Page 564 - Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible Christianity. Based on the King James Bible

ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

To further illustrate the unbiblical status of Mary in the Bible as Lord and Saviour. What blasphemy it is to
popular Catholic practice, we quote from a common speak of fallen, mortal men or women as being IN ANY
Catholic prayer, “Hail, Holy Queen:” WAY equal with the eternal, sinless Son of God.
“Hail, holy queen, mother of mercy, our life, our 2. Mary was not sinless. She confessed her need of a
sweetness, and our hope. To you we cry, poor banished Saviour in Luke 1:47. If she were indeed “immaculate”
children of Eve; to you we sent up our sighs, mourning or sinless as the Catholic Church teaches, she would
and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, O most have had no need of a Saviour. The Bible says ALL have
gracious advocate, your eyes of mercy toward us, and sinned and come short of the glory of God (Ro. 3:23).
after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of The only exception mentioned in Scripture is the virgin
your womb, Jesus. O clement [gentle], O loving, O
sweet virgin Mary. Pray for us, O holy Mother of born Son of God. See Hebrews 7:26; 1 Peter 2:22. One
God” (Handbook for Today’s Catholic, p. 52). will look in vain in the Bible for a reference to Mary as
This is a very mild depiction of the Catholic Mary as immaculate and without original sin.
compared with many of the publications we could 3. Mary had other children after she bore Jesus. She
quote. In our library we have publications such as The was not a perpetual virgin (Mt. 13:55-56).
Mystery of the Rosary, Treatise on the True Devotion to the 4. The idea that Mary ascended to heaven bodily is a
Blessed Virgin, Queen of Peace, My Mother My Hope, and fable with no basis whatsoever in Scripture or history.
True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin. In these books, all of 5. In Scripture Mary is not exalted as she is in
which contain official Catholic imprimaturs, Mary is Catholic theology. In fact, there is not one mention of
presented as co-equal with the very Son of God Himself; Mary, the mother of Jesus, in all of the New Testament
Christ’s titles and offices are applied to Mary. epistles from Romans to Revelation! Yes, Mary was
One can witness firsthand the blasphemous attitude blessed above other women to have had the privilege of
toward Mary in popular Catholic devotion by visiting bringing the Saviour into the world; but this does not
the shrines dedicated to her name throughout the give us the right to let our imaginations run wild as
world. Catholic theologians have done in calling Mary the
In the Church of the Mother of God of Polish Martyrs Immaculate Queen of Heaven, etc.
in Warsaw, Poland, Mary is depicted hanging on the 6. Mary is not the mother of God. It is true that Jesus
cross holding the child Jesus. See http:// Christ is God the Son, and Mary was the mother of
wayoflife.worthyofpraise.org/fridaynews/pdf/ Jesus, but the New Testament does not call Mary the
2007/20070928.pdf mother of God. Jesus Christ, as God the Son, had no
Outside of the main Mary basilica in Rome (Santa beginning (Jn. 1:1). Christ as God had no mother or
Maria Maggiore) there is a large crucifix with Jesus beginning. It was only His human, earthly existence that
hanging on one side and a crowned Mary hanging on began in the womb of Mary. She is the mother of
the other. See http://www.wayoflife.org/fbns/in- Christ’s humanity, not His divinity. The Godhead has no
thefootsteps-bibletrans/index.html mother!
A plaque in the Chapel of the Virgin of the Grace at 7. To attribute any aspect of salvation to or to give
Saints Vincent and Anastasius Church in Rome says, any devotion to Mary is idolatry and an abomination
“Cardinal Benedetto Odescalchi, who became the pope before God. Mary is the Saviour’s human mother, but
with the name of Innocent XI, initiated THE WORSHIP she is not co-mediator, co-redeemer, etc. These titles are
OF THE IMAGE, placed on the altar in 1677, and utterly blasphemous when applied to Mary.
wanted his heart to be buried here, not in the main 8. The only mention of “queen of heaven” in the
chapel.” Bible refers, not to Mary, but to a heathen idol (Je.
Bible Answer: 44:18-19). The apostate Jews referred to the heathen
The following Bible truths refute these Catholic goddess they were worshiping as the queen of heaven.
dogmas regarding Mary. They stubbornly cleaved to this pagan goddess and
1. Jesus Christ is the ONLY mediator between God refused to turn from their apostasy. And just as these
apostate Old Testament people of God worshipped the
and men(Jn. 14:6; 1 Ti. 2:25; He. 1:1-3)! If these queen of heaven, so do apostate Christians have their
statements of Scripture are true, and we know they are, own queen of heaven—Mary of Catholicism! This is
there is no possibility that Mary, or Catholic saints, or another example of how Romanism has borrowed from
Roman popes and priests can stand between God and pagan, idolatrous customs.
men. In light of these verses, it is absolute apostasy and
wickedness to speak of Mary as being in any sense Error # 8—Degrees of sin
whatsoever co-redemptress or co-intercessor with The Roman Catholic Church divides sin into two
Christ. Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ alone, is exalted by degrees: mortal and venial. Mortal sin is said to be

564 Way of Life Encyclopedia of the Bible & Christianity