Padre Pio is held to be a venerated saint in the Catholic Church. Italian for 'Father Pius'.
Did you know the Bible says that anyone who accepts Jesus as their Savior, is called "saint", and to call no man on this Earth, "Father", except your Father in Heaven?
In the Bible, 1 Corinthians 1:2 says, "to the church of God that is in Corinth, to you who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, the called saints, with all those everywhere who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours". In this verse, Paul calls all believers "saints". The word "saint" is used 67 times in the New Testament, and it refers to ordinary Christians who have put their faith in Jesus Christ. Christians believe that all believers are saints because of their place in God's family.
Followers of Christ are both sinners and saints. All human beings are sinners because we are born in sin. But not all humans are saints. According to the Bible, a saint is not someone who has done wonderful things, nor is it someone who has been deemed a saint by a church or organization. The word translated “saint” in the New Testament, hagios, literally means “sacred, physically pure; morally blameless, ceremonially consecrated; holy, or sanctified.” In the context of New Testament passages, saints are those who belong to the body of Christ, saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8–9). In other words, saint is another word for a Christian, a true believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.
This page is a permanent link to the reply below and its nested replies. See all post replies »
Grace I don't recall exact verse but somewhere paul adresses the gentile churches he founded as children and himself as a father figure in faith.so I think this is where the catholic concept of a father begins.Correct me if I'm wrong.
Thank you. The Bible verse you're referring to is:
"And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven." - Matthew 23:9
This verse, spoken by Jesus, is a warning against elevating any human being to a level of authority that belongs only to God. In the context of Catholicism, the title "Father", while used as a term of respect and affection, rather than a claim of divine authority, is still confirmed by scripture to be inappropriate. It's very specific when it says call no man on Earth father except your father in Heaven. Contrary to belief, that verse is not about avoiding idolatry and excessive veneration, nor avoiding respectful titles altogether.
The Catholic Church teaches that the Pope, as the successor of Saint Peter, has a special role as the spiritual leader of the Church, but this does not imply that he is equal to God or replaces God as Father. The title "Father" in this context is meant to signify respect, not divinity.
