Catholicism 101

By Samantha Chan

Ever had your faith challenged? Or wondered why the Catholic Church has some seemingly inexplicable traditions? In this new segment every issue, we give you the answers.

Why do Catholics worship Mary?

Catholics do not worship Mary. Instead, we honour her as she is the Mother of Jesus. When Archangel Gabriel approached Mary for the first time, the angel called her “Blessed” – “Blessed are you amongst women”; hence Mary is endowed with grace. As Mary is a human creature just like us, we cannot worship her. Instead, we honour her and ask her to pray for us.

Why don’t Catholics pray directly to Jesus, but through Mary and the Saints?

Catholics pray to God through Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Catholics also do not pray through Mary and the Saints; instead, they pray with Mary and the Saints. When we pray with Mary and the Saints, we ask them to pray for us. Doing so makes our prayers even more powerful before God, our Father.

Why do Catholics confess their sins to the priests?

If we have committed sins and want to get rid of them, we have to acknowledge them and confess them not only to God, but also to a priest who acts in the name of God and the Church. Since the priest is a socially important figure who represents the Church, he is no longer seen merely as ‘man’. Therefore, when we confess our sins to the priest, we are apologizing to the Church for the misdeeds we have done to the Church and to society.