“We need not shrink from admitting that candles, like incense and lustral water, were commonly employed in pagan worship and the rites paid to the dead. But the Church from a very early period took them into her service, just as she adopted many other things indifferent in themselves, which seemed proper to enhance the splendor of religious ceremonial. We must not forget that most of these adjuncts to worship, like music, lights, perfumes, ablutions, floral decorations, canopies, fans, screens, bells, vestments etc. were not identified with any idolatrous cult in particular; but they were common to almost all cults” (Catholic Encyclopedia, III, 246.)
“When we give or receive Christmas gifts; or hang green wreaths in our homes and churches, how many of us know that we are probably observing pagan customs...the god, Woden, in Norse Mythology, descends upon the earth yearly between December 25th and January 6th to bless mankind...But pagan though they be, they are beautiful customs. They help inspire us with the spirit of 'good will to men', even as the sublime service of our Church reminds us of the ‘peace on earth’ which the babe of Bethlehem came to bestow” (Externals of the Catholic Church, 140).
That has all happened before.
“As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the LORD, we will not hearken unto thee. But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem: for then had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil.” (Jer.44:16-17)
Please provide a link for the two Church quotes cited. There is no way I know of to search the online Catholic Encyclopedia simply by the numbers given. I would like to read them in context.
Here’s the rub... our Protestant FRiends imagine a Word that spoke from the beginning, through the time of Christ, through the Apostles... and then shut up for the remainder of history. That isn’t what Christ promised. He promised the Holy Spirit to teach all things to His Church. When you search the Bible to find what is the pillar and bulwark of the truth, you don’t find the Bible (which wasn’t codified for centuries after the Apostles), you find the Church (1 Tim 3:15).
Jesus shouldn’t be reduced to words once recorded. He is the living Word of God and our revelation of God is ongoing.
Your quote of Jeremiah also requires context. The cult of the Queen of Heaven was a specific cult in his time... worship of the moon. Their successors continue today in the cult of Islam. Too many times, our Protestant FRiends take passages of the Bible out of context to use as a weapon against fellow Christians... incorrectly.