I am a Christian of the protestant persuasion.  One who also has problems with a number of doctrines, practices, and beliefs of the RCC (Roman Catholic Church) that include: The meaning of Mass (In each Mass Christ is literally crucified or sacrificed again), The perpetual virginity of Mary and the significance the RCC places upon her, The infallibility of the Pope when he speaks “Ex Cathedra,” Their Confessional practices, Praying to “saints,” and several other matters.

I recently read an article that reported about the beatification of Pope John Paul II.  Before a person can be declared a saint in the RCC, according to the article, they must be beatified, their life deemed exemplary, and at least two instance of performing miracles.  What got my attention was how the first miracle attributed to John Paul II was described as taking place…

The last remaining hurdle concerned the approval by Vatican-appointed panels of doctors and theologians, cardinals and bishops that the cure of French nun, Sister Marie Simon-Pierre, was a miracle due to the intercession of John Paul.

The nun has said she felt reborn when she woke up two months after John Paul died, cured of the disease that had made walking, writing and driving a car nearly impossible. She and her fellow sisters of the Congregation of Little Sisters of Catholic Maternity Wards had prayed to John Paul, who also suffered from Parkinson’s.

Praying to ANY human being… dead or alive… is blatantly against all I believe and know as a follower of Christ!  I am well aware that the RCC has three sources of truth: 1) Scripture, 2) Church (RCC) Tradition, 3) The Pope.  As I understand it, all three are equal in authority for Roman Catholics.  However, as a Protestant, the only one that matters is Scripture.  And it is there that I read…

1 Timothy 2:5, There is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6  who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.

I affirm John Paul was a man of faith with many great virtues, but he cannot mediate anything to God from mankind.  No human can whether they are called “Saint” Mary, Nicholas, Barnabas, or (eventually?) John Paul II.  This is not a statement about salvation of any person in the RCC, but rather a statement about truth versus heresy.  In my view, praying to anyone other than God through Jesus Christ is heretical.