Although the Catholic Church supports using religous statues and icons as aids in prayer, the Church STRONGLY warns against sliding into superstition and iolatry as a result. The Church reminds us that such objects are NOT talismans and charms in and of themselves, and do not possess any power within them WHATSOEVER!! They are merely aids to help those who already belive to focus upon God. One needs to have a firm faith and 100% focus on Christ to begin with, and such objects are used to direct our attention more fully to Jesus (but are NOT by any means NECESSARY for this purpose!!). They are not objects of worship themselves. Such things are for people who are ALREADY staunch followers of Christ and filled with the Holy Spirit. If statues and icons ever become a superstition for a Catholic, where they think that good things will not happen unless they do something with a physical object, the Church then forbids their usage.
In my Post # 15 above, "iolatry" should have been "idolatry", but I suspect most of you figured that out for yourselves. I really need to spend more time with my friend, Mr. Spellchecker!!