Does Catholicism Teach to Worship Graven Images?

Deuteronomy 5:6-10 (6)"I, the LORD, am your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery. (7)You shall not have other gods besides me. (8)You shall not carve idols for yourselves in the shape of anything in the sky above or on the earth below or in the waters beneath the earth; (9) you shall not bow down before them or worship them. For I, the LORD, your God, am a jealous God, inflicting punishments for their fathers' wickedness on the children of those who hate me, down to the third and fourth generation (10) but bestowing mercy, down to the thousandth generation, on the children of those who love me and keep my commandments.

There’s prohibition on worship of other gods in verse 7 and crafting of graven images that would be worshipped as gods in 8-9. The former is a general statement of the First Commandment, while the latter provides a specific case of this precept. Verses 9-10 imply punishments and rewards correlated with these commandments.

There must be problems elsewhere in the Scripture if God simply forbids the carving of graven images. First, God charged Moses to make 2 statues of angels (cherubim) for the top of the Ark of the Covenant (Exodus 25:18-21). Subsequently, God ordered Moses to make a bronze serpent, so that by looking at it the people who were bitten by snakes could be healed.

While it is true that King Hezekiah demolished it centuries later, this was initiated because the community worshiped it as a god (2 Kings 18:4). 1 Kings 6:23-28 says that the inner sanctuary of the Temple possessed two large statues of angels. Likewise, King Solomon decorated the temple with carved images of angels, palm trees and flowers (1 Kings 6:29ff). At the Babylonian Captivity, Ezekiel had a vision concerning the New Temple which contained graven images of angels and palm trees (Ezekiel 41:17-25) which itself points out that God does not forbid the making of statues. God must have made amendments after the Old Testament if He truly condemned the making of graven images. In the New Testament, Jesus equated Himself to the bronze serpent (John 3:14).

During the Council of Trent (1545-1563), the Catholic Church issued a statement regarding images and statues clarifying that, “The images of Christ and of the Virgin Mother of God, and of the Saints are to be had and retained particularly in churches, and due honor and veneration are to be given; not that any divinity or virtue is believed to be in them on account of which they are to be worshiped, or that anything is to be asked of them, or that trust is to be reposed in images, as was of old by the Gentiles, who placed their hopes in idols; but because the honor which is shown them is referred to the prototypes which these images represent; so that we through the images which we kiss… or bend the knee, adore Christ and venerate the Saint, whom they represent.” [The Canon & Decrees of the Council of Trent (TAN Books, 1978) p. 215-6]

The Catholics are not forced by the church to kneel or pray before images as they helpless. Veneration of images is allowed provided that the honor is directed towards Christ and His Saints.

There has been an objection which rooted from a confusion between divine honor (adoration – supreme honor proper only for God) and respectful honor proper for men). In the Scripture, the people of God paid homage to King David by bowing down (2 Samuel 24:20; 1 Chronicle 29:20; 21:21). Obadiah also bowed down before Elijah to show reverence as God’s prophet. Similarly, we are directed to honor our parents (Deuteronomy 5:16). Jesus Himself preserved & followed this commandment (Mark 7:9-13; Luke 2:51). The Catholic’s honor for Mary is in imitation of Jesus (1 Corinthian 11:1). Veneration of the saints and their images are allowed, an honor proper for men, for their love and trust in God (Mathew 22:31-32; Hebrew 11:1-12:1).

The Catholic Church denounces the adoration (divine worship) of statues, images, and saints, for this is idolatry which directly defies the First Commandment. For Catholic Christians, a crucifix should be regarded not only as a statue of Jesus hanging on a cross, but as SOMETHING which constantly reminds us of the HIGHEST COST of our salvation along with His words to us.