5 Things Protestants Get Wrong About the Blessed Virgin Mary
There are several misconceptions about Our Lady.
On a classic episode of "The Catholic Talk Show," Ryan Scheel, Father Rich Pagano, and Ryan DellaCrosse discuss five things that Protestants misunderstand about Catholic devotion to Our Mother Mary.
1) Do Catholics worship Mary?
Catholics venerate Mary as the mother of Jesus and the greatest of saints, but they do not worship her.
“There is no way, shape, or form that Catholics worship Mary, and if we ever hear that charge, that is absolute slander,” Scheel says.
2) Did Mary always stay a virgin?
Mary’s perpetual virginity is a consistent Catholic teaching that even early Protestants upheld. Scheel explains how Luther believed “she remained a virgin after Christ was the only son of Mary.”
3) Is praying to Mary idolatry?
Just like we ask our friends and family to pray for us, Catholics ask Mary to pray for them to her Son, Jesus. The Wedding at Cana is a great example of her intercessory role.
“The petition goes to Christ, and Our Lady intervenes and intercedes,” Father Pagano explains.
4) Does Mary only appear to Catholics?
Our Lady's maternal care is not exclusive to Catholics! Jesus’ act of giving Mary to John at the foot of the Cross is seen as giving Mary to all humanity.
“Through Christ, through the Holy Spirit, she becomes present to us because of the Kingdom of God," DellaCrosse says.
5) How can Protestants begin to love Mary?
Embracing Marian devotions, like the Rosary and consecrations, can help incorporate a love for Mary into your spiritual life and open new avenues of grace.
"If you think about how much you love your own mother, then you have to think of how much more Jesus loves His mother. We need to also have that perfect love for His mother that He had,” Scheel explains.
The guys say growing closer to Mary is one of the best ways to grow closer to Christ!