In 2011, Floribeth Mora Diaz was cured instantly of an inoperable terminal brain tumor through the intercession of Pope Saint John Paul 2nd. The evidence of her cure wasn’t based on her testimony or the testimony of any priest, it was confirmed by a team of independent specialists including agnostics and non Catholics.
The criteria for validating such a miraculous healing is that it must be INSTANTANEOUS, COMPLETE, PERMANENT AND ENTIRELY WITHOUT MEDICAL EXPLANATION.
A French nun got healing from advanced Parkinson’s disease from intercession of same Pope Saint John Paul the 2nd. Scientifically verified.
In 1995, a certain Consiglia De Martino got instantly healed from a severe life threatening rupture of the thoracic duct through intercession of St Padre Pio.
Go to google and search for all these. Catholic Church doesn’t own Google, these information are there. I can go on and reel out scores of such scientifically verified miracles through the saints.
I don’t doubt miracles, I just don’t accept the testimony of any priest or pastor who doesn’t provide evidence when questioned, or give adequate information for third party verification.
Now, this is not about whether using images is idolatory or not, I already treated that issue with copious biblical references. In 2Kgs 13:21, we read the story of Elisha’s bones raising a dead man back to life. This and other biblical references give accentuations to the cult of the saints. Make no mistakes about it, devotion to the saints and their intercessions are efficacious. Evidence dey choke.
However, this is about the attitudes of some Catholics to the cult of the saints. My patron saint is St John the Beloved (Evangelist). I also say the prayers to St Michael the Archangel and of course the Rosary as well. So I’m a strong devotee of the saints.
This is also not about how efficacious devotion to the saints are, I have already cited verifiable cases. This is about the EXAGGERATED and sometimes RIDICULOUS level some Catholics take the devotion to the saints to.
You come to some parishes, you see more than 5 images of different saints at different positions on the altar, this is besides the images of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Mother Mary and above all the TABERNACLE. That’s not cool at all. In the church, we should have just the images of Mother Mary, the crucifix and the TABERNACLE. Every other image of saints should have their places elsewhere.
You come to the homes of some Catholics and you see their personal altars with multiple images of saints. Then some sew clothes to dress the images and make them up with lipsticks and powders as if their images are living beings, haba na🥴
How about the veneration of the skull or any part of a saint? I can say with certainty that the only image we venerate liturgically is the crucifix. We do it every sunday when we incense it and on a more profound note on Good Fridays. I don’t think the veneration of the skull or any other part of any saint is necessary.
We definitely have Catholic fanatics who can take innocent devotions to unnecessary and dizzying heights. In fact, it is safe to say some Catholics commit ‘image idolatory’ and syncretism with such exaggerated pieties. Make we no over do abeg.
Let me come and be going. 🚶♂️🚶♂️🚶♂️
