What is Veneration?
Veneration of the saints is the way in which the Catholic church honours and respects those who it regards as deserving of such action. Catholic theology draws a clear distinction between veneration and worship. Three Greek terms illustrate this point: • Latria (‘Worship’) – The adoration that is due to God alone. • Dulia (‘Servitude’) – The respect given to the saints. Honouring the saints is seen is honouring God, because of his presence and holiness in their lives. • Hyperdulia (‘Higher Servitude’) – The special veneration given to the Virgin Mary, on account of her role as Mother of Christ. Mary is also called the ‘Mother of God’ in the sense that the Son she bore was truly God and part of the Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Note: The term ‘Our Lady’ is widely used within the Church for Mary, paralleled by ‘Our Lord’ for Christ. For example: ‘Our Lady of Lourdes’. Paragraph 50 of the Dogmatic constitution on the church, proclaimed by Pope Paul VI in 1964 at the Vatican II c
Veneration is respect, honour, and devotion paid to the saintly deceased members of the Body of Christ, distinct from the respect, honour, and adoration which is given to God alone that which is called worship. Our communion with these in heaven, provided that it is understood in the full light of faith, in no way diminishes the worship of adoration given to God the Father, through Christ, in the Spirit; on the contrary, it greatly enriches it. For if we continue to love one another and to join in praising the Most Holy Trinity all of us who are sons of God and form one family in Christ (cf. Heb. 3:6) we will be faithful to the deepest vocation of the Church and will share in a foretaste of the liturgy of perfect glory. (Lumen Gentium #51) In full consciousness of this communion of the whole Mystical Body of Jesus Christ, the Church in its pilgrim members, from the very earliest days of the Christian religion, has honoured with great respect the memory of the dead (Lumen Gentium #50) [
