Doulia: Father Peregrinator’s Word of the Week

The Greek term “doulia” (usually rendered in English as “dulia”) is the theological term for veneration or reverence in disctinction of “latria”, which is the theological term for worship given to God alone. St. Augustine (De Civ. Dei, X, ii, 1) recognized two kinds of veneration: “one which is due to men . . . which in Greek is called dulia; the other, latria, which is the service pertaining to the worship of God.”

Even Protestants give dulia or veneration to the American flag, civic monuments, the President, and grave sites. It is not assumed that a person is committing idolatry by saluting a flag. In like manner it not the sin of idolatry to honor or venerate (i.e. dulia) to the cross of Christ, Blessed Mary the Mother of Christ, the Saints of Christ, or images of the same. If we salute a flag, why not salute a cross?

The sum of it all is that dulia is the kind of respect we show toward things pertaining to creation. Latria on the other hand is the worship that we show only to God who is the Creator of creation.

If this distinction is maintained, then it is perfectly acceptable to show honor and veneration toward created things, as long as we are not worshipping them as if they were God. When my daughter kisses her inanimate baby doll I don’t accuse her of idolatry any more than when I see an Eastern Orthodox Christian kiss a picture of Christ or an Anglican reverence the altar of his church.