THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND SAINTS

THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND SAINTS

Catholics do not worship the Saints.

As the terminology of Christian theology developed over many years, the Greek term latria came to be used to refer to the honor that is due to God alone, and the term dulia came to refer to the honor that is due to human beings, especially those who lived and died in God’s friendship—in other words, the saints.

Scripture indicates that honor is due to these individuals (Matt. 10:41). A special term was coined to refer to the special honor given to the Virgin Mary, who bore Jesus—God in the flesh—in her womb. This term, hyperdulia (huper [more than]+dulia = "beyond dulia"), indicates that the honor due to her as Christ’s own Mother is more than the dulia given to other saints. It is greater in degree, but still of the same kind. However, since Mary is a finite creature, the honor she is due is fundamentally different in kind from the latria owed to the infinite Creator.

All of these terms—latria, dulia, hyperdulia—are basically lumped under the one English word "worship."

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"STAY WITH US, LORD" (Luke 24:29)

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