Hi, everyone,
I am a cradle Catholic, and I love the Catholic faith still. However, I am highly concerned with a very important area of theology, and I find any insight I've gained from research so far quite disconcerting. Okay, so here it goes:
One day, a priest told my congregation, "Missing Mass is a mortal sin." I began thinking how my fellow parishioners--and many other individuals who live in my heavily Catholic area--have missed Mass. Many simply miss occasionally for baseball games or shopping, yet I know they nonetheless retain a deep trust in Christ. Indeed, I am guilty of skipping Mass sometimes, too. Eaten up with fear, I went to Confession.
So, apparently, I am safe, having gone to Confession--but what about the many, MANY people within the Catholic faith who have shrugged off their responsibility to attend Mass? Is it true that if one goes to Mass every week in his life, only to shirk going to Sunday Mass in favor of attending a baseball game, and then dies the following Monday, he will go to hell according to Catholic doctrine? This seems astoundingly legalistic to me, and I just can't believe the Church could truly teach this, much less justify it.
This question tends to make Catholics mad. (Trust me, I've already asked some local priests, who either avoid the question or answer in annoyance or anger). With that in mind, I ask you to please not treat me like a heathen or an internet troll, but remember that I am simply one of your Catholic sisters (albeit, a confused one!) whose Catholic faith is a bit troubled.
Thank you,
MissTea
I am a cradle Catholic, and I love the Catholic faith still. However, I am highly concerned with a very important area of theology, and I find any insight I've gained from research so far quite disconcerting. Okay, so here it goes:
One day, a priest told my congregation, "Missing Mass is a mortal sin." I began thinking how my fellow parishioners--and many other individuals who live in my heavily Catholic area--have missed Mass. Many simply miss occasionally for baseball games or shopping, yet I know they nonetheless retain a deep trust in Christ. Indeed, I am guilty of skipping Mass sometimes, too. Eaten up with fear, I went to Confession.
So, apparently, I am safe, having gone to Confession--but what about the many, MANY people within the Catholic faith who have shrugged off their responsibility to attend Mass? Is it true that if one goes to Mass every week in his life, only to shirk going to Sunday Mass in favor of attending a baseball game, and then dies the following Monday, he will go to hell according to Catholic doctrine? This seems astoundingly legalistic to me, and I just can't believe the Church could truly teach this, much less justify it.
This question tends to make Catholics mad. (Trust me, I've already asked some local priests, who either avoid the question or answer in annoyance or anger). With that in mind, I ask you to please not treat me like a heathen or an internet troll, but remember that I am simply one of your Catholic sisters (albeit, a confused one!) whose Catholic faith is a bit troubled.
Thank you,
MissTea