Can you still be a Catholic if you don't agree with all their teachings?

JRO116 said:

for example the sainthood, mary's position, purgatory etc..but still believe the church is the church christ started, and be a catholic?

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To be in Communion means that you believe and profess ALL that the Catholic Church believes and professes...that doesnt mean that Catholics dont have doubt or disagree, that means that regardless of their disagreement or doubt they are obedient to the teachings of the Church...savvy?

JRO116, if you do not become a Catholic and are not repenting sins from a contrite heart and/or not receiving Jesus/God/The Holy Spirit's Blessed Sacraments the other being His Holy Eucharist/Host, may I make the suggestion to you, as my Brother in Jesus Christ our Saviour, to at least recite Jesus' Divine Mercy Chaplet just once during your life in order to be taken into Jesus' Mercy - His Divine Mercy (preferably at 3pm on the day prayed) focussing on Jesus' bitter Passion and His Sorrowful Stations of His Cross and Crucifixion regardless of not being Catholic

and/or at least part of Jesus' Divine Mercy Chaplet Prayer:

"O Blood and Water which gushed forth from the heart of Jesus, as a Fount of Mercy for us, I Trust in You" x 3 times and/or:

"You expired Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls, and an ocean of Mercy opened up for the whole world. O Fount of Life, Unfathomable Divine Mercy, envelop the whole world and empty Yourself out upon us".

In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary.

And coming to her, he said, “Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you".
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But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
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Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
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"Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus.
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"He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,* and the Lord God will give Him the throne of David His Father".
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"and He will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end".
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But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?”*
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And the angel said to her in reply, “The holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God".
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And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren".
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"for nothing will be impossible for God".
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Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your Word.” Then the angel departed from her.

Our Heavenly Mother Mary's Magnificat:

"My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for He has looked with favor on His lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is His Name.

He has mercy on those who fear Him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of His arm,
He has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich He has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of His servant Israel
for He has remembered His promise of mercy,
the promise He made to our fathers,
to Abraham and His children for ever.

Amen.

Through this song of praise, Mary's heart rejoices in what God has done in her, a lowly servant.

God The Most High through Archangel Gabriel spoke to Daniel:

The book of Daniel Ch. 7-10 is about visions that Daniel had been given and he was seeking to understand them. Then a manlike figure appeared to him. He heard a voice cry out, "Gabriel, explain the vision to this man" (Dan. 8:16).

Daniel was in fear and the manlike vision says to him, "Understand, son of man, that the vision refers to the end time".

The angel Gabriel explained the vision as the period of wrath, for at an appointed time, there will be an end. Gabriel goes on to explain the visions and revealing the coming of the Son of Man, who will save the holy ones from destruction. The explanation included where in Daniel 7:10-16 it reads the Ancient One is at His Throne in heaven, which is in reference to Rev. 5:11, where Christ appears as a Lamb coming to receive the scroll from God at the end time and the angels are praising God and Christ.

For our own soul good eternally it is best to believe and trust in Jesus/God/The Holy Spirit's entire Holy Word - everything included - which contains the fact that God The Most High/The Holy Spirit through Archangel Gabriel spoke to our Blessed Virgin Mary of Whom had the Holy Spirit come upon Her and the power of God The Most High overshadowing Her while living here on earth, Blessed as the Virgin Mary Mother of Jesus/God by God The Most High as His favoured 'one'.

Our Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of God was later assumed into Heaven, body and soul, by Jesus/God The Most High and The Holy Spirit, was filled with The Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues when the Holy Spirit descended upon the Disciples and Mary after Jesus had died.

Our Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God was crowned with The Twelve Stars by God The Most High and The Holy Spirit and is Queen of Heaven and Queen of Mercy - all included within God's Holy Word/Scriptures.

And the angel said to her in reply, “The holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.

Our Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of God says at 12:35:

"Further my Children, pray from your Hearts to Me trusting in My Son Jesus your Saviour, and I will lead you to My Son and His Mercy".

Pray The Rosary focussing on My Son's bitter Passion of which My Children was suffered so that sins may be forgiven when hearts turn to My Son in genuine remorse".

"That is all".

"Our Queen of Heaven" and "Queen of Mercy".

Hail Mary, full of Grace, The Lord is with Thee, Blessed art Thou among Women and Blessed is the Fruit of Thy Womb Jesus. Holy Mary Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of our death, Amen.

This latter part of The Hail Mary was delivered by Jesus Christ our Saviour and our Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of God to Saint Dominic within The Holy Ros-a-ry during the year 1246 - and I encourage you to read Saint Louis De Montfort's The Secret of The Rosary and/or his other books detailing accounts when Jesus Christ our Saviour has appeared to Blessed Alan De la Roche (another priest) after Saint Dominic died after a lifetime of preaching The Holy Rosary that God The Most High bestowed upon our Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of God as a Loving Holy Gift to Mother Mary and mankind to pray to Her.

I feel sad for Christians of whom turn away from our Heavenly Mother Mary and Her Holy Rosary in dis-belief and dis-trust, because our Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of God is our Loving Holy Intercessory of Whom is able to lead us all back to Jesus Christ our Saviour, through our Hearts, to receive Jesus into our hearts, coming closer to Jesus/God/The Holy Spirit now and eternally.

...and this is precisely what happened in relation to myself!

It was our Lady Mary Mother of God through Jesus/God/The Holy Spirit Whom led me back to Jesus and I received Jesus into my heart, with Jesus speaking to my heart over past years, including Mother Mary daily.

Our Queen of Heaven (Revelations) our Queen of Mercy, Our Loving Holy Advocate.

Therefore, I implore you to read St Louis de Montfort's books and then make a decision in relation to whether or not you believe in Jesus Christ our Saviour appearing to many of His Saints and others, often with our Blessed Virgin Mary Mother of God and alone at other times.

An extract from St Paul's Centre of Theology:

John, in using this Old Testament imagery, is showing us the queen-bride, Israel.

The twelve stars of her crown are an obvious symbol of the twelve tribes of Israel. But throughout Revelation, the twelve tribes are also reckoned as signs of the twelve apostles, the representatives of the new Israel, the people of God, the Church (see Revelation 7:4-8; 21:12-14).

So the woman in Revelation is Daughter Zion and Mary. But as Daughter Zion was a symbol of whole people of God - Israel- the woman in John is also a symbol of the Church.

Paul, in language similar to that of Revelation, called the Church "the Jerusalem above . . . our mother" (see Galatians 4:26-27; Isaiah 54:1), and spoke of the Church as the bride of Christ (see Ephesians 5:31-32). John referred to the Church as a "Lady" (see 2 John 5).

So it is natural to see that Mary, as presented in Revelation, is the Mother of the Church, and is a symbol for the whole Church, which gives birth to a new people of God. Indeed, Mary, as the Mother of the Church, is said to have "offspring" in addition to the one male child she gives birth to. Those children are described as those who believe in Jesus (see Revelation 12:17).

John’s woman is depicted in a painful childbirth, again evoking Old Testament images of Daughter Zion in travail - suffering in exile, awaiting the birth of her salvation (see Micah 4:10; Isaiah 26:17-19).

Isaiah said that Daughter Zion, amid roaring sounds from the temple, would give birth to a male child and more children (see Isaiah 66:6-10). The scene is very similar in John.

We should note, too, that John’s choice of words in Revelation 12:1-2 seems to deliberately evoke Isaiah’s prophecy of the Messiah’s birth (see Isaiah 7:10,14). In both, we read of a sign high in the sky, and of a woman with child giving birth to a son.

John is showing us Daughter Zion giving birth to the Messiah.

The son born to the woman is said to be "destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod." This is a reference to Psalm 2, which depicts God giving His son the nations as an inheritance, and instructing the son to "rule them with an iron rod" (see Revelation 12:5; Psalm 2:7-9).

Elsewhere in the New Testament, this Psalm is interpreted as a prophecy of Jesus (see Acts 13:32; Hebrews 1:5). So in showing us the Messiah’s birth to Daughter Zion, John is, at the same time, showing us that Jesus is that Messiah and Mary is that Daughter Zion.

In John’s vision, the Christ child is taken to heaven and enthroned, as a battle breaks out in between a huge dragon and the heavenly host.

C. The First Gospel

Here we see a dramatic portrayal of the promise made by God in the Garden of Eden - the so-called protoevangelium or "first gospel" (see Genesis 3:15).

Recall that God promised to place "enmity" between the serpent and "the woman," and between their respective "offspring." That the woman’s offspring would strike at the serpent’s head with his heal.

Now, examine the scene in Revelation.

We have a "woman," and an dragon that John clearly identifies as "the ancient serpent," the Devil who deceived the whole world (see Revelation 12:9). The woman, then, must be the "new Eve" foretold in Genesis.

The serpent is waiting beneath the woman to devour her offspring. And the birth of this son and "the rest of her offspring" is the occasion of moral combat in which the serpent is ultimately defeated.

The final image of the woman in Revelation 12 is that of the woman fleeing into the desert - to a place specially prepared for her by God.

Later in his vision, John sees the woman given eagle’s wings to fly to a place in the desert where she would be nourished by God (see Revelation 12:6,14).

John’s language here recalls Jesus’ words to the apostles - that He was going to the heaven to "prepare a place" for them "so that where I am you also may be" (see John 14:1-3).

The language of preparing a place is often used in the New Testament to describe the destiny that God has planned for His children - He prepares a place for believers at Christ’s right hand (see Matthew 20:23), and prepares the kingdom for those He has blessed (see Matthew 25:34; see also 1 Peter 1:5; 1 Corinthians 2:9).

John also evokes God’s care for Israel in the wilderness, where He bore the people on eagles’ wings in their time of trial (see Exodus 19:4; Deuteronomy 1:31-33; 32:10-12). And God’s care in the desert included nourishing His people with bread from heaven (see Deuteronomy 8:2-3,6; Psalm 77:24-25; 104:40; Wisdom 16:20-21,26).

Love and kindest wishes your Sister in Jesus Christ our Saviour

Defensor Christi said:

To be in Communion means that you believe and profess ALL that the Catholic Church believes and professes...that doesnt mean that Catholics dont have doubt or disagree, that means that regardless of their disagreement or doubt they are obedient to the teachings of the Church...savvy?

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agreed. This is where faith comes in. Faith is what holds us up untill we find our footing on solid ground.

You can be a Catholic if you don't agree with the Church's teachings. You should probably not become a Catholic if you don't agree (or at the least not disagree) with all the Church's teachings.

You can be Catholic and have doubts about some teachings. You just can't openly preach against Catholic beliefs.

MikeK said:

You can be a Catholic if you don't agree with the Church's teachings. You should probably not become a Catholic if you don't agree (or at the least not disagree) with all the Church's teachings.

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^^^ THIS!

If you become Catholic without agreeing with - or at least not disagreeing with - all of the Church's teachings, you run the risk developing cracks in your faith down the road.

Those are some core Catholic teachings. I don't understand how you could come to the conclusion that the CC is in such error and still believe it to be the Church Christ set up.

-MUST believe in purgatory (dogma)

- MUST believe in Assumption, perpetual virginity, Immaculate Conception, of Virgin Mary (all Dogma)

-MUST believe that the bread and wine becomes the body and blood of Christ [dogma] and a good confession gives complete forgiveness [dogma] etc

-MUST believe marriage is between one man and one woman only [Dogma]

etc...

There are dogmas, doctrines, and disciplines. A Catholic must accept all dogmas and infallible doctrines of the Catholic Church with an assent of faith. A doctrine is infallible when it is formally defined and proclaimed ex cathedra by a Pope. This is when the doctrine becomes a dogma. Another way that a doctrine can be infallible is when it's a matter of Catholic faith and/or morals and when it has always been taught universally by the Church through the ages. This is called the infallibility of the ordinary Magisterium. Examples of infallible teaching include the Ten Commandments and what the Church has always taught about the seven Sacraments.

Being a matter of Catholic faith means when it pertains to the deposit of faith that Jesus entrusted to the Church during the time of the Apostles. So an infallible teaching can never be something that is completely new or contradictory to what had always been a teaching of the Church from the beginning.

Popes don't always speak infallibly. In fact, most of the time they aren't speaking ex cathedra. But, generally, a Catholic must also assent even to teachings coming from the Church that aren't considered infallible. The only possible exception would be if, hypothetically, a Pope were to ever contradict an infallible doctrine with a heretical statement that was not done ex cathedra. In such a case, a Catholic would be forced to choose between the fallible and the infallible teaching and should, therefore, choose the infallible one.

Disciplines are changeable and are at the discretion of whomever is the valid successor of St. Peter at the time. An example of a change in discipline was when it was decided by Rome that Holy Communion could be given in the hand instead of directly on the tongue.

For a better explanation of this see the following:
The Successor of Peter Teaches Infallibly - Pope St. John Paul II
Four Levels of Magisterial Teaching - The Evangelization Station
Four Levels of the Church's Teaching - EWTN
Explaining the Idea of Infallibility - EWTN
Infallibility - Catholic Answers

RileyG said:

-MUST believe in purgatory (dogma)

- MUST believe in Assumption, perpetual virginity, Immaculate Conception, of Virgin Mary (all Dogma)

-MUST believe that the bread and wine becomes the body and blood of Christ [dogma] and a good confession gives complete forgiveness [dogma] etc

-MUST believe marriage is between one man and one woman only [Dogma]

etc...

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That is required of Catholics, but none if that is required to be a Catholic. Once Baptized Catholic or Confirmed , a person remains Catholic forever, no matter what they believe, unless they make a formal act of defection...which there really isn't a defined process for anymore.

Anyway the answer to the OP is: probably not. God only knows our hearts though, in the end.

? No, sorry, incorrect. Didn't you read any of the replies?

It wouldn't make sense to disagree with the Church but still call yourself Catholic. If you believe that Jesus created this Church then it means that he has protected this church like he said he would. If you think the Church is in error then it would not be under the protection of Jesus and couldn't be the Church he established.

If a person thinks the Church Jesus founded is in error then there must be something wrong with their thinking.

I think that faith is something to be lived, not analyzed, and I really don't think most people, Catholic or otherwise, spend much time thinking about dogma.

The real test is how their corporate prayer and life within their Catholic community has strengthened their relationship with God and other people.

When I pray am I thinking, "Marriage must be between one man and one woman?" Heck, no. I've been married to one man for 44 years, and some of those years have been wonderful, and some have been difficult, but having that underlying commitment to one another has, I believe, made life better for us and for our children. We also participated in marriage encounter for a number of years, which strengthened our marriage.

My belief is that God manifests himself in our relationships with other people. Even if we smile at the supermarket clerk we are communicating God's presence. And I think that even in imperfect relationships--unmarried cohabitation, gay relationships--God may be communicating to the partners every time unconditional love is expressed (agape). God works in mysterious ways.

I am not opposed to civil unions granting gay couples certain legal protections, but I believe churches should have the choice to uphold God's law as they see it.