Angelology

 

 

The angels of God should be invoked and are worthy to be worshiped

 

 

The Roman Catholic Church teaches that Christians can invoke the angels of God and worship them. Here is what we read in the Catechism of the Catholic Church: ‘In her liturgy, the church joins with the angels to adore the thriceholy God. She invokes their assistance (in the funeral liturgy's In Paradisum deducant te angeli ... ['May the angels lead you into Paradise...']); in the funeral liturgy's In Paradisum deducant te angeli...["May the angels lead you into Paradise..."]). Moreover, in the "Cherubic Hymn" of the Byzantine Liturgy, she celebrates the memory of certain angels more particularly (St. Michael, St. Gabriel, St. Raphael, and the guardian angels) ….. The Church venerates the angels who help her on her earthly pilgrimage and protect every human being (CCC 335,352). The verb to venerate derives from Latin venerat-venerari which means ‘adore, revere’. Angels are regarded as powerful intercessors. The Roman Catholic Church celebrates the guardian angels on October 2.

 

Confutation

 

The Holy Scripture says that “the angels of the Lord encamp all around those who fear Him, and deliver them” (Psalm 34:7 – Italian Bible Diodati Version), and also that because we have made the Lord our dwelling place, He shall give His angels charge over us to keep us in all our ways (cf. Psalm 91:9-11). However, it does not say that we should invoke the angels of God for they make intercession for us; the reason is that there is one mediator between God and us, the Man Christ Jesus (cf. 1 Timothy 2:5). Nor does it say that we are allowed to worship angels, rather the Scripture warns us not to worship them, for Paul says: “Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind” (Colossians 2:18 – NKJV). The angels of God are not worthy to be worshipped because God alone is worthy to be worshiped; the apostle John confirmed this when he wrote the following words: “And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things. Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God” (Revelation 22:8-9).

We know very well that Roman Catholics affirm that they don’t worship angels, rather they venerate them, that is to say, they revere them; however facts speak for themselves, because what they call veneration actually is adoration.

Brothers, beware of anyone who somehow seeks to induce you to invoke and worship angels, for he is trying to make you become an idolater in the sight of God and as you know all idolaters will have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone (cf. Revelation 21:8). Let no one deceive you with empty words.

 

 

 

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