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Sylvia Gregson wrote:

Hi, guys—

My sister has cancer. We booked an appointment with the priest in her small town to have her receive the Anointing of the Sick. When done, we both received Communion and while leaving
I told the priest that prayers for my sister were being offered to God from friends of many other religious denominations. I said there is only one true God; people just choose to worship him differently.

He told me I was wrong and said only the Catholics and Jews worship the one true God.

  • So, then tell me, where do the daily prayers from my friends of various religious backgrounds go? Just up in the air?

A group of Cloister nuns in Gatineau, Quebec included my sister in their daily vespers, so I guess those prayers went to Heaven via air mail.

  • What do think of this priest's comment to me?

It put me off, so any time I take my sister to see him, I merely roam around the old cemetery beside the church and pray for the people in the old section who passed away in the 1700's.

It keeps me at peace, but I honestly don't believe his comment.

  • Please let me know your opinion on prayers being offered on behalf of the sick by
    non-Catholics.

Thank you for your opinion.

Yours in Christ,

Sylvia
  { Do the prayers of a non-Catholic offered on behalf of the sick count in God's eyes? }

Mary Ann replied:

Sylvia —

I think perhaps he meant to say that only Christians and Jews believe in the one true God.

That would be closer to the truth. In any case, it was a comment made in a brief conversation, one meant to protect the truth of who God is. He is not:

  • Buddha or
  • any of the Hindu gods, nor
  • is He the source of the Koran (though the Koran speaks of God).

However, people who sincerely pray to pagan gods are seeking God in some way, and He takes their good prayers as if they were offered to Him. He says in the Gospel that He takes any good work as if it were done for Him, so don't judge the priest too harshly. You might want to make an appointment to bring up this matter in greater depth.

More importantly, you could read the Documents of Vatican II or the Catechism to get a better explanation of the topic, rather than relying on one imperfect human being. I am sure that at the drop of a hat none of us could come up with perfect instant answers, so it is unfair to expect a priest to do the same.

Mary Ann
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