From Father Joe: Do Catholics Worship Statues?
Do Catholics Worship Statues?
“Catholics worships statues!” People still make this very silly accusation. These accusations come from a very ignorant understanding of scripture and tradition. When God commanded that we do not worship false idols He did not say that we are not to have religious images, in fact He commands that religious images be used in religious context, “And you shall make two cherubim of gold [i.e., two gold statues of angels]; of hammered work shall you make them, on the two ends of the mercy seat. Make one cherub on the one end, and one cherub on the other end; of one piece of the mercy seat shall you make the cherubim on its two ends. The cherubim shall spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings, their faces one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubim be” (Ex. 25:18–20).
So why do we as Catholics have statues in our homes and churches and why do we honor these statues? One reason is to help people focus with a visual reminder of our faith, to remember not to be too bogged down in earthly worries but to remember the spiritual goods we long for. We also have statues to honor the saints and to help focus our prayers, an image of a saint can help us grow in deeper friendship with that holy friend.
The best way to think of it is why do we have pictures of our loved ones in our home or in our place of work? We have these images to encourage us when we are low and to lift our spirits and help us to remember that we are grateful for the good people in our lives. This is why the Church has and honors statues, and why we should also have images in our homes to foster deeper devotion and prayer in our daily lives.
In Christ,
Fr. Joe Connelly