Romanist Mariology - part 2

who are they kidding... themselves?


971 - "The Church's devotion to the Blessed Virgin is intrinsic to Christian worship." The Church rightly honors "the Blessed Virgin with special devotion. From the most ancient times the Blessed Virgin has been honored with the title of 'Mother of God,' to whose protection the faithful fly in all their dangers and needs. . . . This very special devotion . . . differs essentially from the adoration which is given to the incarnate Word and equally to the Father and the Holy Spirit, and greatly fosters this adoration." The liturgical feasts dedicated to the Mother of God and Marian prayer, such as the rosary, an "epitome of the whole Gospel," express this devotion to the Virgin Mary. (Roman Catholic Catechism)


Romanists, when charged with worshiping Mary will quickly deny the charge. They will point to the phrase in the declaration above: "This very special devotion . . . differs essentially from the adoration which is given to the incarnate Word and equally to the Father and the Holy Spirit..." But please, Romanists, stop kidding yourselves:

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Fact # 1: As seen in this previous post, Romanists declare that Mary is the "Immaculate Conception", that is she was born without sin, and has been, throughout time and eternity, sinlessly perfect.


Fact # 2: Romanists throughout the world bow and kneel before idols representing the Virgin Mary and pray to her. An example of such prayers:

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
Holy Mary, mother of God,pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.

The first two phrases are actually from the Gospel of Luke, but don't let that fool you, the first phrase was spoken by the angel Gabriel when Mary was told what the Lord would do with her concerning the coming of our Lord, and the second phrase was spoken by Elizabeth, Mary's cousin, when she became aware, by the power of the Holy Ghost, that Mary was carrying the Son of God in the flesh. Neither phrases was meant to be a prayer or pattern unto prayer.

The last phrase, of course, is pure idolatry. Not only is Mary NOT the mother of God (as seen in a previous post), but nowhere in Scripture do we read of an intercessionary office ascribed to Mary. Rather, this office is solely attributed to Christ:

"Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." (Romans 8:34)


Fact # 3: Romanists sing praises to Mary; and notice, in this example, just how many attributes that the Scripture attributes to God and God only, which is here, attributed to Mary:

Daily, daily sing to Mary,
Sing, my soul, her praises due.
All her feasts, her actions worship
With the heart's devotion true.
Lost in wond'ring contemplation,
Be her Majesty confess'd.
Call her Mother, call her Virgin,
Happy Mother, Virgin blest.

She is mighty to deliver.
Call her, trust her lovingly.
When the tempest rages round thee,
She will calm the troubled sea.
Gifts of heaven she has given,
Noble Lady, to our race.
She, the Queen, who decks her subjects
With the light of God's own grace.

Sing, my tongue, the Virgin's trophies
Who for us her Maker bore.
For the curse of old inflicted,
Peace and blessing to restore.
Sing in songs of peace unending,
Sing the world's majestic Queen.
Weary not nor faint in telling.
All the gifts she gives to men. .


Fact # 4: Pope Pius XII declared the Mary was the Queen of Heaven and Earth. Strangely enough though, the Scriptures say nothing of a Queen of Heaven and Earth, just a King:

"Jesus answered, My KINGDOM is not of this world: if my KINGDOM were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my KINGDOM not from hence. Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a KING then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I AM A KING. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice." (John 18:36-37)


Fact # 5: Pope Pius IX... take it away!

"The foundation of ALL our confidence is found in the Blessed Virgin Mary. God has committed to HER the treasury of ALL good things, in order that everyone may know that through HER are obtained every hope, every grace, and ALL salvation. For this is His will: That we obtain everything through MARY."

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Now I could go on and on, but here's the gist of the matter, if you haven't already figured it out: Mary is given attributes and offices that the Scripture strictly give only to God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Mary is then adored and exalted for these. So how does this devotion differ from the adoration of the Living God? And an even more interesting question, if there really is a Romanist Mary, WHY IN THE WORLD WOULD SHE NOT BE WORTHY OF WORSHIP! I mean seriously: she's sinlessly perfect, co-redemptress, queen of Heaven, the provider of all good things... etc... etc. If God is to be worshiped for being and doing all these things, why not the Virgin Mary?

Romanists love to play with words like latria (which means the supreme worship, given to God alone), the dulia (which is a secondary veneration of "saints" and "angels"), and hyperdulia (which is a higher kind of veneration, offered specifically to the Virgin Mary). But in the end, it's all smoke-screen, for the Romanists lift up their version of Mary to the level of God, and then they adore her and exalt her in the same fashion as they would with God Himself. It is also noteworthy that in my many years as a Romanist, I was led to offer far more prayers to the Virgin Mary than to God (consider the Rosary: a Romanist will pray 2 "Lord's Prayer", 1 "Apostle's Creed", 2 "Glory be to the Father, and a whopping 13 Hail Marys).

The conclusion of the matter: Though they deny it wholeheartedly, there is no doubt that Romanist "devotion" to Mary is nothing short of worship. So what's the big deal about that? Why doesn't the Romanist just say: "yeah! I worship Mary the Queen of Heaven!" Why do they play on words instead? Simple.

"Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." (Matthew 4:10b)

You see, to boldly proclaim their obvious Mary-worship, Romanists would be at odds with this very clear teaching of Scripture; so absolutely clear, they really can't twist this one around, as they do with so many other passages. So instead, they make the word "worship" of absolutely no effect by replacing it with wicked inventions like latria, dulia and hyperdulia.

Romanist, you have broken the First Commandment of Moses by your worship of the so-called "Queen of Heaven", repent and be converted unto God, that your sin may be blotted out.


Rand

Labels: Romanism