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Proof The Catholic Church clearly proclaims that God alone is to be worshipped, that is, He alone is to be given the highest form of honor, adoration, or in Latin “latria.” This is proclaimed in the liturgy at Mass as well as stated in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The Saints such as Mary are given a lesser and completely subordinate form of honor. See Mary’s Role below
Proof #1 : Mass - Biblical Quotations
The Mass - Biblical Quotations Every Catholic reiterates this belief every Sunday when he prays the Gloria at Mass. We proclaim that we adore God the Father and Jesus Christ who “alone is the Most High” with the Holy Spirit. We worship only the Three Persons of the Blessed Trinity. There are several Biblical passages from both the Old and the New Testament which teach this fundamental truth to worship God and only God. These are proclaimed on a regular basis throughout the year at Mass. There is a three year cycle of readings, Year A, Year B, and Year C which repeat continually. The readings are assigned as follows such that this teaching is repeated every year without fail.
Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) is the sure norm of Catholic teaching. One whole section, Part 3, is based on the 10 Commandments. The first commandment clearly states that adoration goes to God alone. Paragraphs of CCC 2113 CCC at Vatican website
These Secondary Verses are also proclaimed as follows
(6-7) “I am the LORD, there is no other; I form the light, and create the darkness, (21) “Was it not I, the LORD, besides whom there is no other God? There is no just and saving God but me. (23-24) “To me every knee shall bend; by me every tongue shall swear, Saying, “Only in the LORD are just deeds and power.” Wednesday of the Third Week of Advent Reading 1 (Even Years - December 2009, and every other year after that) Mary’s Role The highest form of honor, adoration (Latin “latria”) is given to God alone. The Catholic Church has always, and will always teach this. For example, the Catholic Church refuted the Collyridians in the fourth century because they did adore Mary. If someone professes to give this highest honor to Mary, they sadly cannot become a Catholic until they repent of this most serious error. If a Catholic falls into this most serious error, despite the Catholic Church’s strict prohibition against it, he must fully repent before he can enter into heaven. There are lesser forms of honor that God requires us to give to others. He commands us to honor our parents in Matthew 19:19. The Catholic Church uses the Latin term “dulia” to distinguish this lesser form of honor from the highest honor which is given to God alone, “latria,” or adoration. Mary has a special role among the Saints so the special honor given to her is called “hyperdulia” (hyper + dulia = more of the same.) The honor given to Mary is greater in degree, but it still is of the same kind as that given to the other saints. Because Mary is a finite creature who was saved by Jesus Christ the type of honor given to her is fundamentally different than the type of honor, “latria,” that is owed to the infinite Creator. When interpreting the various titles and prayers to Mary they must always be interpreted within the context of the more fundamental teachings of the Catholic Church about Jesus Christ. Vatican II, Lumen Gentium, paragraphs 60 and 62
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| A Third Proof Curiously there is third way to demonstrate the definitive teaching of the Catholic Church on this matter. Some Catholics have a weak understanding of what the Church teaches. For example, they fail to distinguish between the various types of honor, between the honor we give to say our mother or father (Matthew 19:19), the honor we give to the Saints in heaven and that highest honor of worship that is given to God alone. And when those Catholics end up leaving the Catholic Church to join a Protestant one, even before they leave the Catholic Church they usually know deep down that they are supposed to worship God and God alone. Why and how do they know this? They know this because they have been taught these Bible passages on a regular basis while they were still in the Catholic Church.
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