What do Catholic statues usually represent?

Answer 1

Actually, we just call them statues. The Orthodox churches call them icons.[ Greek and Russian ] .Their priests say Mass behind a screen decorated with icons[ holy PICTURES ] and is called an iconoclastic .

A Catholic statute in God's view is called an abomination to the Lord. The worship of such statutes is considered idolatry according the the Word of God and worship by the Catholic church. Keyword search "worship" at NewAdvent, a Catholic site, will show even the most devout Catholic that their church teaches that dulia and hyper-dulia (an invented word used for Mary of the Catholic church) are forms of worship. Catholics like to deny; preferring a synonymous word veneration. They can fool men, but God will never be mocked without displaying His wrath against the mockers.

Answer 2

It's like a picture of a family member or some other loved one. You love the person that the picture represents, but you don't love the picture itself.

Same thing with statues, they are used to remind us of God, Mary or the saints.

It's also important to note that Catholics DON'T worship Mary or the saints. They worship God alone, but they also ask Mary or the saints to pray for them.

Answer 3

Many religions use statues to help them pray to a particular god or saint. Catholics know that the statue is only a representation of the saint, but kneel in front of it while praying for the saint to intercede on their behalf.

Answer 4

Catholic statues are symbols of their likenesses. Praying to the statue of a particular saint is asking the saint to send to message to God for you. The statues are not worshiped, but they are meant to honor important people.

Answer 5

Catholic AnswerCatholic Churches have statues for much the same reason that people keep pictures of their family members in the house: to call them to mind. To think of them, to point them out to visitors, etc.

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from Modern Catholic Dictionary by John A. Hardon, S.J. Doubleday & Co., Inc. Garden City, NY 1980

Statue. A likeness of Christ, the Blessed Virgin or one of the saints, or a symbolic form of an angel, sculptured, carved, or cast in a solid material, and venerated by the faithful. Its purpose is to recall the person whom the statue represents in order to inspire greater piety. Christians do not worship statues as idols.