But that’s not worshipping a false idol, as you said. Like it’s too close to worshipping Commissioner Gordon as a false god. We Catholics understand the Pope is only on the Bat Phone, he isn’t Batman himself.
Same with Mary. We keep getting accused of “worshipping” Mary, because we address certain prayers to her. Not true. The only being(s) we worship is(are) the Father, Son and Holy Ghost - the Holy Trinity, which is the One God. (Don’t get me started on explaining the singular / plural illogic of it.)
Praying “to” Mary is like when you’re a kid and you go beg your mommy to talk daddy out of spanking you.
That’s correct. We pray to Mary to intercede on our behalf.
I’ve had many interesting discussions with Lutherans when I was in college about this issue, and the lack of statues of saints or Mary in Lutheran churches.
In a Catholic wedding, in many cases the bride and groom go over to a side of the church to briefly kneel and pray in front of a statue of Mary. It’s a beautiful thing.