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Roman Catholic Church and Mary
Aaron Erhardt

One does not have to be raised in the Roman Catholic Church (as I was) to know that it puts a great deal of emphasis on Mary. She is called "Mother of God," "Queen of Heaven," "Refuge of Sinners," and much more. There are also special feasts, shrines, and prayers in her honor. In Catholic tradition, few are mentioned more than Mary.

Though Mary was a special maiden who certainly deserves our respect, the Catholic Church has exalted her above measure. She has been given an exaggerated position that goes far beyond Scripture. For instance, Catholics pray to Mary, bow before statues of Mary, and see Mary as active in dispensing God's grace. As Monsignor J.D. Conway wrote, "It is the common and explicit teaching of the Church today that every grace given to men comes to them through Mary" (What the Church Teaches, p. 211).

The Catholic view of Mary is perhaps best seen in the highly regarded book, The Glories of Mary, which bears the Nihil Obstat and the Imprimatur (official declarations that the book has no doctrinal or moral error). Here are some quotes:

P. 17 — “Mary so loved us that she gave her only-begotten son.”

(They substituted Mary’s name in place of God, John 3:16).

P. 18 — “No one besides Mary has loved us so much as to give an only-begotten and well-beloved Son for us.”

(What about God the Father?)

P. 34 — “That pledge is Mary, whom he has given them as a champion or advocate.”

(Jesus is our advocate, 1 John 2:1)

P. 44 — “If Mary is for us, who is against us?”

(They substituted Mary’s name in place of God, Romans 8:31)

P. 52 — “Mary is the mother and dispenser of every good.”

(They substituted Mary’s name in place of God, James 1:17)

P. 57 — “She is the city of refuge, the only hope of sinners.”

(What about Christ?)

P. 59 — “She restrains her son’s hand and withholds him from punishing.”

(A mere mortal restraining the hand of God?)

P. 72 — “Mary conquered and bound the devil.”

(Jesus destroyed the devil, Hebrews 2:14)

P. 74 — “At the name of Mary every knee bows.”

(They substituted Mary’s name in place of Jesus, Philippians 2:10)

P. 78 — “Mary’s intercession is necessary for salvation.”

(Man’s salvation depends on a mere mortal?)

P. 87 — “Mary… no one is saved, except through you.”

(They substituted Mary in place of Jesus, John 14:6)

P. 95 — “At the command of Mary, everybody obeys, even God.”

(blasphemy!)

P. 96 — “Jesus, who is omnipotent, has also made Mary omnipotent.”

(They have attributed a divine characteristic to Mary)

Surely one can see that the above quotes are way over the top. They insert Mary's name in place of God and Jesus, attribute to her divine power, and portray her as an essential component of salvation. That is far more than Scripture permits.

The last mention of Mary in Scripture is in the upper room at Jerusalem (Acts 1:14), which was before the church's establishment. Her name does not appear in the letters of Paul, Peter, James, John, or Jude. This is not said to disparage Mary, but to put our view of her in the proper perspective. She was not the iconic focal point that Catholicism makes her out to be. She faithfully fulfilled her role as the Lord's earthly mother and then faded into the background. 

Mary is not honored by creating fanciful traditions that give her positions of power and influence unknown to Scripture!