Dulía

Dulía is a term used in Catholic theology to refer to the veneration accorded to saints, angels, and sacred objects. Derived from Latin, dulía denotes a form of reverence that is distinct from the worship (latría) due to God alone. In Catholic teaching, dulía is the proper way to honor holy things and those who are holy, without equating that honor with divine worship.

Dulía includes reverence for saints, requests for their intercession, and the honor shown to relics and sacred images such as icons and statues. The veneration given to the Virgin Mary is treated as a higher form of dulía called hyperdulia, reflecting Mary’s unique role in salvation history. The key distinction is that dulía and hyperdulia are forms of reverence, while latría remains the exclusive worship owed to God.

In practice, dulía manifests as prayers asking saints to intercede before God, acts of respect toward relics, and the use of sacred images as aids to devotion. The Catholic Church teaches that veneration of saints and holy objects helps believers grow closer to God, provided it never substitutes for reverence owed to the Creator.

Historically, the distinction between dulía and latría was clarified in early Christian teaching and reaffirmed in later doctrinal statements and catechesis, including the post-Tridentine tradition and modern catechisms. The concept also appears in other Christian traditions with varying terminology, where reverence toward saints and icons plays a central devotional role.

See also: Latria, Latria versus dulía, Hyperdulia, Invocation of saints, Catholic devotions.