Intercession (Mediation)

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To intercede is to go or come between two parties, to plead before one of them on behalf of the other. In theNew Testament it is used as the equivalent ofentygchanein (Vulgateinterpellare, inHebrews 7:25). "Mediation" means a standing in the midst between two (contending) parties, for the purpose of bringing them together (cf.mediator,mesites,1 Timothy 2:5).

Inecclesiastical usage both words are taken in the sense of the intervention primarily ofChrist, and secondarily of the Blessed Virgin and theangels andsaints, on behalf of men. It would be better, however, to restrict the wordmediation to the action ofChrist, andintercession to the action of the Blessed Virgin, theangels, and thesaints. In this article we shall briefly deal with: I. the Mediation of Christ; and at more length with, II. the intercession of thesaints.

The mediation of Christ

In considering the Mediation of Christ we must distinguish between His position and His office. AsGod-man He stands in the midst betweenGod and man partaking of the natures of both, and therefore, by that very fact, fitted to act as Mediator between them. He is, indeed, the Mediator in the absolute sense of the word, in a way that no one else can possibly be. "For there is oneGod, and one mediator ofGod andmen, the manChrist Jesus" (1 Timothy 2:5). He is united to both: "The head of every man is Christ... the head of Christ isGod" (1 Corinthians 11:3). His office of Mediator belongs to Him as man, Hishumannature is theprincipium quo, but the value of His action is derived from the fact that it is a Divine Person Who acts. The main object of His mediation is to restore the friendship betweenGod and man. This is attained first by the meriting of grace and remission ofsin, by means of the worship and satisfaction offered toGod by and through Christ. But, besides bringing man nigh untoGod, Christ bringsGod nigh unto man, by revealing to man Divinetruths and commands — He is the Apostle sent byGod to us and theHigh-Priest leading us on toGod (Hebrews 3:1). Even in the physical order the mere fact ofChrist's existence is in itself a mediation betweenGod and man. By uniting our humanity to His Divinity He united us toGod andGod to us. AsSt. Athanasius says, "Christ became man that men might become gods" (On the Incarnation 54; cf.St. Augustine, "Serm. De Nativitate Dom.";St. Thomas,III.1.2). And for this Christprayed: "That they all may be one, as thou, Father, in me, and I in thee. . . . I in them, and thou in me; that they may be made perfect in one" (John 17:21-23). The subject ofChrist's mediation belongs properly to the articlesATONEMENT;JESUS CHRIST;REDEMPTION. See also St. Thomas,III.26; and the treatises on the Incarnation.

Intercession and invocation

We shall here speak not only of intercession, but also of the invocation of thesaints. The one indeed implies the other; we should not call upon thesaints for aid unless they could help us. The foundation of both lies in thedoctrine of thecommunion of saints. In the article on this subject it has been shown that the faithful inheaven, on earth, and inpurgatory are one mystical body, with Christ for their head. All that is of interest to one part is of interest to the rest, and each helps the rest: we on earth by honouring and invoking thesaints andpraying for thesouls inpurgatory, and thesaints inheaven by interceding for us. TheCatholic doctrine of intercession and invocation is set forth by theCouncil of Trent, which teaches that

thesaints who reign together with Christ offer up their ownprayers toGod for men. It is good and useful suppliantly to invoke them, and to have recourse to theirprayers, aid, and help for obtaining benefits fromGod, through His SonJesus Christ our Lord, Who alone is our Redeemer and Saviour. Thosepersons think impiously who deny that the Saints, who enjoy eternalhappiness inheaven, are to be invoked; or who assert either that they do notpray for men, or that the invocation of them topray for each of us isidolatry, or that it is repugnant to the word ofGod, and is opposed to thehonour of the one Mediator ofGod andmen,Jesus Christ (Sess. XXV).

This had already been explained bySt. Thomas:

Prayer is offered to aperson in two ways: one as though to be granted by himself, another as to be obtained through him. In the first way wepray toGod alone, because all ourprayers ought to be directed to obtaining grace and glory whichGod alone gives, according to those words of the Psalm (lxxxiii, 12): 'The Lord will give grace and glory.' But in the second way wepray to theholy angels and to men not thatGod may learn our petition through them, but that by theirprayers and merits ourprayers may be efficacious. Wherefore it is said in the Apocalypse (viii, 4): 'And the smoke of theincense of theprayers of thesaints ascended up beforeGod from the hand of theangel' (Summ. Theol., II-II, Q. lxxxiii, a. 4).

The reasonableness of theCatholic teaching and practice cannot be better stated than inSt. Jerome's words:

If the Apostles and Martyrs, while still in the body, canpray for others, at a time when they must still be anxious for themselves, how much more after their crowns, victories, and triumphs are won! One man, Moses, obtains fromGod pardon for six hundred thousand men in arms; and Stephen, the imitator of the Lord, and the firstmartyr in Christ, begs forgiveness for hispersecutors; and shall their power be less after having begun to be with Christ? TheApostle Paul declares that two hundred three score and sixteensouls, sailing with him, were freely given him; and, after he is dissolved and has begun to be with Christ, shall he close his lips, and not be able to utter a word in behalf of those who throughout the whole world believed at his preaching of the Gospel? And shall the living dog Vigilantius be better than that dead lion? ("Contra Vigilant.", n. 6, in P.L., XXIII, 344).

The chief objections raised against the intercession and invocation of thesaints are that these doctrines are opposed to thefaith and trust which we should have inGod alone; that they are a denial of the all-sufficient merits of Christ; and that they cannot beproved from Scripture and the Fathers. Thus Article 22 of theAnglican Church says: "The Romishdoctrine concerning the Invocation of Saints is a fond thing vainly invented, and grounded upon no warranty of Scripture, but rather repugnant to the Word ofGod."

(1) In the articleADORATION it has been clearly shown that thehonour paid toangels andsaints is entirely different from the supremehonour due toGod alone, and is indeed paid to them only as His servants and friends. "By honouring the Saints who have slept in the Lord, by invoking their intercession and venerating theirrelics and ashes, so far is the glory ofGod from being diminished that it is very much increased, in proportion as the hope of men is thus more excited and confirmed, and they are encouraged to the imitation of the Saints" (Cat. of the Council of Trent, pt. III, c. ii, q. 11). We can, of course, address ourprayers directly toGod, and He can hear us without the intervention of any creature. But this does not prevent us from asking the help of our fellow-creatures who may be more pleasing to Him than we are. It is not because ourfaith and trust in Him are weak, nor because Hisgoodness and mercy to us are less; rather is it because we are encouraged by Hisprecepts to approach Him at times through His servants, as we shall presently see. As pointed out bySt. Thomas, we invoke theangels andsaints in quite different language from that addressed toGod. We ask Him to have mercy upon us and Himself to grant us whatever we require; whereas we ask thesaints topray for us, i.e. to join their petitions with ours. However, we should here bear in mindBellarmine's remarks: "When we say that nothing should be asked of thesaints but theirprayer for us, the question is not about the words, but the sense of the words. For as far as the words go, it is lawful to say: 'St. Peter, pity me, save me, open for me the gate ofheaven'; also, 'Give me health of body, patience,fortitude', etc., provided that we mean 'save and pity me bypraying for me'; 'grant me this or that by thyprayers and merits.' For so speaksGregory of Nazianzus (Orat. xviii — according to others, xxiv — "De S. Cypriano" in P.G., XXXV, 1193; "Orat. de S. Athan.: In Laud. S. Athanas.", Orat. xxi, in P.G., XXXV, 1128); in "De Sanct. Beatif.", I, 17. The supreme act of impetration, sacrifice, is never offered to any creature. "Although theChurch has been accustomed at times to celebrate certain Masses inhonour and memory of the Saints, it does not follow that she teaches that sacrifice is offered unto them, but untoGod alone, whocrowned them; whence neither is thepriest wont to say 'I offer sacrifice to thee, Peter, or Paul', but, giving thanks toGod for their victories, he implores their patronage, that they may vouchsafe to intercede for us inheaven, whose memory we celebrate upon earth" (Council of Trent, Sess. XXII, c. iii). The Collyridians, or Philomarianites, offered little cakes in sacrifice to theMother of God; but the practice was condemned bySt. Epiphanius (Hær., lxxix, in P.G., XLI, 740); Leontius Byzant., "Contra Nest. et Eutych.", III, 6, in P.G., LXXXVI, 1364; andSt. John of Damascus (Hær., lxxix, in P.G., XCIV, 728).

(2) Thedoctrine of one Mediator,Christ, in no way excludes the invocation and intercession ofsaints. All merit indeed comes through Him; but this does not make it unlawful to ask our fellow-creatures, whether here on earth or already inheaven, to help us by theirprayers. The same Apostle who insists so strongly on the sole mediatorship ofChrist, earnestly begs theprayers of his brethren: "I beseech you, therefore, brethren, throughour Lord Jesus Christ, and by the charity of the Holy Ghost, that you help me in yourprayers for me toGod" (Romans 15:30); and he himselfprays for them: "I give thanks to myGod in every remembrance of you, always in all myprayers making supplication for you all" (Philippians 1:3-4). If theprayers of the brethren on earth do not derogate from the glory and dignity of the Mediator,Christ, neither do theprayers of thesaints inheaven.

(3) As regards theproof fromHoly Scripture and the Fathers, we can show that the principle and the practice of invoking the aid of our fellow-creatures are clearly laid down in both. That theangels have an interest in the welfare of men is clear fromChrist's words: "There shall bejoy before theangels ofGod upon one sinner doing penance" (Luke 15:10). In verse 7 He says simply: "There shall bejoy inheaven". Cf.Matthew 18:10;Hebrews 1:14. That theangelspray for men is plain from the vision of the Prophet Zacharias: "And theangel of the Lord answered, and said: O Lord of hosts, how long wilt thou not have mercy onJerusalem . . . and the Lord answered theangel . . . good words, comfortable words" (Zechariah 1:12, 13). And theangel Raphael says: "When thou didstpray with tears . . . I offered thyprayer to the Lord" (Tobit 12:12) The combination of theprayers both ofangels andsaints is seen in the vision of St. John: "And anotherangel came, and stood before the altar, having a goldencenser; and there was given to him muchincense, that he should offer of theprayers of allsaints upon the golden altar, which is before the throne ofGod. And the smoke of theincense of theprayers of thesaints ascended up beforeGod from the hand of theangel" (Revelation 8:3-4).God Himself commanded Abimelech to have recourse to Abraham's intercession: "He shallpray for thee, and thou shalt live. . . . And when Abrahamprayed,God healed Abimelech" (Genesis 20:7, 17). So, too, in the case of Job's friends He said: "Go to my servant Job, and offer for yourselves aholocaust; and my servant Job shallpray for you: his face I will accept" (Job 42:8). Intercession is indeed prominent in several passages in this same Book of Job: "Call now if there be any that will answer thee, and turn to some of thesaints' (v, 1);" If there shall be anangel speaking for him . . . He shall have mercy on him, and shall say: Deliver him, that he may not go down to corruption" (xxxiii, 23). "They [theangels] appear as intercessors for men withGod, bringing men's needs before Him, mediating in their behalf. This work is easily connected with their general office of labouring for the good of men" (Dillman on Job, p. 44). Moses is constantly spoken of as "mediator': "I was the mediator and stood between the Lord and you" (Deuteronomy 5:5; cf. Galatians 3:19, 20). It istrue that in none of the passages of theOld Testament mention is made ofprayer to thesaints, i. e; holy men already departed from this life; but this is in keeping with the imperfectknowledge of the state of the dead, who were still in Limbo. The general principle of intercession and invocation of fellow-creatures is, however, stated in terms which admit of no denial; and this principle would in due course be applied to thesaints as soon as their position was defined. In theNew Testament the number of thesaints already departed would be comparatively small in the early days.

The greatest of the Fathers in the succeeding centuries speak plainly both of thedoctrine and practice of intercession and invocation. "But not theHigh-Priest [Christ] aloneprays for those whopray sincerely, but also theangels . . . as also thesouls of thesaints who have already fallen asleep (ai te ton prokekoimemenon hagion psychai,Origen, "De Oratione", n. xi, in P.G., XI, 448). In many other placesOrigen uses similar expressions; indeed it may be said that there is hardly any treatise orhomily in which he does not refer to the intercession of theangels andsaints.St. Cyprian, writing toPope Cornelius, says: "Let us be mutually mindful of each other, let us everpray for each other, and if one of us shall, by the speediness of the Divine vouchsafement, depart hence first, let ourlove continue in the presence of the Lord, let notprayer for our brethren and sisters cease in the presence of the mercy of the Father" (Ep. lvii, in P.L., IV, 358). "To those who would fain stand, neither the guardianship ofsaints nor the defences ofangels are wanting" (St. Hilary, "In Ps. cxxiv", n. 5, 6, in P.L., X, 682). "We then commemorate also those who have fallen asleep before us, first,patriarchs,prophets, apostles,martyrs, thatGod, by theirprayers and intercessions, may receive our petitions" (St. Cyril of Jerusalem, "Cat. Myst.", v, n. 9) in P.G., XXXIII, 1166). "Remember me, ye heirs ofGod, ye brethren ofChrist, supplicate the Saviour earnestly for me, that I may be freed though Christ from him that fights against me day by day" (St. Ephraem Syrus, "De Timore Anim.", in fin.). "Ye victoriousmartyrs who endured torments gladly for the sake of theGod and Saviour; ye who have boldness of speech towards the Lord Himself; yesaints, intercede for us who are timid andsinful men, full ofsloth, that the grace of Christ may come upon us, and enlighten the hearts of all of us that so we maylove him" (St. Ephraem, "Encom. in Mart."). "Do thou, [Ephraem] that art standing at the Divine altar, and art ministering withangels to the life-giving and mostHoly Trinity, bear us all in remembrance, petitioning for us the remission ofsins, and the fruition of an everlasting kingdom" (St. Gregory of Nyssa, "De vita Ephraemi", in fin., P.G., XLVI, 850). "Mayest thou [Cyprian] look down from above propitiously upon us, and guide our word and life; and shepherd [or shepherd with me] this sacred flock . . . gladdening us with a more perfect and clear illumination of theHoly Trinity, before Which thou standest" (St. Gregory of Nazianzus, Orat. xvii — according to others, xxiv — "De S. Cypr.", P.G., XXXV, 1193). In like manner doesGregorypray to St. Athanasius (Orat. xxi, "In laud. S. Athan.", P.G., XXXV, 1128). "O holy choir! O sacred band! O unbroken host of warriors! O common guardians of thehuman race! Ye gracious sharers of our cares! Ye co-operators in ourprayer! Most powerful intercessors!" (St.Basil, "Hom. in XL Mart.", P.G., XXXI, 524). "May Peter, who wept so efficaciously for himself, weep for us and turn towards usChrist's benignant countenance" (St. Ambrose, "Hexaem.", V, xxv, n. 90, in P.L., XIV, 242).St. Jerome has been quoted above.St. John Chrysostom frequently speaks of invocation and intercession in hishomilies on thesaints, e.g. "When thou perceivest thatGod is chastening thee, fly not to His enemies . . . but to His friends, themartyrs, thesaints, and those who were pleasing to Him, and who have great power" (parresian, "boldness of speech" — Orat. VIII, "Adv. Jud.", n. 6, in P.G., XLVIII, 937). "He that wears the purple, laying aside his pomp, stands begging of thesaints to be his patrons withGod; and he that wears the diadem begs the Tent-maker and the Fisherman as patrons, even though they be dead" ("Hom. xxvi, in II Ep. ad Cor.", n. 5, in P.G., LXI, 581). "At the Lord's table we do not commemoratemartyrs in the same way that we do others who rest in peace so as topray for them, but rather that they maypray for us that we may follow in their footsteps" (St. Augustine, "In Joann.", tr. lxxxiv, in P.L., XXXIV, 1847).

Prayers to thesaints occur in almost all the ancientliturgies. Thus in the Liturgy of St. Basil: "By the command of Thine only-begotten Son we communicate with the memory of Thysaints . . . by whoseprayers and supplications have mercy upon us all, and deliver us for the sake of Thy holy name which is invoked upon us". Cf. theLiturgy of Jerusalem, the Liturgy ofSt. Chrysostom, the Liturgy of Nestorius, the Coptic Liturgy of St. Cyril, etc. That these commemorations are not later additions is manifest from the words ofSt. Cyril of Jerusalem: "We then commemorate also those who have fallen asleep before us, first,patriarchs,prophets, apostles,martyrs, thatGod by theirprayers and intercessions may receive our petitions" ("Cat. Myst.", v, in P.G., XXXIII, 1113). (SeeRenaudot, "Liturgiarum Orientalium Collectio", Paris, 1716.)

We readily admit that thedoctrine of the intercession of thesaints is a development from the teaching of Scripture and that the practice is open to abuse. But if the carefully-worded and wholesome decrees of theCouncil of Trent be adhered to, there is nothing in thedoctrine or practice which deserves the condemnation expressed in Article xxii of theAnglican religion. Indeed the High ChurchAnglicans contend that it is not the invocation ofsaints that is here rejected, but only the "Romish doctrine", i.e. the excesses prevailing at the time and afterwards condemned by theCouncil of Trent. "In principle there is no question herein between us and any other portion of theCatholicChurch. . . . Let not that most ancient custom, common to the Universal Church, as well Greek as Latin, of addressingAngels and Saints in the way we have said, be condemned as impious, or as vain and foolish" [Forbes,Bishop of Brechin (Anglican), "Of the Thirty-nine Articles", p. 422]. The reformed Churches, as a body, reject the invocation of thesaints. Article xxi of the Augsburg Confession says: "Scripture does not teach us to invoke the Saints, or to ask for help from the Saints; for it puts before us Christ as the one mediator, propitiatory,high-priest and intercessor." In the "Apology of the Augsburg Confession" (ad art. xxi,sects. 3, 4), it is admitted that theangelspray for us, and thesaints, too, "for theChurch in general"; but this does not imply that they are to be invoked. TheCalvinists, however, reject both intercession and invocation as an imposture and delusion ofSatan, since thereby the right manner ofpraying is prevented, and thesaintsknow nothing of us, and have no concern as to what passes on earth ("Gall. Confess.", art. xxiv; "Remonst. Conf." c. xvi, sect. 3).

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