We don't pray to Mary to forgive our sins. We never have and never will. We pray to ASK for her intercession on our behalf and to pray for us, because prayers from the incredibly faithful are extremely powerful. This is also why we ask others who are more holy than us here on earth to also pray for us.
Edit * And by the way, prayer is NOT worship. Learn the difference. Pray in its original sense means "to ask" not "to worship."
Dulia. This is the honor and recognition which we accord to the saints. Perhaps they died as martyrs rather than deny God; or they worked great miracles, since their friendship with God meant that He granted their prayers for healing or restoration; or they simply, as Therese of Lisieux, lived holiness in their own “little way.”
Hyperdulia. This is, to put it simply, lots and lots of dulia. This is the very special honor we accord to Mary, the Mother of God.
Latria. This is true worship, and is given only to God. St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church, writing in his Summa Theologiae (II-II, q. 103, a. 4; III, q. 25, a. 5), explained: “In more technical terms used by the Tradition to draw this important distinction, devotion to Mary belongs to the veneration of dulia, or the homage and honor owed to the saints, both angelic and human in heaven, and not to latria, or the adoration and worship that can be given only to the Triune God and the Son incarnate. Because of her unique relationship to Christ in salvation history, however, the special degree of devotion due to Mary has traditionally been called hyperdulia. While latria is owed to her Son by reason of unity of his divine and human natures in the Person of the Word made flesh, hyperdulia is due to Mary as truly his Mother.”
We only ask God and Jesus for forgiveness. Also, how can you know your sins are forgiven if you just tell God directly? You can't hear Him say "Your sins are forgiven" so HOW do you know? This is why we have priests who act in Persona Christi. They can say "You are absolved of your sins" if you've confessed properly and are truly sorry for them and plan to do better.
But whatever, ALL of this will go over your head and you'll call me a pagan or Mary worshiper or whatever else prots say. Let it begin I guess.
You can't hear Him say "Your sins are forgiven" so HOW do you know? This is why we have priests who act in Persona Christi. They can say "You are absolved of your sins" if you've confessed properly
OK as long as you understand this is complete bullshit invented by the Catholic Church to control your soul. Priests are not ABLE to stand in for Christ. Moreover, you don't NEED any human holding himself out as "holier than thou" to intercede with God on your behalf or speak for God and grant your forgiveness.
You don't need some pedo faggot in a black frock to "SAY" you are absolved of your sins if you believe God likes to forgive and that he hears and answers prayer. You don't NEED to "hear" a human voice say "You are forgiven;" it's just your earthly internal self-doubting human voice making you think you need that.
Your faith informs you that, of COURSE you are forgiven by an all-loving God who just heard your fervent, honest prayer.
You don't. Need. A priest. To tell you. You're forgiven.
Stop whining. Here's my answer, can you read this much?
Why Confess Our Sins To a Priest?
Through the sacrament of reconciliation, and by confession our sins to a priest, we have the assurance of Jesus’ own words that we shall be forgiven of our sins.
This is especially true for mortal or very grave sins. Isn’t it true that when we sin gravely, we find it difficult to believe that we can still be forgiven of our sins? Isn’t it true that our human nature somehow finds comfort in actually hearing the words that we are indeed forgiven them no matter how terrible such sins may have been? By confessing our sins to a priest, we are given a vehicle by which we can be comforted in our guilt. We are given an opportunity to personally witness how God’s mercy works. And we know we can believe that with wholehearted repentance, we are indeed forgiven because we have the promise of Jesus Himself.
“When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples therefore were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus therefore said to them again, “Peace be to you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.” When he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit! If you forgive anyone’s sins, they have been forgiven them. If you retain anyone’s sins, they have been retained.’” — John 20:20–23, WEB-BE
“And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” — Matthew 18:17–18, KJV
Catechism of the Catholic Church 1445 states: “The words bind and loose mean: whomever you exclude from your communion, will be excluded from communion with God; whomever you receive anew into your communion, God will welcome back into his. Reconciliation with the Church is inseparable from reconciliation with God.”
“Is any amongst you suffering? Let him pray. Is any cheerful? Let him sing praises. Is any amongst you sick? Let him call for the elders of the assembly, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith will heal him who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The insistent prayer of a righteous person is powerfully effective.” — James 5:13–16, WEBBE
Confessing our sins to a priest helps us develop HUMILITY.
To humbly admit our sins to another is to overcome our self-righteousness and self-sufficiency.
Knowing that we shall need to confess our sins to a priest may help us avoid falling into them ever so easily.
It is one thing to say that we can directly confess our sins to God since we do not see Him nor do we tremble at His presence. It is another thing to know that we need to declare our unrighteousness before another man. We need to be reminded of God’s justice. How would it feel like at the end of our lives, when we finally come before the judgment seat of God where we can hide nothing and make no more excuses for our sins?
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is a channel of God’s mercy. If we ever lose the life of our soul through mortal sin, it is here where it can be restored back to life.
Catechism of the Catholic Church 1446 states: “Christ instituted the sacrament of Penance for all sinful members of his Church: above all for those who, since Baptism, have fallen into grave sin, and have thus lost their baptismal grace and wounded ecclesial communion. It is to them that the sacrament of Penance offers a new possibility to convert and to recover the grace of justification. The Fathers of the Church present this sacrament as ‘the second plank [of salvation] after the shipwreck which is the loss of grace.’”
We don't pray to Mary to forgive our sins. We never have and never will. We pray to ASK for her intercession on our behalf and to pray for us, because prayers from the incredibly faithful are extremely powerful. This is also why we ask others who are more holy than us here on earth to also pray for us.
Edit * And by the way, prayer is NOT worship. Learn the difference. Pray in its original sense means "to ask" not "to worship."
We only ask God and Jesus for forgiveness. Also, how can you know your sins are forgiven if you just tell God directly? You can't hear Him say "Your sins are forgiven" so HOW do you know? This is why we have priests who act in Persona Christi. They can say "You are absolved of your sins" if you've confessed properly and are truly sorry for them and plan to do better.
But whatever, ALL of this will go over your head and you'll call me a pagan or Mary worshiper or whatever else prots say. Let it begin I guess.
OK as long as you understand this is complete bullshit invented by the Catholic Church to control your soul. Priests are not ABLE to stand in for Christ. Moreover, you don't NEED any human holding himself out as "holier than thou" to intercede with God on your behalf or speak for God and grant your forgiveness.
You don't need some pedo faggot in a black frock to "SAY" you are absolved of your sins if you believe God likes to forgive and that he hears and answers prayer. You don't NEED to "hear" a human voice say "You are forgiven;" it's just your earthly internal self-doubting human voice making you think you need that.
Your faith informs you that, of COURSE you are forgiven by an all-loving God who just heard your fervent, honest prayer.
You don't. Need. A priest. To tell you. You're forgiven.
You just are.
Stop whining. Here's my answer, can you read this much?
Why Confess Our Sins To a Priest?
This is especially true for mortal or very grave sins. Isn’t it true that when we sin gravely, we find it difficult to believe that we can still be forgiven of our sins? Isn’t it true that our human nature somehow finds comfort in actually hearing the words that we are indeed forgiven them no matter how terrible such sins may have been? By confessing our sins to a priest, we are given a vehicle by which we can be comforted in our guilt. We are given an opportunity to personally witness how God’s mercy works. And we know we can believe that with wholehearted repentance, we are indeed forgiven because we have the promise of Jesus Himself.
“And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” — Matthew 18:17–18, KJV
Catechism of the Catholic Church 1445 states: “The words bind and loose mean: whomever you exclude from your communion, will be excluded from communion with God; whomever you receive anew into your communion, God will welcome back into his. Reconciliation with the Church is inseparable from reconciliation with God.”
To humbly admit our sins to another is to overcome our self-righteousness and self-sufficiency.
It is one thing to say that we can directly confess our sins to God since we do not see Him nor do we tremble at His presence. It is another thing to know that we need to declare our unrighteousness before another man. We need to be reminded of God’s justice. How would it feel like at the end of our lives, when we finally come before the judgment seat of God where we can hide nothing and make no more excuses for our sins?
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is a channel of God’s mercy. If we ever lose the life of our soul through mortal sin, it is here where it can be restored back to life.
Catechism of the Catholic Church 1446 states: “Christ instituted the sacrament of Penance for all sinful members of his Church: above all for those who, since Baptism, have fallen into grave sin, and have thus lost their baptismal grace and wounded ecclesial communion. It is to them that the sacrament of Penance offers a new possibility to convert and to recover the grace of justification. The Fathers of the Church present this sacrament as ‘the second plank [of salvation] after the shipwreck which is the loss of grace.’”
::reads "Stop whining. Here's my answer, can you read this much?"::
::laughs, scrolls past Great Wall of Text, moves on::