Is it necessary for you to be catholic to go to heaven?
Actually if one follows catholik teachings they will not go to Heaven because there's only ONE way to the Father... only one way to Salvation and that is thru Jesus Christ alone. Period.
One cannot have a relationship with the Father thru mary, any of the apostles, their priest, and for those that attend protestant churches... you cannot have a relationship with the Father thru your pastor either!
There are quite a few things the catholiks teach and do that are extra biblical that are not in God's Word that God never said due therefore are not God's ways of being and doing right and as such are not accepted by the Lord at all. So, beware of extra biblical teaching from the rcc and from TV preachers cause it's all wrong before the Lord if it's not from His Word.
You cannot go ask someone else to pray in your behalf especially if it's contacting the dead (mary and the apostles are physically separated from this world and we have no authorization from the Lord to try and contact them... to do so is sinful) and expect the Lord to hear it.
Read John 15 for starters... we are called to abide in Him and Him in use and have a personal relationship with the Father (talkin 'bout God... Jesus said call no man on earth father - Matthew 23:9) thru Jesus Christ, by the Holy Ghost, based on the written Word of the Living God... not some religion whether it be catholik, protestant, muzlim, hindu, voodoo, or doo doo
JESUS saves you,
Not your bible.
Yes, and you cannot separate the person Jesus Christ from what He has said in His Word...
We have a relationship with the Father thru His Word... Jesus Christ IS the Word of God come in the flesh.
When you stand before Him... He will be quoting what He has said in His Word.