Veneration of Saints

Catholic thought is not that fussed about whether there is an explicit Biblical comment on this. Our Faith is supported by the Bible, but it is not *based* on the Bible. How could it be? It was 3 centuries after Christ before a definitive collection was even made (at the councils of Carthage and Rome). Also, the NT goes only as far as the first few years after the Resurrection.

There were many things that Our Lord said which were not clear to the apostles at the time. In fact, many things became clearer only after years and whole generations had passed.

A striking case is Our Lord's indirect words about the date of the End of the World.

Remember Our Lord's words at the Last Supper: the mature teaching is: 'It might come at any time: we need to be in a state such that if it comes today, we will be ready. But we are not to be told when'. The reasons for this are, I think, clear. But this meant that a significant number in the earliest years did expect the End within their lifetimes. S. Paul seems to be hinting to the Thessalonians to go back to work instead of doing nothing but waiting for the End. (1Thess Sh. 4&5). Likewise, it seems clear why Christ was not more explicit about the eventual successor of Peter: He would be giving the game away that the end would not be until after Peter had died.

He said at the Last Supper:

“I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you." (John 16:12-15 RSV)

The Protestants make a big mistake when they refuse to look beyond the printed words of the Bible (not to mention their cutting out seven books that had been accepted as part of Scripture for 1000 years) - there is no justification for 'Sola Scriptura' (see other links) either biblically itself, logically, or historically. The Old Testament figures are there to show us the unfolding of Revelation, but it cannot be said that they make good role models in the 21st century. Our Lord said "Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has risen no one greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he." (Mt 11:11 RSV). Yet the Protestants refuse to study the wonderful and inspiring Lives of the Saints. They stop at the very threshold of the Story of the Church.

One wall near the Appian Way, close to the entrance to a major catacomb, has scratched on it (in bad Latin!), PETRE ED PAULE PETITE PRO VICTOR - "Peter and Paul, pray for Victor!" This shows that prayer to the saints is extremely ancient. Yet there is no record for well over a thousand years after that, of anybody criticising this practice.

The practice itself is entirely reasonable. If God takes people to Heaven, why should not their souls be with Him now? And why should He not allow us to converse with them? What began in the 16th century as a justified protest against the abuse of Indulgences snowballed into an unjustifiable blanket rejection of entire segments of Catholic belief and practice.