The Saints: A Thorough Catholic Defense of the Communion of Saints

Praying to the Saints: A Thorough Catholic Defense of the Communion of Saints

The Catholic practice of asking the saints in heaven for their intercession is one of the most misunderstood doctrines in Christianity. Protestants frequently label it “necromancy,” “idolatry,” or “Mariolatry,” while Catholics insist it is simply asking living members of Christ’s Body to pray for us. 

This essay will unpack every layer of the doctrine: what saints are, how death does not sever the Body of Christ, the difference between “saints” and “canonized saints,” the cloud of witnesses, the Transfiguration, the use of images, the canonization process, the three grades of honor (latria, dulia, hyperdulia), the nature of prayer versus worship, the intercession of the saints, and a verse-by-verse scriptural defense with Greek and Hebrew exegesis, quotations from the Church Fathers, and point-by-point refutation of Protestant objections. By the end, the reader will see that Catholic devotion to the saints is not a medieval accretion but a doctrine rooted in the very grammar of the New Testament and the unbroken belief of the undivided Church.

 I. Who Are the Saints?

In English, “saint” usually means a haloed super-Catholic. In Scripture, hagios (ἅγιος) in Greek and qadosh (קָדוֹשׁ) in Hebrew simply mean “holy one” or “set-apart one.” Every baptized Christian is a saint by vocation (Rom 1:7; 1 Cor 1:2; Eph 1:1). The New Testament never restricts the term to the dead; it addresses living local churches as “saints.” Thus the universal call to holiness (1 Pet 1:15–16, citing Lev 19:2) makes every regenerate believer a saint in via—on the way.

Canonized saints are a subset: those the Church, after rigorous investigation, declares to be in patria—already in the homeland of heaven, enjoying the beatific vision. Canonization is not “making” someone a saint; it is the Church’s infallible recognition that a soul is certainly with God and therefore a safe model of Christian life and a powerful intercessor.

 II. Death Does Not Separate the Body of Christ

Protestants often quote Deuteronomy 18:11 or Isaiah 8:19 to forbid “consulting the dead.” Catholics reply that the saints are not “dead” in the sense Scripture condemns. Jesus says God is “not the God of the dead, but of the living” (Matt 22:32), citing Exodus 3:6 where God speaks of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the present tense. The Greek perfect participle ὤν (“being”) indicates ongoing existence.

Paul teaches that nothing—not even death—can separate us from the love of Christ (Rom 8:38–39). The preposition chōrisai (χωρίσαι) means “to put space between.” Death cannot create a partition in the Body of Christ. In 1 Corinthians 12:12–27, Paul uses the metaphor of the human body: if a foot is amputated, it is no longer part of the body; but in Christ, no member is amputated. The Church is one organism with three states—militant on earth, suffering in purgatory, triumphant in heaven—yet one Body.

 III. The Cloud of Witnesses and the Transfiguration

Hebrews 12:1 says we are “surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses” (néphos martýrōn, νέφος μαρτύρων). The participle perikeímenon (περίκείμενον) is present middle, “lying around us,” suggesting active encirclement. These are the Old Testament saints of chapter 11, now in glory, watching the earthly race. The image is the Roman stadium: the stands are full of departed heroes cheering the runners.

The Transfiguration (Matt 17:1–8; Mark 9:2–8; Luke 9:28–36) is decisive. Moses (dead ~1400 BC) and Elijah (translated ~850 BC) appear in glory and converse with Jesus about his exodus (éxodos, ἔξοδος). Peter’s offer to build three booths (skēnás, σκηνάς) shows he recognizes them as living persons, not ghosts. Jesus does not rebuke the conversation; he participates in it. If two saints from the Old Covenant can discourse with the incarnate Word, how much more the New Covenant saints perfected in him?

 IV. Images and Statues: Pedagogical Signs, Not Idols

Exodus 20:4 forbids pesel (פֶּסֶל), a graven image for worship. Yet five chapters later God commands cherubim statues on the Ark (Exod 25:18–20) and a bronze serpent (Num 21:8–9). The distinction is intent: images are forbidden when they replace God (latria), permitted when they direct to God (dulia). The Seventh Ecumenical Council (Nicaea II, 787) defined: “The honor paid to the image passes to the prototype” (Acta, Mansi 13:377).

St. John Damascene writes, “I do not worship matter; I worship the Creator of matter who became matter for my sake” (On the Divine Images 1.16). Statues are like family photos: kissing Grandma’s picture is not idolatry; it is love for Grandma. The Greek proskynéo (προσκυνέω) means “to bow toward”; context determines whether it is worship (latria) or reverence (dulia).

 V. The Canonization Process

Canonization is forensic, not ontological. The process begins with a five-year waiting period after death (waivable, e.g., Mother Teresa). A postulator gathers evidence of heroic virtue. Two miracles—scientifically inexplicable healings—are required: one for beatification, one for canonization. A medical board of agnostics and atheists examines the cases; only if no natural explanation exists does the Church proceed. The devil’s advocate (promotor fidei) argues against canonization. Final approval rests with the pope exercising infallibility under the charism of truth (John 16:13).

 VI. Latria, Dulia, Hyperdulia: The Grammar of Honor

St. Thomas Aquinas (Summa Theologiae II-II, q. 103, a. 4) distinguishes three grades:

- Latria (λατρεία): worship due to God alone—sacrifice, adoration, the Mass.  

- Dulia (δουλεία): reverence due to saints and angels for their created excellence.  

- Hyperdulia (ὑπερδουλεία): the highest dulia, given to Mary because she is Theotókos, Mother of God (Luke 1:43; Council of Ephesus, 431).

The Greek suffixes mark intensity, not kind. Just as we give greater honor to a parent than a friend without worshiping either, hyperdulia is still creaturely honor.

 VII. What Is Prayer? Asking vs. Worshiping

In older English, “pray” simply meant “to ask earnestly.” Chaucer’s Knight says to the pilgrim, “I pray thee, tell me thy tale.” The King James Bible has Paul “pray” King Agrippa (Acts 26:3). Modern ears hear “prayer” and think “worship,” but Scripture uses proseúchesthai (προσεύχεσθαι) for petition to anyone. When we say “Hail Mary,” we are asking (rogāre), not adoring (adorāre).

 VIII. Intercession: Biblical and Logical

James 5:16 commands, “Pray for one another.” Protestants ask pastors and friends to pray; Catholics ask the saints for the same reason: they are alive, righteous, and closer to the throne. Revelation 5:8 depicts elders holding “golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints” (hai proseuchaì tōn hagíōn, αἱ προσευχαὶ τῶν ἁγίων). The present participle indicates ongoing action. Revelation 8:3–4 repeats: an angel adds incense to “the prayers of all the saints” and offers them on the golden altar. The saints in heaven are aware of earthly prayers and present them to the Lamb.

 IX. Scriptural Defense with Greek and Hebrew Exegesis

Romans 8:38–39  

Greek: οὔτε θάνατος οὔτε ζωὴ … δυνήσεται ἡμᾶς χωρίσαι ἀπὸ τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ Θεοῦ  

Translation: “Neither death nor life … will be able to separate us from the love of God.”  

Chōrisai is future infinitive; death’s power to divide is nullified by the resurrection.

1 Corinthians 12:26  

Greek: εἴτε δοξάζεται ἓν μέλος, συγχαίρει πάντα τὰ μέλη  

Translation: “If one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.”  

The present tense syncháirei (συγχαίρει) shows the Church triumphant rejoices when the Church militant prays.

Hebrews 12:1  

Greek: τοσούτῳ … νέφος μαρτύρων  

The noun néphos is used in the LXX for the divine cloud (Exod 19:9). The saints surround us as God does.

Revelation 5:8  

Greek: ἔχοντες ἕκαστος … φιάλας χρυσᾶς γεμούσας θυμιαμάτων, αἵ εἰσιν αἱ προσευχαὶ τῶν ἁγίων  

The relative clause haí eisin (“which are”) equates the incense with earthly prayers. The elders present them; they are not passive.

Luke 15:7, 10  

Greek: χαρά ἐστιν ἐνώπιον τῶν ἀγγέλων τοῦ Θεοῦ  

Translation: “Joy in the presence of the angels of God.”  

The joy is in their presence, implying awareness.

 X. Church Fathers Unanimous

- Origen (c. 233): “It is not wrong to ask the spirits of the martyrs to pray for us” (On Prayer 11).  

- Cyril of Jerusalem (c. 350): “We commemorate the patriarchs, prophets, apostles, martyrs, that God may hear their prayers on our behalf” (Catechetical Lectures 23.9).  

- Ephrem the Syrian (c. 363): “Remember me, ye heirs of God, ye brethren of Christ, supplicate the Savior earnestly for me” (Testament).  

- Gregory Nazianzen (c. 379): “Call upon St. Cyprian as intercessor” (Or. 24).  

- Basil the Great (c. 379): “The souls of the saints know what happens here” (Homily on Psalm 115).  

- John Chrysostom (c. 392): “Not only on their feast days but every day we honor the martyrs and ask their prayers” (Homily on the Martyrs).  

- Augustine (c. 416): “It is wrong to pray to the dead as if they were gods, but to ask their intercession is both lawful and useful” (City of God 22.8).

No Father before the Reformation denied the practice.

 XI. Refuting Protestant Objections

Objection 1: “Praying to saints is necromancy (Deut 18:11).”  

Response: Necromancy (dāraš ʾel-hammētîm, דָּרַשׁ אֶל־הַמֵּתִים) is consulting the dead apart from God to gain hidden knowledge. Catholics ask saints in Christ for intercession, not divination. Saul consulted Samuel’s spirit through a medium (1 Sam 28); Catholics invoke saints through Christ, the one Mediator (1 Tim 2:5).

Objection 2: “Jesus is the one Mediator (1 Tim 2:5).”  

Response: Greek heîs mesítēs (εἷς μεσίτης) means “one mediator of redemption,” not “one intercessor.” The same Paul commands mesiteúein—intercessory prayer—in 1 Timothy 2:1. If intercession contradicts the one Mediator, Paul contradicts himself in four verses.

Objection 3: “The saints can’t hear us; they’re asleep.”  

Response: Soul-sleep is absent from Scripture. Jesus tells the thief, “Today you will be with me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43). The rich man and Lazarus converse post-mortem (Luke 16:19–31). Revelation 6:9–11 shows martyrs crying, “How long?”—present tense awareness.

Objection 4: “Statues violate the Second Commandment.”  

Response: The Hebrew lo taʿăśeh ləkā pesel forbids idols for worship. God commands images in Exodus 25:18 and Numbers 21:8. The Council of Trent (Sess. 25) cites the same distinction.

Objection 5: “Revelation 5:8 is symbolic; the elders are not literal saints.”  

Response: The text says “the prayers of the saints” (tōn hagíōn), the same term for earthly Christians (Rom 1:7). Symbolism does not negate reality; the Lamb with seven horns is symbolic yet truly Christ.

Objection 6: “Canonization is unbiblical.”  

Response: The Church binds and looses (Matt 16:19; 18:18). Declaring someone in heaven is an exercise of the keys, just as excommunication declares someone outside the Body.

 XII. Conclusion: The Family of God

The communion of saints is not a Catholic “extra”; it is the New Testament lived out. When we ask Mary or St. Thérèse to pray for us, we are doing what we ask our pastor to do—only with holier friends who stand before the throne. Death cannot silence the charity of the Body of Christ. The saints hear because they live; they intercede because they love; we honor them because God has honored them. To refuse their help is to amputate the Body at the grave.

 References

- Scripture: Nestle-Aland Novum Testamentum Graece, 28th ed.; Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia.  

- Church Fathers:  

  - Origen, On Prayer (ANF 4).  

  - Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectures (NPNF 2/7).  

  - Ephrem, Testament (NPNF 2/13).  

  - Gregory Nazianzen, Orations (NPNF 2/7).  

  - Basil, Homilies on Psalms (NPNF 2/8).  

  - Chrysostom, Homilies on the Martyrs (NPNF 1/9).  

  - Augustine, City of God (NPNF 1/2).  

  - John Damascene, On the Divine Images (SVS Press).  

- Councils: Nicaea II (Mansi 13); Trent Sess. 25 (Denzinger 984–88).  

- Catechism of the Catholic Church §§ 946–62, 2673–79.  

- Theological: Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologiae II-II, qq. 81–103; III, q. 25.  

- Historical: Eusebius, Church History 7.32 (invocation of Philoromus).  

OUTLINE:

The Communion of Saints  

 A Comprehensive Apologetic for Catholic Devotion to the Saints  

 

 I. Introduction: A Family That Death Cannot Divide

> “I believe in … the communion of saints.”  

> — Apostles’ Creed

Every Sunday, Catholics worldwide profess this line with quiet confidence. Yet for many separated brethren, the phrase raises eyebrows. “Communion of saints? Praying to them? Isn’t that necromancy, idolatry, or at best a medieval accretion?” This essay answers those questions with Scripture, the Church Fathers, linguistic exegesis of the original Greek and Hebrew, and the unbroken practice of the Church.  

We will demonstrate that praying to the saints is nothing less than an act of love within the one Body of Christ (1 Cor 12:12–27), where death is not a wall but a doorway. The saints in heaven are not “dead” in the biblical sense; they are “alive to God” (Luke 20:38) and remain active members of the Mystical Body. Their intercession is an extension of the very intercession we are commanded to offer one another on earth (1 Tim 2:1; Jas 5:16).  

The structure of this essay is deliberate:

1. Who are the saints?  

2. Saints vs. canonized saints  

3. The Body of Christ transcends death  

4. Biblical witnesses: the Cloud, the Transfiguration, Revelation’s incense  

5. The canonization process: prudence, not invention  

6. Images and statues: biblical iconography  

7. Latria, dulia, hyperdulia: worship vs. veneration  

8. Prayer defined: communication, not adoration  

9. Intercession: earthly and heavenly  

10. Refuting Protestant objections with charity and evidence  

11. Patristic chorus from the first eight centuries  

12. Conclusion: “Let us run with perseverance” (Heb 12:1)  

 II. Who Are the Saints? The Universal Call to Holiness

The English word saint comes from Latin sanctus (“holy”), which translates Greek hagios (ἅγιος) and Hebrew qadosh (קָדוֹשׁ). All three terms denote separation unto God.  

St. Paul greets the Corinthians as “those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints [hagioi]” (1 Cor 1:2). The same epistle later rebukes them for divisions, immorality, and lawsuits—yet they remain hagioi. Sanctity is therefore positional before it is moral: every baptized person is set apart in Christ.  

Moral perfection is the goal, not the starting point. “Be holy, for I am holy” (1 Pet 1:16 = Lev 11:44) is an imperative, not a description of the present assembly. Thus every soul in heaven is a saint, whether canonized or not.  

 III. Saints vs. Canonized Saints: Recognition, Not Creation

| Term | Scope | Authority |

|------|-------|-----------|

| Saint (broad) | Any soul in heaven | God alone |

| Canonized Saint | Publicly declared in heaven | Magisterium (infallible in this act) |

Canonization does not confer heaven; it declares it. The Church acts like a coroner, not a creator.  

Early evidence: the Martyrdom of Polycarp (c. 155 AD) describes the Smyrnaeans gathering the martyr’s bones “more precious than gold” and celebrating the Eucharist at his tomb on his “birthday” into heaven. No papal decree was needed; the local church knew Polycarp was with Christ.  

 IV. The Body of Christ Transcends Death

> “For just as the body is one and has many members … so it is with Christ.” (1 Cor 12:12)

Greek sōma (σῶμα) denotes an organic unity. Amputation does not dissolve membership; death merely relocates the member.  

- Earth: Church Militant  

- Purgatory: Church Suffering  

- Heaven: Church Triumphant  

All three share one life, the Holy Spirit (Eph 4:4).  

Hebrews 12:1 – “Therefore, since we are surrounded [perikeimenon περι-κείμενον] by so great a cloud of witnesses [nephos martyrōn νέφος μαρτύρων]…”  

- perikeimenon = “lying around us” (stadium imagery).  

- nephos = the Shekinah cloud (Exod 13:21; 40:34).  

- martyrōn = both “witnesses” and “martyrs.”  

St. John Chrysostom (Homily 27 on Hebrews):  

> “They are not dead … they stand by us, they see our contests … they are anxious on our behalf.”  

 V. Biblical Witnesses: Cloud, Transfiguration, Revelation

 A. The Transfiguration (Matt 17:1–8 par.)

Jesus converses (syllalountes συνλαλοῦντες) with Moses and Elijah about His exodos (ἔξοδον, Luke 9:31). Peter’s offer to build skēnas (σκηνάς, “tabernacles”) shows spontaneous recognition of living communion.  

 B. Revelation 5:8 & 8:3–4  

> “The twenty-four elders fell down … each holding … golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints [tas proseuchas tōn hagiōn τὰς προσευχὰς τῶν ἁγίων].”  

Greek hagiōn is plural genitive: prayers belonging to the holy ones—both earthly petitioners and heavenly presenters.  

Revelation 8:4: “The smoke of the incense with [meta μετά] the prayers of the saints rose…” The preposition meta indicates accompaniment, not identity. Heavenly incense amplifies earthly prayer.  

VI. The Canonization Process: Prudence, Not Invention

1. Five-year wait (waivable for martyrs).  

2. Diocesan phase: life, virtues, writings.  

3. Positio submitted to Congregation for Causes of Saints.  

4. Theological commission (8 experts).  

5. Medical board (non-Catholic physicians).  

6. Miracles:  

   - Beatification: 1  

   - Canonization: 2  

7. Papal decree (infallible in this declaration).  

Pope St. John Paul II canonized 482 saints using this method—streamlined, never lax.  

VII. Images and Statues: Biblical Iconography

| Biblical Image | Reference | Purpose |

|----------------|-----------|---------|

| Cherubim on Ark | Exod 25:18–20 | God’s throne |

| Bronze serpent | Num 21:8–9 | Typology of Christ (John 3:14) |

| Carved pomegranates | 1 Kgs 7:18 | Temple beauty |

| Ezekiel’s cherubim | Ezek 41:18–19 | Liturgical art |

Second Nicaea (787):  

> “The honor paid to the image passes to the prototype.” (St. Basil, On the Holy Spirit 18.45)

A statue of St. Thérèse is a sacramental, like a wedding ring—sign, not substitute.  

VIII. Latria, Dulia, Hyperdulia: Worship vs. Veneration

| Term | Greek/Latin | Object | Example |

|------|-------------|--------|---------|

| Latria | λατρεία / latria | God alone | Mass, adoration |

| Dulia | δουλεία / dulia | Saints/angels | Bowing to icon |

| Hyperdulia | ὑπερδουλεία / hyperdulia | Mary | Rosary, Salve Regina |

St. Thomas Aquinas (Summa Theologica II-II, q. 103, a. 4):  

> “Latria is due to God alone … dulia to saints as His friends.”  

IX. What Is Prayer? Communication, Not Adoration

Old English “I pray thee” = “I ask you.” Greek proseuchomai (προσεύχομαι) = “to offer prayers, petitions.”  

- To God: adoration + petition  

- To saints: petition only  

Archbishop Fulton Sheen:  

> “We ask the saints to pray for us the way we ask a friend to pray for us—only the saints are more alive.”  

X. Intercession: Earthly and Heavenly

James 5:16 – “Pray for one another … the prayer of a righteous person has great power.”  

Protestants ask living friends to pray. Consistency demands: why exclude the more righteous in heaven?  

Revelation 5:8 proves the saints present prayers. They are not omniscient, but God shares knowledge (participated omniscience).  

XI. Refuting Protestant Objections

 1. “One mediator” (1 Tim 2:5)

Greek heis mesitēs (εἷς μεσίτης) = covenant mediator, not “only intercessor.” Moses was a mesitēs (Gal 3:19–20).  

 2. “The dead cannot hear”

- Mark 12:27 – “God of the living.”  

- Luke 16:19–31 – Rich man speaks to Abraham.  

- Rev 6:9–11 – Martyrs cry, “How long?”  

 3. “Necromancy” (Deut 18:11)

Hebrew doresh el-ha-metim (דֹּרֵשׁ אֶל־הַמֵּתִים) = consulting spirits for divination. Catholics ask known saints for prayer, not secrets.  

 4. “Idolatry”

- Biblical images (above).  

- John Damascene: “We do not adore creatures, but honor those who image God.”  

 5. “Bible alone”

The canon itself was determined by the Church invoking saints (Council of Rome, 382).  

 XII. The Patristic Chorus (1st–8th Centuries)

| Father | Century | Quote |

|--------|---------|-------|

| Clement of Alexandria | 2nd | “The martyr prays for us.” (Stromata 7.12) |

| Origen | 3rd | “The apostles and martyrs … pray for those still on earth.” (On Prayer 11) |

| Cyprian of Carthage | 3rd | “Let us remember one another in prayer … with the priests who have fallen asleep.” (Epistle 60) |

| Ephrem the Syrian | 4th | Hymn: “Blessed is she who bore You … intercede for us.” |

| Gregory Nazianzen | 4th | “Invoke the martyr George.” (Oration 43) |

| Basil the Great | 4th | “The spirits of the saints … pray for us.” (On the Holy Spirit 29) |

| John Chrysostom | 4th | “Not only on their feast days, but every day, call upon the martyrs.” (Homily on SS. Juventinus and Maximinus) |

| Jerome | 4th–5th | “If the Apostles and martyrs while still in the body can pray for others … how much more after their crowns?” (Against Vigilantius 6) |

| Augustine | 5th | “We celebrate the memories of the martyrs … that we may be helped by their merits and prayers.” (Sermon 285) |

| Gregory the Great | 6th | Dialogues record St. Benedict seeing the soul of Germanus ascend. |

XIII. Conclusion: “Let Us Run with Perseverance”

The practice of praying to the saints is no medieval novelty. It is the logical fruit of:

1. The Resurrection (death is defeated).  

2. The Mystical Body (unity transcends space and time).  

3. The priesthood of all believers (all offer spiritual sacrifices, Heb 13:15).  

4. The biblical command to intercede (1 Tim 2:1).  

When we say, “St. Anthony, help me find my keys,” we are not bypassing Christ; we are asking a family member to bring our need before the Throne.  

> “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us … run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus.” (Heb 12:1–2)

May the prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, St. Peter, St. Paul, and all the saints bring us safely home. Amen.

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 References 

- Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd ed. Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1997, nos. 946–962, 2673–2679.  

- Code of Canon Law. Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 1983, cann. 1186–1190.  

- Decrees of the Ecumenical Councils, ed. Norman P. Tanner. 2 vols. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press, 1990.  

- Martyrdom of Polycarp, in Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1994.  

- St. Augustine. City of God. Trans. Henry Bettenson. London: Penguin, 2003.  

- St. Basil the Great. On the Holy Spirit. Trans. David Anderson. Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 1980.  

- St. Cyprian. Epistles, in Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 5.  

- St. Jerome. Against Vigilantius, in Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, vol. 6.  

- St. John Chrysostom. Homilies on Hebrews, in Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, vol. 14.  

- St. John Damascene. On the Divine Images. Trans. David Anderson. Crestwood, NY: St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 1980.  

- St. Thomas Aquinas. Summa Theologica. Trans. Fathers of the English Dominican Province. Westminster, MD: Christian Classics, 1981.  

- Ludwig Ott. Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma. Rockford, IL: TAN Books, 1974.  

- Joseph Ratzinger. Introduction to Christianity. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2004.  

- The Apostolic Fathers. Trans. Michael Holmes. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2007.