1 Catholics have icons because these objects hold a profound theological and spiritual significance, rooted in the tradition of the Church. Firstly, it is important to distinguish between veneration and worship. Icons are not worshiped; worship is reserved for God alone. Icons, on the other hand, are venerated as representations of saints, Christ, and the Virgin Mary. They are seen as windows to heaven, allowing the faithful to contemplate divine realities. This is supported by the fact that Jesus, in his incarnation, became the "visible image of the invisible God" (Colossians 1:15). Thus, by contemplating icons, Catholics remember the presence of God among us.
Moreover, Catholics have icons because they serve as catechetical and educational tools. Throughout the history of the Church, many faithful did not have access to written texts or could not read. Icons thus became a way to tell the story of salvation and teach about the mysteries of faith. They illustrate biblical scenes, events from the lives of Christ and the saints, making invisible spiritual realities visible. For example, in Exodus 25:18-20, God commands the creation of images of the cherubim for the Tabernacle, showing that the creation of sacred images has a biblical foundation.
Icons also manifest the living Tradition of the Church. Just as oral preaching transmits the Gospel, iconography does the same through images.
Icons are integrated into the Catholic liturgy, helping the faithful focus on prayer and worship. When Catholics have icons in their churches and homes, they are in harmony with the Church's liturgical tradition, which has always valued the use of sacred images. In the Mass, for example, images help the faithful recall the life of Christ and the saints, bringing to mind the mysteries celebrated. In Numbers 21:8-9, God commands the creation of a bronze serpent, which, when looked upon, brought healing to those who were poisoned, demonstrating that material objects can, with divine blessing, mediate spiritual graces.
In the early Councils of the Church, such as the Second Council of Nicaea in 787, the veneration of icons was formally defended against the heresy of iconoclasm, which rejected the use of images. This council reaffirmed that when venerating an icon, Catholics do not worship the wood or the paint, but rather what the icon represents. In the case of Christ, worship is due because He is God. In the case of the Virgin Mary and the saints, Catholics offer veneration, which is a form of respect and honor, without worship, which is reserved solely for God (Matthew 4:10). Thus, in venerating the icons of the saints, the faithful remember examples of holiness and ask for their intercession, always maintaining the distinction between veneration and worship.
Furthermore, Catholics have icons because, since the early centuries of the Church, images were used as instruments of silent preaching. In the Roman catacombs, dating from the 2nd and 3rd centuries, we find paintings depicting Christ as the Good Shepherd, the Virgin Mary, and the saints. These images served to educate the faithful and transmit the message of the Gospel, especially in a time when many Christians were illiterate. This practice is in harmony with the biblical view, such as in Exodus 25:18-20, where God commands the creation of images of the cherubim for the Tabernacle. Images help the faithful meditate on divine realities and strengthen their faith, always remembering that worship is due exclusively to God.
These reasons show why Catholics have icons: they are a means to approach the sacred, educate in faith, and live the liturgy more deeply, always in communion with the Tradition of the Church.
