Many non-Catholics see Catholic processions involving statues of Mary or other saints, such as St. Joseph or St. Anthony, and conclude that Catholics are worshiping statues. They ask, “If thousands of people gather for a procession and carry a statue through the streets, how is that not worship?”
Yet Scripture itself gives us an important comparison to the Israelites. God commanded statues to be made and placed on the Ark of the Covenant. The Israelites then carried the Ark, along with these sacred images, in religious processions.
So what is the difference between carrying one set of statues in a religious procession and carrying another? Neither constitutes worship because the statues themselves are not being worshiped. The Israelites were not worshiping the angels represented on the Ark of the Covenant, just as Catholics are not worshiping Mary or the saints represented by their statues. Carrying a sacred image in a religious procession does not, by itself, constitute worship.
In fact, we have parades and celebrations in which people carry individuals and objects all of the time, yet no one considers these actions worship. Consider players reactions after winning the World Cup, players lift the trophy high into the air, carry it through crowds, and celebrate as thousands of people cheer. No one looks at these celebrations and concludes that the players or fans are worshiping the trophy. We instinctively understand that carrying an object in a procession, raising it up, or celebrating around it does not automatically constitute worship.
If we applied the same reasoning sometimes used against Catholics, we could claim that these athletes are worshiping the World Cup simply because they carry it, raise it up, or even kiss it. But no one seriously believes that. We understand that kissing the trophy is a symbolic gesture expressing their joy, celebration, and appreciation for what it represents.
People regularly carry individuals and objects in parades, kiss meaningful objects, dance around them, and hold celebrations in their honor without worshiping them. The problem is that some critics apply a different standard to Catholic practices. They interpret certain Catholic gestures as acts of worship while recognizing that the same kinds of gestures in other contexts do not necessarily constitute worship.
If there is nothing inherently wrong with the Israelites carrying the Ark of the Covenant with sacred images upon it, then there is nothing inherently wrong with Catholics carrying a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary in a religious procession. Catholics are not celebrating or worshiping the statue itself. The statue is simply a visible representation of Mary and the life she lived. Mary is a biblical model of faith, holiness, obedience, and faithfulness to God. When Catholics honor Mary, they are honoring her life, her faithfulness to God, and the example she gives us of what it means to follow Christ. In the same way that the World Cup trophy symbolizes a team’s victory, a statue of Mary represents the person being honored. The focus is not on the material object, but on the person it represents and the faithful life she lived.
The same is true when Catholics carry statues of other saints in religious processions. We are celebrating their lives and honoring their examples of faithfulness to Christ. We see similar expressions of honor in everyday life. People are sometimes carried through crowds while others cheer for them. At concerts, performers may even jump into the audience and be carried above the crowd as people cheer and reach out to touch them. No one assumes that the crowd is worshiping that person. They are expressing admiration and appreciation for the person and what they represent.
Catholic processions should be understood in the same way. We do not worship the statue, nor do we worship the saint represented by the statue. The purpose of the procession is to honor and celebrate the life of the person represented. Whether it is St. Anthony, St. Monica, St. Joseph, or another saint, these are people who lived extraordinary lives of faithfulness to Christ. They sacrificed for Him and sought to follow Him wholeheartedly. As Catholics, we desire to do the same, and when we recognize that kind of holiness in others, we honor and celebrate their example.
Our world celebrates many things that are far less worthy of admiration. We spend millions, even billions, celebrating sports, entertainment, and countless other things. Yet in the Catholic Church, we celebrate the family of God. We worship God alone while also honoring the faithful men and women who followed Him, the saints, our brothers and sisters in Christ and we seek to imitate their example.
Simply looking at a Catholic procession and declaring, “That’s worship,” does not make it so. It judges the practice by its outward appearance without considering its actual meaning or purpose. If carrying an image, raising it up, kissing it, or celebrating around it automatically constitutes worship, then we would have to apply that same standard consistently to countless other celebrations in everyday life. Before accusing Catholics of worshiping statues or saints, we should first understand why Catholics participate in these processions and what those actions actually mean.
Catholics honor the saints because they lived extraordinary lives of holiness, and their lives point us toward Christ. We not only love Jesus, but also those who faithfully followed Him and gave up everything for His sake. If you are wondering: Why do Catholics kiss or touch statues? Why do Catholics practice these external signs of devotion, and what do they actually mean? You can find more information in the following articles: Do Catholics Worship Statues? (What about Kneeling, Kissing, and Bowing?) or Answering Anti-Catholic Arguments
None of these practices constitute worship. In fact, the Catholic Church explicitly condemns the worship of any person or created thing. Worship belongs to God alone. Catholic statues are artistic representations that remind us of the holy men and women who have gone before us. We honor their lives, remember their faithfulness, and seek to imitate the way they followed Christ faithfully, joyfully, and wholeheartedly.
