Karlo Broussard, a Catholic Answers apologist and author of 'The Saints Pray for You', dives deep into the practice of invoking saints. He addresses common Protestant objections, including claims about necromancy and the lack of early Christian examples. Karlo argues that the absence of explicit instructions does not undermine the legitimacy of asking saints for intercession. He emphasizes that this practice enriches our spiritual lives and connects us with the communion of saints, all while affirming the primacy of direct prayer to Jesus.
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insights INSIGHT
Biblical Basis for Invoking Saints
The Bible does not explicitly instruct to invoke the saints, but it reveals that saints in heaven intercede for us.
If Protestants accept asking the Holy Spirit to intercede without explicit instruction, they should also accept invoking the saints.
insights INSIGHT
No NT Examples Doesn't Prohibit Practice
Lack of New Testament examples of praying to saints doesn't mean it's prohibited.
Many accepted Christian practices, like the sinner's prayer and wedding ceremonies, also lack early scriptural examples yet are valid.
insights INSIGHT
Early Evidence Supports Ancient Practice
The earliest evidence of invoking saints dates to mid-third century but likely reflects earlier beliefs.
Setting arbitrary cutoffs for acceptable practice history is inconsistent and excludes some accepted Christian beliefs.
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In this episode of Catholic Answers Live, Karlo Broussard goes beyond proving that the saints in heaven are aware of our prayers—he tackles the deeper question: Should we actually invoke them? Karlo answers key Protestant objections such as the absence of early Christian practices, claims of necromancy or idolatry, and the charge that saints would need to be omniscient to hear so many prayers. With Scripture, Church history, and careful reasoning, Karlo shows why invoking the saints is not only legitimate but spiritually powerful—and not a substitute for going directly to Jesus, but a biblical expression of the communion of saints.
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Questions Covered:
03:48 – Even if I concede that Revelation 5:8 proves the Christians in heaven are aware of our specific requests and intercede for us on account of those requests, it doesn’t give us any sort of instruction to invoke them. Therefore, we shouldn’t do it.
17:40 – Maybe we don’t need an explicit instruction to invoke the saints. But you’d think that if it were appropriate to ask the saints to pray for us, then at least we’d have some examples of the first century Christians doing this. Since we don’t, we shouldn’t invoke the saints.
22:16 – But Karlo, we don’t have any evidence of Christians invoking the saints’ intercession for the first two hundred years plus of Christianity. The earliest evidence we have is the mid third century. Since this belief and practice is a historical accretion, we shouldn’t engage in it.
28:30 – Perhaps the lack of evidence for Christians invoking the saints in the New Testament and the first two hundred years is because Christians believed it was wrong to communicate with the dead, given that Deuteronomy 18:12 forbids necromancy and calls it an “abomination to the Lord.
35:40 – Let’s say I agree that the invocation of the saints isn’t necromancy. But we still ought not to do it because it’s idolatrous. Don’t Catholics say, “we pray to the saints”? Prayer is something that we offer to God alone.
42:00 – It still seems that Catholics make “gods” out of the saints because by invoking them you’re implying that they can do only what God can do—namely, know the hearts of men. 2 Chronicles 6:30 says, “God alone knows the hearts of men.
44:58 – Okay, maybe God can give some knowledge to the saints. But the amount of knowledge involved with the Catholic belief and practice would require omniscience. How could Mary hear 8 billion prayer requests, say, at the same time? She’d have to be God to do that.
48:50 – Maybe there’s nothing wrong with invoking the saints in principle. But because it has led to so many abuses and violations of the Gospel that we should not do it.
52:45 – Practically speaking. Why would I invoke the saints when I can just go straight to Jesus?
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