Bob here claims that Catholics deify Mary. He provides some quotes, of course as usual away from the context of their full articles. However, that does not even really matter, because as I will show, none of the below quotes puts Mary on an equal level with the One True God.
"With equal truth may it be also affirmed that, by the will of God, Mary is the intermediary through whom is distributed unto us this immense treasure of mercies gathered by God,
If Mary is the distributor, then she is not the originator of mercy, but as the text says, an intermediary. One who is serving a higher being, as an intermediary, cannot be God. But, if Bob would have read all that he posted, he would have seen that in the continuation of the sentence:
for mercy and truth were created by Jesus Christ,
And here is the next one: thus as no man goeth to the Father but by the Son, so no man goeth to Christ but by His Mother.
I do wonder...how one comes to know Jesus Christ without the assistance of divine revelation, which as Protestants, you believe is delivered in the Words of the Bible. And yet, the Words of the Bible, rightly the Words of God, were given to you by an intermediary, that is, the writers of the Old and New Testament. Thus, the salvation offered by Jesus Christ has been passed down to you, through faith, by the Word of God given to you by chosen men. Are they gods? No. Then one cannot argue that Catholics believe that Mary is a god.
...How grateful and magnificent a spectacle to see in the cities, and towns, and villages, on land and sea?wherever the Catholic faith has penetrated?many hundreds of thousands of pious people uniting their praises and prayers with one voice and heart at every moment of the day, saluting Mary, invoking Mary, hoping everything through Mary." - Pope Leo XIII, Octobri Mense
While you may not like the language, as the above understandings demonstarte, all of this is still subordinate to God, from whom her role is derived.
"O Virgin most holy, none abounds in the knowledge of God except through thee; none, O Mother of God, obtains salvation except through thee, none receives a gift from the throne of mercy except through thee." - Pope Leo XIII, Adiutricem Populi
I bring the same argument, that your salvation is brought to you through faith in the Word of God, delivered by men whom God Himself chose to do just that. Salvation is not BY Mary, though it is presented to us THROUGH Mary. She is not deified, because her role as mediatrix must be given by one who is more powerful, that being God.
"Mary suffered and, as it were, nearly died with her suffering Son;
But she didn't die, and we do not make the claim that she did.
for the salvation of mankind she renounced her mother's rights and, as far as it depended on her, offered her Son to placate divine justice; so we may well say that she with Christ redeemed mankind." - Pope Benedict XV, Inter Sodalicia
To work with God does not make one God. I see no evidence of deification.
"Mary's suffering [at Calvary], beside the suffering of Jesus, reached an intensity which can hardly be imagined from a human point of view but which was mysteriously and supernaturally fruitful for the Redemption of the world." - Pope John Paul II, Salvifici Doloris, no. 25
Does being fruitful for redemption carry the same weight as actually redeeming? No, and if that is implied by Bob, his implication is clearly false.
"Enraptured by the splendor of your heavenly beauty and impelled by the anxieties of the world, we cast ourselves into your arms, Oh Immaculate Mother of Jesus and our Mother....we adore and praise the peerless richness of the sublime gifts with which God has filled you above every other mere creature, from the moment of conception until the day on which after your assumption into heaven. He crowned you Queen of the Universe.
Hmm...God filled her above every OTHER creature. That means that God is clearly superlative, and that she IS a creature. Hard to be a deity if you are a creature. Oh, and God crowned her Queen of the Universe. She didn't crown herself, which means she isn't a deity.
Oh crystal fountain of faith, bathe our hearts with your heavenly perfume. Oh Conqueress of evil and death, inspire in us a deep horror of sin which makes the soul detestable to God and the slave of hell. Oh well-beloved of God, hear the ardent cries which rise up from every heart in this year dedicated to you. Then tenderly, Oh Mary, cover our aching wound; convert the wicked, dry the tears of the afflicted and the oppressed. Comfort the poor and humble. Quench hatred, sweeten harshness, safeguard the flower of purity and protect the Holy Church. In your name resounding harmoniously in heaven, may they recognize that all are brothers...Receive, Oh sweet Mother our humble supplications and above all, obtain for us that on that day, happy with you, we may repeat before your throne that hymn which is sung today around your altars. You are beautiful Oh Mary. You are Glory Oh Mary. You are the joy, you are the Honor of our people." - Pope Pius XII, celebration of the Marian Year in Rome, 1950
All of the above attributed to Mary is acknowledge to be given her by God, thus making her superemly lower than God, and as it has been said, the highest among CREATURES, and yet creature. Moreso, as James tells us that the fervent prayers of the righteous ACCOMPLISHES MUCH, so does Mary accomplish much on our behalf by her fervent prayers to Her Son. No deity about it.
"Is the Blessed Virgin powerful enough to obtain the salvation of her true servants? Yes. The Blessed Virgin is powerful enough to obtain the salvation of her true servants, that is, those who from the bottom of their hearts without ceasing ask her to help them to rise from sin, to live in the light of the Gospel, and to die in the love of God."
- Short Catechism Of Mary, Cardinal Charles Journet, pg 56
I see subordinance to God written all of it. She "helps us" to "die in the love of God." Clearly, Mary is not God in this statement.
"Mary goes before us and accompanies us. The silent journey that begins with her Immaculate Conception and passes through the ?yes? of Nazareth, which makes her the Mother of God, finds on Calvary a particularly important moment. There also, accepting and assisting at the sacrifice of her son, Mary is the dawn of Redemption....Crucified spiritually with her crucified son
This was foretold by the prophet Simeon when Jesus was presented at the temple ("a sword will also pierce your soul").
(cf. Gal. 2:20), she contemplated with heroic love the death of her God, she ?lovingly consented to the immolation of this Victim which she herself had brought forth? (Lumen Gentium, 58)....In fact, at Calvary she united herself with the sacrifice of her Son that led to the foundation of the Church; her maternal heart shared to the very depths the will of Christ ?to gather into one all the dispersed children of God? (Jn. 11:52). Having suffered for the Church, Mary deserved to become the Mother of all the disciples of her Son, the Mother of their unity....In fact, Mary's role as Coredemptrix did not cease with the glorification of her Son" (Inseg VIII/1 (1985) 318-319 [ORE 876:7]).
How can one aid God if one IS God? Right, because Mary is not God, and this passage testifies to that.
"Mary is all powerful with her divine Son who grants all graces to mankind through her" - Pope Benedict XV, Fausto Appetente Die
Mary is all powerful...how? "WITH HER DIVINE SON WHO GRANTS ALL GRACES TO MANKIND THROUGH HER. Thus, subordinate to her Son.
"All power is given to Thee [Mary] in heaven and on earth that at the command of Mary all obey, even God." - Alphonsus de Liguori, Roman Catholic Cardinal and "saint", from his book The Glories of Mary
All power is given, thus, she is not deity, because the power is deligated to her, not originating from her.
Since the Mother, then, should have the same power as the Son, rightly has Jesus, who is omnipotent, made Mary also omnipotent; The Glories of Mary. (pp 180-181)
To be God, one has the superlative of all. Omnipotence is a characteristic of God, but it does not define God. Thus, having all power deligated to her, does not make her God, but a sharer in the divine nature.
"She is omnipotent, because by her prayers she obtains whatever SHE wills. (The Glories of Mary pp 182)
I know for a fact that this has been taken out of context. It has been shown on this board before. You have chosen to ignore it for deceitful purposes, or for lack of checking your sources.
"With a still more ardent zeal for piety, religion and love, let them continue to venerate, invoke and pray to the most Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, conceived without original sin. Let them fly with utter confidence to this most sweet Mother of mercy and grace in all dangers, difficulties, needs, doubts and fears. Under her guidance, under her patronage, under her kindness and protection, nothing is to be feared; nothing is hopeless. Because,
while bearing toward us a truly motherly affection and having in her care the work of our salvation, she is solicitous about the whole human race." - Pope Pius IX, Ineffabilis Deus
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None of these show divinity of Mary. To insinuate otherwise is to not understand the supreme nature of God, since Mary, in all cases, is given her power by God, thus making her under God.
God bless,
Grant
