of the Old and New Testaments. The mind of the early Christians was
clearly a Catholic mind.
Objection two: “But I have seen Catholics worshipping statues by
kissing and bowing before them.”
The acts of kissing and bowing are not in themselves exclusively acts of
adoration or idolatry. Scripture again gives examples of legitimate bowing
done in honor of human beings:
“Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you. Be lord over your
brothers, and may your mother’s sons bow down to you. Cursed be every
one who curses you, and blessed be every one who blesses you!” (Gen.
27:29).
“He himself went on before them, bowing himself to the ground seven
times, until he came near to his brother. But Esau ran to meet him, and
embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept” (Gen.
33:3-4).
“Then Joshua...fell to the ground on his face before the ark of the Lord
until the evening” (Josh. 7:6).
“Now when the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho saw him over
against them, they said, ‘The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.’ And they
came to meet him, and bowed to the ground before him.” (2 Kgs. 2:15).
“Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are
Jews and are not, but lie––behold, I will make them come and bow down
before your feet, and learn that I have loved you” (Rev. 3:9).
If someone kisses the photograph of his mother is he paying respect to a
piece of cardboard, or is he making an act of love offered to his mother? A
Catholic pays respect to images and statues only because they remind him
of God, Christ, Our Lady or the Saints. The homage given to the image
refers to the prototype it represents. A pagan adores and worships a statue
in itself. A Catholic kisses a Crucifix, not to worship the actual metal or
wood, but because it represents Our Lord and what He did for us.
Christians see in the Cross of Christ the great love He had for us and with
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