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n the Creed  of  the  Council  of  Trent,  which the Catholic  Church  places  before  the  faithful as  the  Rule  of  Faith,  we  read:  "I  firmly believe  that  the  saints  reigning  with  Christ  are to  be  venerated  and  invoked."

The Church  therefore  teaches,  first,  that  it  is right  and  pleasing  to  God  to  venerate  the  saints and to  invoke  their  intercession;  and  second,  that it is  useful  and  profitable  to  eternal  salvation  for us to  do  so.

The veneration  of  the  saints  is  useful  and profitable to  us. Men conspicuous  in  life  for knowledge, bravery,  or  other  noble  qualities  and unusual merits  are  honored  after  death. Why, then, should  Catholics  not  be  permitted  to  honor the heroes  of  their  faith,  who  excelled  in  the practice of  supernatural  virtue  and  are  in  special grace and  favor  with  God? That this  veneration is profitable  to  us  is  evident  from  the  fact  that the example  of  the  saints  incites  us  to  imitate them to  the  best  of  our  ability.

The veneration  of  the  saints  is  not  only  in  full accord with  the  demands  of  reason,  but  we  are, moreover, enjoined  explicitly  by  Holy  Scripture