Originally Posted by
Berserk
Cardinal TT: "I understand ...many friends were raised Catholic and didn't help them when praying to Mary or the saints.
When they accepted, submitted and prayed to Jesus things happened"
3 assumptions here can be refuted:
(1) The key point is that, as Catholics, they failed to obey Catholic teaching and fully submit to Jesus.
(2) Also, why do you violate Scripture by encouraging people to pray to Jesus? Jesus' model prayer teaches us to pray to the Father, not to Jesus (Matthew 6:9-13). Jesus Himself taught us to pray to the Father in Jesus' name (John 16:23). Nowhere does the New Testament teach that it is permissible to pray directly to Jesus! But Pentecostal doctrine does not need to be limited by Scripture, does it?
(3) Catholic miracles are at least as impressive as Pentecostal miracles. For example, a former parishioner's son AS was demonically oppressed with accompanying terrifying paranormal manifestations. A Pentecostal deliverance team was invited to deliver AS, but to no effect. In desperation this evangelical family called the local Catholic bishop who sent them a Nigerian exorcist. That quiet Catholic exorcist immediately took charge of the demon and AS was gloriously delivered!
A second example: In the real possession case that inspired the horror movie "The Exorcist," a Lutheran pastor tried to exorcize the young boy, but failed, being violently injured in his efforts! So in desperation, the family called for a Catholic exorcist. After a long spiritual battle, the boy agreed to convert to Catholicism, so that he could take Catholic Communion with the Catholic understanding of Real Presence. When the boy took Communion in this way, he was quickly and gloriously delivered!
Cardinal TT: "...she is not a intercessor in heaven."
Your claim that Mary is not an intercessor ignores and is refuted by the fact that we are all called to be intercessors in prayer and by the fact that deceased saints engage in intercession in Heaven (e. g. Revelation 6:1).