commentary:
Raphael. We know also the names of Michael and Gabriel. All others are apocryphal; such as Uriel, Saltiel, Jeadriel, Barachiel, &c.

— Seven. This number is clearly specified by S. John, Apoc. i. 4. A mass in their honour was approved by Pius IV. It is supposed that the seven deacons in the Church of Rome, and of Jerusalem, were instituted in imitation of them. The kings, Assuerus, &c. had seven chief officers. Est. i. 10. C.

— Lord, ready to fulfil his orders, as innumerable other angels, of inferior degree, are likewise. M. Dan. vii. 10.

— These were the princes of the heavenly court. S. Jerom (con. Jovin.) admits only seven orders of angels. C.

— Gr. “I am Raphael, one of the seven holy angels who offer up the prayers of the saints, and go out before the glory of the Holy One. And they were both troubled,” &c. (H.) at so unusual a thing, (M.) and filled with reverential awe. H.

— They might also suspect that death would shortly follow. C. Gen. xvi. 13

Yeah, but I don’t understand why the rites aren’t united in who is real and is a saint or not. Does the Pope only speak for the Roman Rite?!

 

[Elizium23]

Nanotwerp: are you Eastern Catholic or are you a member of the Latin Church?

 

[asia53]

Pope Zachary condemned it, because he saw a rising cultural trend of “angel-worship”. So he restricted intercession to only the three mentioned in Scripture explicitly: St. Michael, St. Gabriel and St. Raphael.

This quote is from another thread on archangels, specifically about Uriel.

In the Book of Enoch, Uriel is presented as a “knowledge-giver”. Problem is, a lot of the knowledge he gives is in what can be called “magical spells”. For this reason, you’ll hear his name invoked in a lot of Wiccan spells.

 

[Vico]

Yeah, but I don’t understand why the rites aren’t united in who is real and is a saint or not. Does the Pope only speak for the Roman Rite?!

The Congregation for the Cause of Saints has competence in all Catholic ritual churches so they are now using the 1983 formal process of canonization. In the eastern churches glorification has historically been a matter or consensus. As a result of that consensus the liturgies may mention certain saints and so there are established ancient lists of memorials. The liturgies including certain saints, are approved for use by the Catholic hierarchy so it is legitimate.

 

[celestialhost]

Oddly enough the Anglicans retain Saint Uriel. I’d be interested to know how he has remained canonical for them.