Do Orthodox Christians pray to Saints?
 

No, Orthodox Christians do not pray to saints. Worship and prayer are only to the Holy Trinity. Instead, we honor the saints and ask for their prayers and intercessions on our behalf, just as one asks a friend, family member, or priest to pray for them. This practice aligns with Saint Paul’s teaching that “supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men” (1 Timothy 2:1). Asking for the saints’ intercession is unique from the role of Jesus Christ, who is the sole mediator of our salvation (1 Timothy 2:5). While Christ alone pays for our sins, asking the saints for their intercession means asking them to pray for us before the throne of God (James 5:16).

 

Examples from the Bible support this and show us how the requests of the prayers of the righteous help us, such as when God commanded Abraham to pray for those who had sinned (Genesis 20:7). Another example is the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31), where there is still a concern for the living, even after departing from earth. Also, our Lord Jesus Christ said, “‘God is not the God of the dead, but of the living’”, meaning the saints are not dead, but alive in Christ (Matthew 22:32). 

 

Additionally, the Bible shows how God honors His saints, so we should as well. Christ exalted St. John the Baptist, the greatest born of women (Matthew 11:11), and commanded that the act of St. Mary of Bethany be remembered where the Gospel is preached (Matthew 26:13). We also see Archangel Gabriel magnifying St. Mary, the Mother of God, in Luke 1:28-45. 

This is expressed in our Divine Liturgy during the Litany of the Departed. We believe in intercession because we believe in the unity of the Body of Christ (the Church). We are all members of the one Body, whether we are here on earth or in heaven. We intercede for them by praying for those who have departed, and they intercede for us, exemplifying the true unity of the Body of Christ.