Catholic devotion to Mary makes me uncomfortable. The statues, prayers, feast days, titles, and Rosary can look like Mary has been placed where Jesus should be.
I do not want a technical distinction to excuse something that is actually worship. But I also do not want to accuse Catholics of idolatry without understanding their claim.
WHAT I AM STUDYING
I am separating the questions. What does the Catholic Church officially teach about Mary? What counts as worship? What is the difference between honoring someone and treating that person as divine?
I am beginning with Luke 1, the title Mother of God, Mary as the New Eve, and the distinction between asking for prayer and replacing Christ as mediator.
A FEW THINGS I AM LEARNING
“Mother of God” is mainly a claim about Jesus. It does not mean Mary creates his divine nature. It means the person born from her is truly God the Son incarnate.
Catholic teaching also says worship and sacrifice belong to God alone. That does not answer every concern, but it is different from the version I have usually heard criticized.
WHAT I AM STILL UNSURE ABOUT
Even if the official distinctions make sense, I am not sure every practice stays safely within them. The Immaculate Conception and Assumption also seem much harder to establish than Mother of God.
WHAT I WANT TO LOOK AT NEXT
I need to study each Marian doctrine separately instead of treating all Catholic devotion as one claim.