Summa Theologica

To the third it must be said that the Apostle understands an idol to be nothing in the world, because those images that were called idols were not animated, nor did they have any power of divinity, as Hermes posited, as if it were something composed of spirit and body. And similarly, it is to be understood that what is sacrificed to idols is nothing, because through such sacrifice, the sacrificial meats neither obtained any sanctification, as the Gentiles thought, nor any impurity, as the Jews thought.

To the fourth it must be said that, from the common custom by which the Gentiles worshipped any creatures whatsoever under certain images, this name "idolatry" was imposed to signify any worship of the creature whatsoever, even if it were done without images.

ARTICLE II. — WHETHER IDOLATRY IS A SIN.

To the second it is proceeded thus. 1. It seems that idolatry is not a sin. For nothing is a sin which true faith adopts into the worship of God. But true faith adopts certain images for divine worship: for there were images of cherubim in the tabernacle, as is read (Exod. xxv), and in the Church certain images are placed, which the faithful adore. Therefore, idolatry, according to which idols are adored, is not a sin.

2. Furthermore, reverence is to be exhibited to any superior. But angels and the souls of the saints are superior to us. Therefore, if reverence is exhibited to them through any worship, either of sacrifices or of anything of this kind, it will not be a sin.

3. Furthermore, the supreme God is to be worshipped with the interior worship of the mind, according to that (John iv, 24): God must be worshipped in spirit and truth; and Augustine says (Ench. cap. 3) that "God is worshipped by faith, hope, and charity." But it can happen that someone might exteriorly worship idols, yet interiorly not depart from the true faith. Therefore, it seems that someone can exteriorly worship idols without prejudice to divine worship.

But on the contrary, it is said (Exod. xx, 5): You shall not adore them (namely, exteriorly) nor worship them (namely, interiorly), as the Glossa (ordinaria) explains: and it speaks of graven things and images. Therefore, it is a sin to exhibit exterior or interior worship to idols.

CONCLUSION. — Idolatry is by its nature a sin, and a mortal sin, both in interior and exterior act.

I answer that, concerning this, some have erred in two ways. For some thought that to offer sacrifice and other things pertaining to latria, not only to the supreme God but also to the others mentioned above, was due and in itself good, because they thought that divine reverence should be exhibited to any superior nature, as being closer to God. But this is said irrationally. For although we ought to revere all superiors, yet the same reverence is not due to all; but something special is due to the supreme God, who excels all in a singular way; and this is the worship of latria. — Nor can it be said, as some thought, that these visible sacrifices are suitable for other gods, but for the supreme God, as being better, better things are suitable, namely the offices of a pure mind: because, as Augustine says (De civ. Dei, lib. x, cap. 19, near the beginning), "exterior sacrifices are signs of interior ones, just as sounding words are signs of things. Wherefore, just as when praying and praising we direct significant voices to Him to whom we offer the things themselves in the heart which we signify: