If I said "This statute is God" or even "God made this statue" Or "God wrote this book" I would be giving evidence of idolatry.
Again, in general it is mistaking the finite for the infinite that describes idolatry.
But why? It is difficult to understand why it's done... if these actions are not honoring the statues then why have them or why are they necessary? I doubt people think they are Gods...but the action looks like what pagans have done for centuries from building fires out of wood before their Gods of stone and wood...to laying flowers before those figures. So it is difficult to understand what makes catholics do these similar acts before their statues and how is it different than those? Am trying to understand since catholics generally have reasons for what they do.