Is St. Peters statue the pagan god Jupiter/Zeus?

[LionHeart777]

P.S.,

Ultimately, the burden of proof rests with those who claim that, to quote the OP: "...the Church [made] the statue of Jupiter, St. Peter..." So far I have seen mere assertions. These assertions ought to be rejected until they are unequivocally proven to be true (I'm not holding my breath.)

[Tarpeian Rock]

Originally Posted by LionHeart777

If one is talking about the "colossal statues of Sts. Peter and Paul, the patron saints of Rome" that are "Near the stairs to the basilica at the front of the square", then these statues, "were ordered by Pope Pius IX on Easter 1847, who wanted to replace the existing smaller ones. The new statues had been commissioned by the previous pope for St. Paul Outside the Walls. Peter was sculpted by Giuseppe De Fabris in 1838-40 and stands 5.55m in height, on a pedestal 4.91m high. Paul was sculpted in 1838 by Adamo Tadolini, and is also 5.55m in height, on a pedestal 4.91m high."

Source: http://www.sacred-destinations.com/i...eters-basilica

If you go the the source I just cited, you will see next to the citation I gave, on the right hand side there appears to be the same statue shown on that horrible reformation.org website linked to in this thread. A caption under the picture (on the link I gave above) reads: "Statue of Saint Peter in front of his basilica." (Source: http://www.sacred-destinations.com/i...eters-basilica) It may or may not be one of the statues of Sts. Peter and Paul mentioned above; I can't tell 100% from the source I just cited. Any thoughts?

I believe the cited statue of St. Peter is on top of the colonnade, not in the square. The photo you refer to appears to distort its actual position. I believe the only things in the square are two fountains and the obelisk. At least, that's what I remember from my visit 2 years ago.

[CatholicMusings]

Whether or not St. Peter's statue is a spin-off of a mythical Greek god, it could be a much overlooked idol for many who ascribe power to the carved stone image.

I see little difference in the rubbing or kissing of the foot of the stone carving of St. Peter at the Vatican and what happened when Moses left Aaron in charge and "out came the golden calf" (Exodus 32:1-3). That disturbs me to see what seems to be confusing people regarding where our power comes from. I think of the many references St. Paul makes to "stumbling blocks" and how we are not to exercise our faith in ways that cause others to stumble as a result of our practices (ref., Ro 14:13; 1 Cor 8:9).

We are to pray to the Father in the name of the Son in the power of the Holy Spirit. So often I hear fellow Catholics speak of praying TO the saints. This is an error in doctrine that must be addressed. If we were to pray TO the saints, Jesus had the perfect opportunity to model that at the Transfiguration, but He didn't even show us to pray to the Father through Moses and Elijah who were visibly present (ref., Mt 17:1-3; Mk 9:1-3; Lk 9:27-29). Rather our model for God-pleasing prayer is clearly spelled out for us in Mt 6:5-15.

[patrick457]

Originally Posted by CatholicMusings

Whether or not St. Peter's statue is a spin-off of a mythical Greek god, it could be a much overlooked idol for many who ascribe power to the carved stone image.

I see little difference in the rubbing or kissing of the foot of the stone carving of St. Peter at the Vatican and what happened when Moses left Aaron in charge and "out came the golden calf" (Exodus 32:1-3). That disturbs me to see what seems to be confusing people regarding where our power comes from. I think of the many references St. Paul makes to "stumbling blocks" and how we are not to exercise our faith in ways that cause others to stumble as a result of our practices (ref., Ro 14:13; 1 Cor 8:9).

We are to pray to the Father in the name of the Son in the power of the Holy Spirit. So often I hear fellow Catholics speak of praying TO the saints. This is an error in doctrine that must be addressed. If we were to pray TO the saints, Jesus had the perfect opportunity to model that at the Transfiguration, but He didn't even show us to pray to the Father through Moses and Elijah who were visibly present (ref., Mt 17:1-3; Mk 9:1-3; Lk 9:27-29). Rather our model for God-pleasing prayer is clearly spelled out for us in Mt 6:5-15.

I pray you, sir, precariously: pray tell further why you think this use of 'to pray' is incorrect.

[CatholicMusings]

Originally Posted by patrick457

I pray you, sir, precariously: pray tell further why you think this use of 'to pray' is incorrect.

By what example in Scripture are we given to pray any other way than "to the Lord?"

There are examples of our praying for one another in our earthly lives. But when I pray for others, my prayer is addressed to God. When I ask others to pray for me, I ask them in plain conversation. When I ask others to intercede, I don't address a prayer to them asking for their intercession.

Our heavenly intercessors are Christ (Isa 53:12; Ro 8:34; Heb 7:24-26) and the Holy Spirit (Ro 8:26, 27).

We are to emulate Christ as did the Saints. The Saints are certainly an example for our living, but I don't see how they are to be the addressees of our prayers.

Help me understand the role of Saints in intercession using Scripture to back it up. The Bible offers us the Truth and we must sometimes challenge Tradition. I'm hoping you can enlighten me on this matter so that I may better reconcile Tradition with Truth

[Church Militant]

Then you don't know your Catholic faith very well.
You might wanna check out these articles.
The Intercession & Communion of Saints
The Intercession of the Saints
Praying to the Saints
Saint Worship?

[Michael Francis]