Priest Warns Catholics Against Turning Rosary, Holy Water Into Charms
By Donblaze Media Team
ABUJA — A Catholic priest, Rev. Fr. Michael Imadonmwinyi, has cautioned Christians against treating the rosary, holy water, medals and crucifixes as magical objects or charms.
Imadonmwinyi gave the warning during his Sunday homily at St. Gabriel Chaplaincy, Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, Abuja, where he stressed the need for Catholics to understand the difference between genuine Christian devotion and superstition.
He said sacramentals were intended to direct believers towards God and should not be regarded as instruments for controlling divine intervention.
“The rosary is not a magical object. Holy water is not a charm. The medal that we wear, regardless of the particular saint that we wear it in honour of, is not a talisman. These things point us to God. They do not give us the power to control God,” he said.
The priest warned that Christians could misuse religious objects when they relied on them without taking necessary practical steps. He cited a student who prayed the rosary for examination success but refused to study, saying such an attitude amounted to treating the rosary as a charm.
He similarly cautioned against placing a crucifix in a business establishment while failing to take the necessary measures required to make the business successful.“Grace, dear friends, is built on nature,” he said.
Imadonmwinyi also identified fear of sickness, financial hardship, family problems and an uncertain future as possible sources of idolatry when they become stronger than faith.
He urged Christians not to abandon their faith or seek alternative spiritual solutions simply because they believed their prayers had not been answered.
According to him, such actions could amount to a subtle form of paganism and an attempt to manipulate God.
The priest stressed the importance of continuous catechesis, saying Christian formation should not end with Baptism, First Holy Communion or Confirmation.
He urged Catholics to continue studying the Scriptures, the teachings of the Church and their faith throughout their lives.
“Fidelity to the Magisterium is not negotiable. Hence, we must study constantly,” he said, quoting the late Archbishop Okurisi.
Imadonmwinyi also warned Christians to exercise caution over the influence of social media, the internet and artificial intelligence, which he said had exposed people to competing ideas about spirituality, morality and success.
He urged the faithful to distinguish between God, the giver of gifts, and the gifts themselves, warning against allowing created things to take the place of God.
The priest described the family as the first school of catechesis and called on parents to teach their children by example.
“Your life is the catechism that they see,” he said, stressing that children observe the conduct of their parents both inside and outside the church.
He said the fruits of genuine catechesis should be reflected in the way Christians treat their spouses and children, conduct their businesses, care for the poor and defend the truth.
Imadonmwinyi further called on the chaplaincy community to promote lifelong Christian formation and discipleship.
He said the goal of catechesis should not merely be to produce knowledgeable Catholics but “fruitful Christians” whose faith is reflected in their daily lives.
On the Eucharist, the priest warned Catholics against receiving Holy Communion as a form of magical protection or as a means of manipulating God.
“We do not come to the Eucharist to manipulate God. We come to surrender ourselves to Him. We do not receive Christ as a magical protection. We receive Him as our Lord, as our nourishment, and as our salvation,” he said.
He urged the faithful to reject every substitute for God and not allow money, power, pleasure, reputation or fear to occupy the place reserved for Him.
Imadonmwinyi concluded by calling on Catholics not to waste the grace, faith, Word of God, sacraments and opportunities for Christian formation entrusted to them.
