Praying to people outside the Trinity

Question

I understand that the Roman Catholic church direct some prayers to Mary, the mother of Jesus. For me it would be strange to address my prayers to anyone outside the Holy Trinity. Do Catholics pray to any other individuals other than God?

Is praying 'to' individuals other than God widely practised in any other denomination? If so, who do they pray to and why?

Answer 1

The phrase "pray to" confuses most people as it gives the impression that anyone who asks a saint to "pray for" them is actually praying to the saint as if he/she was God. This isn't true and is probably an artifact of language.

The word "pray" also has the meaning to "make an earnest petition" so Catholics, and, I think, other Christians, call upon any saint, past or present, to pray for us.

Just as I might ask my friends to pray for me I might also ask a saint in Heaven to pray for me.

Answer 2

First off, it's useful to understand that Catholics (and that's Roman or Eastern Catholic, and, for that matter Eastern Orthodox) do not pray to the saints, so much as ask the faithful departed to pray for them to God.

The idea has it's roots in the "communion of saints", along the lines of Hebrew's 12:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.

Following on from chapter 11, the cloud of witnesses referred to is the faithful who have already died in Christ (those of the Old Covenant looking forward to Christ and the cross, those of the New Covenant looking back).

Since those who have died in Christ are now alive in him, the Catholic understanding is that we can converse with them just as with any believer still alive in this realm. Since they are alive we can asked them to pray for us just as we would approach a fellow believer who is living in this realm to pray for us: "Bob, I am really struggling with X right now. Would you please pray for me to find victory in this area?"

Coupled with the idea that "The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective" (James 5:16), it then seems to make sense to ask those who have been recognized by church authority as being righteous and exemplary to pray for you.

The logic is then that, if (a) you accept that asking another believer to pray for you is OK, and (b) you believe that those who have died with Christ are alive with him, then it follows that you can ask those who have died in Christ to pray for you.

Answer 3

Catholics pray for the entire communion of saints to intercede on their behalf.

It's more than just the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church (what most people refer to as Roman Catholic) it's the entire Church in communion with the pope, as well as the Eastern Orthodox Church who prays fervently to the saint.

According to Catholic doctrine Angels are also saints (St. Raphael, St. Michael) and anyone who believes in angels must believe they can intercede for them (what else would they do).

I don't know whether it is common for other Christian denominations to pray to their guardian angels, but the belief in their intercessory powers is certainly there, at least in popular culture and literature.

Answer 4

I think the Bible can answer this for us. I'm racking my brain for a verse, but here is John 14:6 to start:

6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Why pray to someone who is not empowered to save you? God is the one who created you, and His Son Jesus is the one who died on the cross to forever save your soul if you choose. His Holy Spirit is the part of God that remained behind to comfort you and guide you. Is there any reason to pray to anyone other than God, His Holy Trinity? He is the way, the truth, and the life.

Another useful verse that might lend some useful insight in regards to who to pray to is 1 Timothy 2:5-6:

5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

According to the Bible, Jesus is the sole mediator between God and men. No mention of saints, regardless of how righteous they may have been. According to the bible, only Jesus gave himself to save you from your sins. It seems only reasonable to direct your prayers to the one who gave himself to death for you personally. To direct your prayers to the one who sent his only son to die a brutal death for you personally.

Answer 5

There is both prescription and pattern to pray to God and God alone in the Scriptures:

Prescription

Pray then like this: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name." Matthew 6:9 ESV

Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. John 14:13-14 ESV

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. John 15:16 ESV

In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. John 16:23-24 ESV

Pattern

When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you... John 17:1 ESV

Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. Daniel 9:3 ESV

... and many other places.

So, if we are following the pattern and prescription of the Scriptures, we should pray to the Trinity. If we wish to pray to anyone else, we should find a pattern or prescription for that in the Scriptures.

Yet, if there is no pattern or prescription for praying to Mary or the saints in the entirety of Scripture, what would lead us to believe that we ought to do that?