Re: Is Pope Benedict XVI Recent Statement Divisive ? -- Catholic Friends Forum

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Date Posted: 05:19:09 07/18/07 Wed
Author: Joan
Author Host/IP: ip68-0-253-131.ri.ri.cox.net / 68.0.253.131
Subject: Re: Is Pope Benedict XVI Recent Statement Divisive ?
In reply to: Catie 's message, "Re: Is Pope Benedict XVI Recent Statement Divisive ?" on 04:39:25 07/18/07 Wed

"If in fact the pope meant all churches should come back to their roots, come back home as you stated, that meaning I believe, will get lost in interpretation."

But that has been the constant message the Catholic Church has been stating for centuries.

I don't mean this to sound harsh or overly critical. Many non-Catholics don't understand Catholic things because they don't know what is actually being said or done, and (here's the criticism part) they don't seem to want to know. When a Catholic explains what is actually believed or done, we are often accused of being hoodwinked by the Church, as if they (non-Catholics) know what the Catholic Church is, but its members don't. And if not hoodwinked, then ignorant of our own faith.

How many times are Catholics told that they worship Mary. We explain what we actually do, and then the *same* non-Catholic will make the *same* accusation again.

Is there a will on the part of some non-Catholics to believe what they want to believe about Catholicism, regardless of what they are told, because that's what they (think they) know, and that is more comfortable than learning the truth of the matter?

I honestly can't figure out why someone who has been taught what a Catholic doctrine really is, will still insist that it's something else. It's positively weird. :-)

Joan

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Wow, I really went off on a tangent there. -- Joan, 06:15:17 07/18/07 Wed [1] (ip68-0-253-131.ri.ri.cox.net/68.0.253.131)

Back on topic.

The Church doesn't exclude others, in the sense that it doesn't want non-Catholics in its midst. The Church does want non-Catholics to come back home.

But I doubt that whatever interpretation someone takes away from it (exclusion or a call to come home) will sit well with many. Many wouldn't attend a Catholic Mass or even enter a Catholic Church, much less join the Church. They don't like feeling like they're excluded from Catholic Sacraments, but they don't believe and don't want to join the Catholic Church.

No one is excluded and everyone is invited to join, and still no one is happy about the message. Sometimes you just can't win. :-)

I believe that members of other denominations want the CC to change its beliefs and accept contradictory beliefs as just as valid as its own. But how could that ever be? If you believe that A is right, and B is a contradictory belief, then how could you accept B as also true?

They want the right to recieve Catholic Sacraments, but they don't believe in them and they don't want to be Catholic. Why would they want to participate if they don't believe and don't want to be Catholic? Would they also want to participate in a Muslim service? I really don't think they would. They wouldn't expect to be able to, and they wouldn't want to because they don't believe. So why do they want to, and expect to be able to participate in Catholic Sacraments?

I really don't get it. What is it about the Catholic Church that makes many other Christians want to participate as a confirmed Catholic, but not want to *be* a confirmed Catholic?

If they don't believe in this "stuff" anyway, what difference does it make to them if they're not allowed to receive a Sacrament?

Joan

PS: Catholics are required to accept all Catholic doctrines--you can't pick and choose the ones you like and ignore the rest.

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[> [> [> [> Good grief, I strayed again. Off to bed. Maybe a little sleep will help. :-) -- Joan, 06:18:15 07/18/07 Wed [1] (ip68-0-253-131.ri.ri.cox.net/68.0.253.131)

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