This is the fifth part in a seven-part series entitled, ARE ROMAN CATHOLICS CHRISTIANS OR HERETICS. There are seven (7) major differences between Roman Catholic Doctrine and Christianity. They are a different Church, Authority, Jesus, Gospel, Mary, View of Sin, and a different Path to Eternity.
Christians and Roman Catholics Have a Different Mary
The Roman Catholic Mary is to be venerated even worshiped by many, even by the Popes. Why because they say she was born without sin (immaculate conception), lived a perfect life, and rose into heaven without dying (assumption). This is based on tradition and extra-biblical man-made teachings.
The Protestant Mary was born a sinner. As a young girl, she found favor with God. As a virgin, she was the mother of Jesus. The Bible calls her blessed of all women. She was married to Joseph and had other children. She was saved from her sins by Jesus through faith. She died and was buried and awaits her bodily resurrection as do all Christians. This is solely based on the Bible or Holy Scriptures.
Marian Doctrines of Roman Catholicism
Marian doctrines are a set of teachings and beliefs within the Catholic Church related to the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus. These doctrines have developed over centuries and hold a central place in Catholic theology and devotion. They also rely on Sacred Tradition to support Marian doctrines. It's important to note that these Marian doctrines are a significant part of Catholic theology, and they shape Catholic devotion and spirituality. Marian doctrines have also been a point of theological difference between Catholics and most Protestant denominations. In Catholicism, Mary holds a central and exalted role in the faith. Here are some of the Marian doctrines: immaculate conception, perpetual virginity, Mother of God, assumption, Queen of Heaven, Mediatrix, and Co-Redemptrix, plays a role in salvation, and receives prayers and devotion.
The teachings and doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church are compiled in a book called "Catechism of the Catholic Church." We will document its teaching by the initials ccc and then reference where.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church stands, in the words of Pope John Paul II, as "a sure norm for teaching the faith" and an "authentic reference text."
Immaculate Conception: The doctrine of the Immaculate Conception, established as dogma by Pope Pius IX in 1854, teaches that Mary was preserved from original sin from the moment of her conception. This means that Mary was conceived without the stain of original sin and lived a sinless life. It is important to note that this doctrine refers to Mary's conception, not the conception of Jesus.
"Through the centuries the Church has become ever more aware that Mary, "full of grace" through God, was redeemed from the moment of her conception. That is what the dogma of the Immaculate Conception confesses, as Pope Pius IX proclaimed in 1854: (ccc 491)
Perpetual Virginity: Catholics believe in the perpetual virginity of Mary, which means that Mary remained a virgin before, during, and after the birth of Jesus. This doctrine is based on early Catholic tradition and the belief that Mary's virginal status is a sign of her special holiness and purity. role in salvation, and prayers and devotions.
"The deepening of faith in the virginal motherhood led the Church to confess Mary's real and perpetual virginity even in the act of giving birth to the Son of God made man. In fact, Christ's birth "did not diminish his mother's virginal integrity but sanctified it. "And so, the liturgy of the Church celebrates Mary as Aeiparthenos, the "Ever-virgin." (ccc 499)
Mother of God (Theotokos): This title for Mary reflects the belief that she is the mother of Jesus, the divine nature of God, who is both fully divine and fully human. The Council of Ephesus in 431 affirmed Mary's title as "Theotokos" (God-bearer) to emphasize the unity of Christ's natures. They believe that she bore Jesus' God nature as well as human nature.
Assumption: The Assumption of Mary, declared as dogma by Pope Pius XII in 1950, teaches that at the end of her earthly life, Mary was taken body and soul into heaven. This means that Mary did not experience bodily decay but was assumed into heavenly glory.
"Finally, the Immaculate Virgin, preserved free from all stain of original sin, when the course of her earthly life was finished, was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory, and exalted by the Lord as Queen over all things so that she might be the more fully conformed to her Son" (ccc 966).
Queenship of Mary: The Queenship of Mary teaches that Mary holds a special role in the heavenly kingdom and is regarded as the Queen of Heaven and Earth. This doctrine emphasizes her unique role in the divine plan and her intercessory power. Here is the "Hail, Holy Queen" that Roman Catholics pray using the Rosary.
"Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope, to thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve; to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears; turn, then, most gracious Advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ."
Mediatrix and Co-Redemptrix: While not officially defined as dogma, some Catholics believe that Mary acts as a mediator between humanity and Christ and plays a role in the redemption of humanity alongside Jesus.
"As Mediatrix, Mary did not lay aside this saving office but by her manifold intercession continues to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation." (ccc 969)
Role in Salvation: In Catholic theology, Mary is considered an important figure in the process of salvation. Catholics believe in the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception, which states that Mary was preserved from original sin from the moment of her conception. She is also believed to have played a role in the redemption of humanity through her cooperation with God's plan to give birth to Jesus. Mary is venerated as the "Mother of God" and is often invoked for intercession. The rosary and candles are used to pray directly to Mary.
"Without a single sin to restrain her ... she became the cause of salvation for herself and the whole human race. (ccc 494)
Prayers and Devotion: Catholics often engage in various forms of devotion to Mary, including the Rosary, Marian processions, and prayers like the "Hail Mary." They believe in seeking her intercession and venerate her through various titles, such as "Our Lady of Guadalupe" or "Our Lady of Lourdes." Catholics pray to Mary and seek her intercession for various needs, believing that she can advocate on their behalf before God.
Praying the "Hail Mary"
"Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, Amen".
A famous Pope Francis quote, “Mary is not only the bridge joining us to God; she is much more. She is the road God traveled in order to reach us, and the road that we must travel in order to reach Him.”
Pope John Paul says, "Look also the Blessed Virgin, standing by the cross of Jesus where she is given to us as our mother: she is our hope, the seat of true Wisdom.” (Rome, Italy, 1980). "May Mary our Protectress, the Co-redemptrix, to whom we offer our prayer with great outpouring make our desire generously correspond to the desire of the Redeemer." (Guayaquil, Ecuador, on January 31, 1985)
Here we see two famous Popes call Mary a bridge joining us to God (not Jesus), the road God traveled (not Calvary), our hope (not Jesus' blood sacrifice), the seat of true wisdom (another attribute of Jesus), protectress (unbiblical), and Co-redemptrix (there is only one redeemer the Lord Jesus Christ). These statements alone cause them to be heretics.
Protestant View of Mary
Protestantism places a strong emphasis on sola scriptura (Scripture alone), the belief that the Bible is the ultimate authority in matters of faith and practice. As a result, Protestant views of Mary tend to be more focused on what can be directly supported by Scripture. Marian Doctrines rely on extra-biblical sources like sacred tradition, papal dogmas, magisterium (bishop teaching), catechisms, and the Roman Catholic Bible. Protestantism, as a whole, tends to be cautious about accepting doctrines or beliefs about Mary that are not explicitly supported by Scripture. This includes doctrines such as the Immaculate Conception and the Assumption, which are not part of Protestant theology.
Mary as the Mother of Jesus: All Protestant denominations acknowledge Mary as the mother of Jesus and as a central figure in the biblical birth narrative. Her role as the mother of the Savior is highly respected and she is blessed and highly favored. This is the only teaching on Mary that there is a halfway agreement, she is the mother of Jesus' human nature, "fully man." Almighty God has always existed, Jesus was God in Heaven and came to earth to become Emmanual, God with us. He is eternally existent "fully God" and born a man "fully man."
Jesus says, “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty” (Revelation 1:8).
The hypostatic union is a technical term in Christian theology employed in mainstream Christology to describe the union of Christ's humanity and divinity in one hypostasis, or individual personhood. The most basic explanation for the hypostatic union is Jesus Christ being both fully God and fully man. He is both perfectly divine and perfectly human and has two complete and distinct natures at once.
"He is God from the essence of the Father, begotten before time; and he is human from the essence of his mother, born in time; completely God, completely human with a rational soul and human flesh; equal to the Father as regards divinity, less than the Father as regards humanity" (The Athanasian Creed).
Role in Salvation: Protestants do not attribute any role to Mary in the process of salvation. Unlike Catholicism, which emphasizes Mary's cooperation in the redemption of humanity, Protestants believe that salvation is through faith in Jesus Christ alone, not through the intercession of Mary or any other human figure.
Perpetual Virginity: This can't be substantiated by the Holy Scriptures. Many Scriptures mention Jesus' brothers and sisters.
"Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is His mother not called Mary, and His brothers, James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this man acquire all these things?” (Matthew 13:55-56)
De-emphasis on Marian Devotion: Protestant worship and spirituality generally do not include the extensive devotions and prayers to Mary that are common in Catholicism. Protestants are more likely to focus their prayers and devotion on God through Jesus Christ.
Intercession and Mediation: While some Protestants may ask fellow Christians to pray for them, they do not typically seek the intercession of Mary or other saints. Instead, they believe in direct access to God through prayer In the name of Jesus.
The Jesus of the Bible is the only mediator between God and Man.
"For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time (1 Timothy 2:5-6),
yet the Roman Catholic Church offers Mary as the mediator.
Pope Pius lX proclaimed that "God has committed to Mary the treasury of all good things, in order that everyone may know that through her are obtained every hope, every grace, and all salvation. For this is His Will that we obtain everything through Mary."
Queen of Heaven - Pagan Roots
In the Roman Catholic Church, the Queenship of Mary teaches that Mary holds a special role in the heavenly kingdom and is regarded as the Queen of Heaven and Earth. This doctrine emphasizes her unique role in the divine plan and her intercessory power. Where did this title come from?
“Mary has the authority over the angels and the blessed in heaven. As a reward for her great humility, God gave her the power and mission of assigning to saints the thrones made vacant by the apostate angels who fell away through pride. Such is the will of the almighty God who exalts the humble, that the powers of heaven, earth, and hell, willingly or unwillingly, must obey the commands of the humble Virgin Mary. For God has made her queen of heaven and earth, leader of his armies, keeper of his treasure, dispenser of his graces, mediatrix on behalf of men, destroyer of his enemies, and faithful associate in his (Jesus') great works and triumphs.” (Saint Louis Marie de Montfort, True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin, #28)
The Oueen of Heaven is a Pagan concept introduced to the world at the Tower of Babel. It assimilated into the Roman Catholic Church when Constantine made Christianity legal and a state religion. It is the worship of a mother and child.
By the time of Christ, this cult had so influenced Roman life that the Caesars were not only crowned as Emperors of Rome, but they were also called the Pontifex Maximus which means High Priest of the Roman worship of Venus the fertility goddess, and her son Cupid.
In 313 AD Constantine issued what is now the famous edict of Milan which gave Christians the freedom to worship Jesus openly throughout the Roman Empire. Thus, putting the growing new religion on an equal plane with the widely popular Pagan cults and all the practices, rituals, and worship of Idols that thrived there.
Constantine made a deal with a supernatural being and he won a battle and became Emperor.
"No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light" (2 Corinthians 11:14).
Overnight the priests of Pagan, godless, Roman temples became part of his new Roman Catholic Church. The Priests of Tammuz in Rome, in the first, second, and third centuries discovered they could easily make the transition into Christianity. They carried their traditions forward without interruption by promoting a Madonna/child worship. They changed the mother's name to Mary and the son to Jesus. His soldiers became the agents of baptism and they forcibly baptized all. The whole empire was united. All were baptized, it was Christianized, and everything became confused. The lines between Christianity and Paganism were blurred.
So, where and how did the Queen of Heaven Concept begin? It all started at the tower of Babel, one of three of Babylon's Mysteries, along with man-made organized religion. and the idol worship of materialism (Genesis 11). Semiramis the wife of nimrod the King of Babel and Tammuz were worshiped as a divine mother and son. These pagan religions reemerged under many names and the Bible calls it Mystery Babylon (Revelation 17).
| Mother | Son | Country |
 | Semiramis - The sun god, Nimrod used his sun rays to miraculously inseminate Semiramis with a child. This child was thus considered to be divinely conceived. | Tammuz - The child’s name was Tammuz, which she claimed was the reincarnated Nimrod. He was killed by a wild boar. She gathered all his pieces and mourned for 40 days, and he came back to life. | Babel - Semiramis was a queen consort and the mother of Nimrod, builder of the Bible's Tower of Babel. Semiramis and Nimrod's incestuous male offspring was the deity Tammuz and all divine pairings in religions were retellings of this story. |
 | Ishtar - Widely worshiped mother goddess for many Semitic peoples, creator of earthly blessings, sexual love, fertility, grief over human sorrows, and protector of motherhood. | Tammuz - Tammuz was killed every year by a wild boar but was rescued from the nether world by Ishtar, who brought him back to life and assured a new springtime.
| Syria - The Sumerian myth of Ishtar concerns her descent into the underworld, her death, and the sacrifice for her rebirth back to life. A prime example of the archetypal dying-and-rising god, |
 | Astarte (Ashtaroth) - goddess of fertility and sexuality. She is a consort of Baal and is condemned along with him as a false god. Known as our lady. | Baal - was the name of the supreme god worshiped in ancient Canaan and Phoenicia. He demanded Child sacrifice. | Phoenicians - (Canaanites) The brutality, lust, and lack of morals of the gods led devotees to the most demoralizing practices such as sacred prostitution and child sacrifice. |
 | Isis - Isis was a powerful Egyptian goddess of magic, healing, and motherhood, who ruled over the throne, nature, and the dead. | Osiris - She searched for and reassembled the body of Osiris, who was killed and dismembered by his brother Set, the god of chaos and evil. | Egypt - She used her magic to resurrect Osiris and conceive a son Horus, who later avenged his father and defeated Set in a great battle. |
 | Aphrodite - She is an ancient Greek goddess associated with love, lust, beauty, pleasure, passion, procreation, and the patron of all prostitutes including ritual. | Eros - Greek god of love, who could make anyone fall in love with his magic arrows, He was not always a cute and innocent child, but a powerful and mischievous deity who enjoyed meddling in human and divine affairs.
| Greece - Polytheistic gods emphasizing freedom from oppression and hardship. They use rituals, rites, and ceremonies, thru temples, shrines, and statues to offer sacrifices to the pagan gods. |
 | Venus - Venus was the Roman goddess of love, beauty, sex, and fertility, who inspired passion and desire in humans and gods alike. She is also credited with having affairs with several mortals and gods. | Cupid - is winged, allegedly because lovers are flighty and likely to change their minds, and boyish because love is irrational. His symbols are the arrow and torch, "because love wounds and inflames the heart". | Roman Empire - was polytheistic worshiping multiple gods and goddesses and animistic believing that spirits inhabited everything around them. Adopted other pagan cults and gods. |
 | Mary - Queen of Heaven to be worshiped, and co-redeemer with Jesus, heavenly intercessor, and virgin Mother. | Jesus - God in the flesh to save humanity. Satan always counterfeits God's plan and truth. Queen of Heaven paganism is one of them. | Vatican - The Vatican’s history as the seat of the Catholic Church began with the construction of a basilica over St. Peter’s grave in Rome in the 4th century A.D. |
Mystery Babylon
There are three major characteristics of Mystery Babylon. First, it represents the Oueen of Heaven or the great prostitute. Second, it represents arrogant and prideful nations that worship the idol of materialism. The third is man-made Pegan world religions. They are all demonic and against Jesus Christ. The Roman Catholic church falls into all three categories.
"Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed acts of sexual immorality, and those who live on the earth became drunk with the wine of her sexual immorality” (Revelation 17:1-2).
"The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls, holding in her hand a gold cup full of abominations and of the unclean things of her sexual immorality, and on her forehead a name was written, a mystery: “BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus" (Revelation 17:3-6).
False Worship in Judah
Even the Jewish people of Judah, God's own chosen people, were deceived into believing the Semiramis and Tammuz cultic idol worship. They were killed and exiled by God because of it.
"Then He brought me to the entrance of the gate of the Lord’s house which was toward the north; and behold, women were sitting there weeping for Tammuz. (Ezekiel 8:14).
The Pegan Cults believed that Semiramis alone could bring peace with the gods through sacraments. By praying and weeping for 40 days to her son Tammuz their blessings would come true. Tammuz was killed by a wild boar, Semiramis took his remains and prayed and wept for 40 days and he was resurrected. Satan will always try to counterfeit God's truth.
'But we will certainly carry out every word that has proceeded from our mouths, by burning sacrifices to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, just as we ourselves, our forefathers, our kings, and our leaders did in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; for then we had plenty of food and were well off and saw no misfortune. But since we stopped burning sacrifices to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have lacked everything, and have met our end by the sword and by famine.” And said the women, “when we were burning sacrifices to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, was it without our husbands that we made for her sacrificial cakes in her image, and poured out drink offerings to her?” (Jeremiah 44:17-19)
"This is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel says: ‘As for you and your wives, you have spoken with your mouths and fulfilled it with your hands, saying, “We will certainly perform our vows that we have vowed, to burn sacrifices to the queen of heaven and pour out drink offerings to her.” By all means, fulfill your vows and be sure to perform your vows!’ In return, hear the word of the Lord, all Judah who are living in the land of Egypt: ‘Behold, I have sworn by My great name,’ says the Lord, ‘that My name shall never be invoked again by the mouth of anyone of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, “As the Lord God lives.” Behold, I am watching over them for harm and not for good, and all the people of Judah who are in the land of Egypt will meet their end by the sword or by famine until they are completely gone" (Jeremiah 44:25-27).
"Do you not see what they are doing in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? The children gather wood, the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead dough to make sacrificial cakes for the queen of heaven; and they pour out drink offerings to other gods in order to provoke Me to anger. (Jeremiah 7:17-18).
All Religion Worships Demons
God is very clear that his people, beginning with Israel, and now with Christians, are not to sacrifice to idols because behind every idol or false god or goddess is a demon. Demons are fallen angels or spirit beings. These sacrifices make you a partner with demons cutting you off from God's fellowship. The remedy is repentance from the worship of demons and man-made idols. The lack of changing one's heart and behaviors leads to murder, witchcraft, stealing, and sexual immorality. God's anger becomes His wrath on the unrepentant unbelievers. All man-made religions are actually demon worship, including the Roman Catholic Church.
"What do I mean then? That food sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, but I say that things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God; and I do not want you to become partners with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons" (1 Corinthians 10:19-21). "The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands so as not to worship demons and the idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk; and they did not repent of their murders, nor of their witchcraft, nor of their sexual immorality, nor of their thefts" (Revelation 9:20-21).
Jesus vs. Catholic Mary
The Holy Scriptures do not teach that any of these parallel attributes belonged to Mary, except she was the Mother of Jesus, who is the second person of the Holy Trinity. By looking at the comparison you would think that Mary would be added to the Godhead by the Roman Catholic Church. Let's look at the absurdities of these titles.
Jesus | Catholic Mary |
Prince of Peace | Queen of Peace |
Son of God | Mother of God |
Ascended to Glory | Assumed into Glory |
King of Heaven | Queen of Heaven |
Mediator | Mediatrix |
Redeemer | Co-redeemer |
Advocate | Advocate |
Sinless | Sinless |
Source of Grace | Channel for all Graces |
Last Adam | Last Eve |
Conclusion
Roman Catholics and historical Christians have a different view of who Mary the mother of Jesus is. Roman Catholics worship her out of man-made doctrines, teachings, and dogma. You may choose to do the same but don't say the Holy Scriptures (breathed by God through men) teach them. Therefore, whom do you believe the Roman Catholic church or the Holy Scriptures? One offers purgatory, the other offers eternal life in the presence of Jesus, not Mary. In my humble point of view, the Roman Catholic church is a heretical apostate church that worships Satan the great deceiver!
To get a more accurate and comprehensive view of the Roman Catholic church please read all my blog posts outlining the seven (7) major differences between Roman Catholic Doctrine and Christianity. They are a different Church, Authority, Jesus, Gospel, Mary, View of Sin, and a different Path to Eternity. www.fullerofgraceandtruth.com/blog
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