[metmom]

Now while I think SOME(not all!) Catholics treat Mary as practically a 4th member of the Godhead(a QUADRINITY?) and I have said that before, but I don’t think that is the true position of the Catholic Church.

While it is not the *official* teaching of the church in so many words, in practice, it is. And unofficially, there's plenty of evidence that that is exactly how they see Mary, many of which include statements made by popes themselves.

[mdmathis6]

I would agree with you regarding the mental/spiritual drift on the part of many Catholics towards attributing to Mary a higher station than what is actually the case.

Ironically, I had just posted a some what sarcastic statement on another thread(the orphans of Mary thread) regarding this notion of some Catholics treating Mary as part of the God head when this article got posted. I had not seen this article prior to my posting so when I saw this article and thread something inside me went “bingo” when I remembered my previous posting on the other thread. God is working way ahead of us...as he always does!

[boatbums]

While it is not the *official* teaching of the church in so many words, in practice, it is. And unofficially, there's plenty of evidence that that is exactly how they see Mary, many of which include statements made by popes themselves.

And any one of them can be quoted as a "Catholic authority". ;o)