A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF INTERCESSORY PRAYERS AS PRACTICED IN THE ROMAN CATHOLIC TRADITION

Abstract

This paper critically analyzes the Roman Catholic practice of intercessory prayers to Mary and the saints in light of biblical teaching and the model of prayer presented by Jesus Christ. While Catholic theology upholds the Communion of Saints and the ability of glorified believers to intercede for the living, this paper argues that such practices lack explicit biblical support. Nowhere in Scripture are believers instructed to invoke the saints or Mary in prayer; rather, the New Testament consistently encourages direct prayer to God the Father through Jesus Christ, the sole mediator between God and humanity (1 Timothy 2:5; John 16:23). Drawing from both biblical texts and theological sources, this research contrasts Catholic tradition with the Reformation principle of Sola Christus, emphasizing Christ’s exclusive mediatory role. It highlights how the Catholic use of apocryphal and extra-biblical sources stands in contrast with the biblical paradigm, which presents prayer as a Spirit-empowered, Christ-centered communion with God. The paper further critiques the assumption that saints in heaven are aware of or capable of responding to the needs of the faithful on earth, a notion unsupported by Scripture (cf. Luke 16:26). Through a qualitative methodology, engaging literature data from Scripture texts, church documents and theological analysis, this paper seeks to clarify whom Christians are biblically authorized to address in prayer. It aims to reorient the Church’s prayer life toward the teachings of Christ and the apostolic witness, asserting that Scripture not tradition must remain the ultimate authority on matters of faith and practice. The paper recommends that Church especially its leadership and teaching ministries must return to the biblical model of prayer, which affirms that all believers have direct, unhindered access to God the Father through Jesus Christ alone.