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#8433
Anonymous
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[quote:1qnhg55s](We adore her)Doesnt ever one adore there mother?[/quote:1qnhg55s]

Not quite. The first thing that a Catholic is taught abouth the worship of God and the veneration of the Saints is that he must define all the terms that he uses. That process of defining one term after the other is done before any proofs are put forth. Since questions concerning Catholic worship and veneration surface occasionally, and since even catechisms generally do not deal with the problem this is Catholic theology concerning Catholic Honor.

The highest honor that is possible is given to God alone, and that is called in Latin “latria.” The seconds highest honor that is given is “hyperdulia,” and that is given to the Blessed Virgin alone. The third type of honor is “dulia,” and that is given to all the angels and saints in heaven. After that there are various grades of honor. We are told to honor our parents. We are to honor the King (and rulers in general). We must honor our superiors. The wife must honor her husband.

The ordinary English speaking person generally does not use the terms latria, hyperdulia and dulia. He uses the words adoration for latria, veneration for hyperdulia and veneration for dulia. He may use super-veneration for hyperdulia.

The honor given to God through latria or adoration is the highest honor that can be given. It recognizes God as being the Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier. God is infinite. He is all good in Himself. Obviously He is our just judge. None of that honor can be given to a creature, and if it is done it is idolatry.

Hyperdulia or super veneration is given to only one created being, and that is the Blessed Virgin Mary. It shows that Mary, the Mother of God, is so highly blessed and endowed by God that she stands alone in her class. She is above all the angels and all the Saints.

Dulia or veneration goes to all the good angels and to all the Saints. No matter how good a person is he will not receive public liturgical veneration in the Catholic Church until he is declared venerable and finally a Saint by the Church.

There is also the difference between absolute and relative honor. When honor is give directly to the person involved, the honor is called absolute. When it is directed to an image of the person it is called relative honor.

If one pins a flower on his mother on Mothers’ Day he gives her absolute honor, and if he puts flowers by her picture he gives her relative honor. The honor given with relative honor does not stop in the manufactured image. It really glances on to the one who is absent.

A few examples in religion are, we give our honor to Jesus before a Christmas crib we give relative adoration to the Infant Jesus. We give relative veneration when we pray in front of an image of the Blessed Virgin. It is forbidden to believe that we can or should worship the image of the Creator, or venerate the image of our Lady, that would be idolotry. It would be idolotry to say that our Lady answers prayers by her own power, she interceeds for us, just as when a member of our family or congregation interceeds for us before the Throne of God.