Wrong, it is an altar to God the Father. The only sacrifice that is offered upon it is that of our Lord Jesus Christ upon the Cross to the Father. The focus of the priest during the Mass would be on the crucifix between the candles. The image of Mary above the altar plays no role during the Mass. The prayers offered to Mary (which are always done outside the sacrifice of the Mass) are purely intercessory, just as you would ask anyone else to pray for you. Please try to understand Catholicism rather than imposing upon it your own misunderstandings and rationalizations.
BTW: I have never once heard you refer to Mary as Blessed.
Nor will you....for it is but one of many titles accorded to her by Roman Catholicism which are not warranted by Scripture and stand in contradiction of Scripture.
And there I thought that you had read the Bible:
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, "Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb." (Luke 1:41-41)
Note that she is blessed among women not blessed above women, all others, all creation etc.... it was an honor and a blessing to carry the Messiah no doubt. That’s as far as it goes. She had no worthiness on her own any more than any of the rest of us. Nowhere from you are blessed do we get the queen of heaven or the other blasphemous titles given her by your sect. And to make her co redemptrix as your denomination has done is appalling blasphemy.
You do see that great big ol' idol of Mary....right?
The prayers offered to Mary (which are always done outside the sacrifice of the Mass) are purely intercessory, just as you would ask anyone else to pray for you.
Most blessed and sweet Virgin Mary, Mother of God, filled with all tenderness, daughter of the most high King, Lady of the angels, mother of all the faithful: On this day and all the days of my life, I entrust to your merciful heart my body and my soul, all my actions, thoughts, decisions, desires, words, deeds, my entire life and death, so that, with your assistance, everything may be ordered to the good according to the will of your beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. From your beloved Son, beg for me the grace firmly to resist the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the Devil.https://www.catholiccompany.com/getfed/prayer-virgin-mary-by-thomas-aquinas/
A lot of falsehood mixed with a little truth always leads to error.
BTW: I have never once heard you refer to Mary as Blessed.
Nor will you....for it is but one of many titles accorded to her by Roman Catholicism which are not warranted by Scripture and stand in contradiction of Scripture.
And there I thought that you had read the Bible:
Yet I have.
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said, "Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb." (Luke 1:41-41)
It it not a title much as the Roman Catholic wants it to be.
The word for "blessed" is a verb in the Greek. It is used some 43 times in various forms in the NT.
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirit, cried out in a loud voice and said,"Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb."(Luke 1:41-41)OTOH...Luke 11:27-28
27 As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.”
28 He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”