new and have questions :)

[meliz]

Hello everyone. I am currently learning about a variety of different churches in the search for my church home, and although I never originally planned to learn about Catholicism, I stumbled across the Catholic boards the other day and was intrigued and now want to learn more. I stumbled across a thread that recommended a book called Surprised By Truth. I just started reading, and it's very interesting. So, I come here asking some sincere questions. One of which is about heaven. What is the Catholic belief on getting to heaven?

Some things I particularly admire about the Catholic church...the beautiful churches, holding communion in high regard, the music.

I have several other questions, so if someone would be willing to answer some of them in PM, that would be great! I hope to learn a lot on my journey.

 

[Chany]

Hello everyone. I am currently learning about a variety of different churches in the search for my church home, and although I never originally planned to learn about Catholicism, I stumbled across the Catholic boards the other day and was intrigued and now want to learn more. I stumbled across a thread that recommended a book called Surprised By Truth. I just started reading, and it's very interesting. So, I come here asking some sincere questions. One of which is about heaven. What is the Catholic belief on getting to heaven?

Some things I particularly admire about the Catholic church...the beautiful churches, holding communion in high regard, the music.

I have several other questions, so if someone would be willing to answer some of them in PM, that would be great! I hope to learn a lot on my journey.

You can post them hear to discuss. We don't bite... hard.

 

[meliz]

Besides my question about heaven, here are some others...
1. I would have to go to Mass alone if I choose to go. I've been in Catholic churches maybe 3 times in my life. Would it be awkward to go alone? Will I be in the way when everyone goes up for communion and I don't?
2. I was married in a protestant church, and then divorced. If I ever became Catholic, would I have to get an annulment in order to remarry?
3. I've seen programs on television with people crying and practically fainting when seeing the Pope. Why is this? How is a pope chosen?
4. What about my sins prior to becoming Catholic? Could any of them condemn me to hell.
5. What are some good writings/books to read to learn more about Catholicism?

I'm sure I'll have many, many more questions but this is a start. I am impressed with the amount of knowledge and intellect on the Catholic boards.

 

[Brooklyn Knight]

Besides my question about heaven, here are some others...
1. I would have to go to Mass alone if I choose to go. I've been in Catholic churches maybe 3 times in my life. Would it be awkward to go alone? Will I be in the way when everyone goes up for communion and I don't?

Of course not. Even if you're not part of the Catholic faith, you may attend and also worship with us. Some Catholics also do not go to communion because they may want to see a priest to absolve them of their sins, which is what I do after a month or two.

2. I was married in a protestant church, and then divorced. If I ever became Catholic, would I have to get an annulment in order to remarry?

No. Your marriage, while deemed valid, was not considered sacramental.

3. I've seen programs on television with people crying and practically fainting when seeing the Pope. Why is this? How is a pope chosen?

People get emotional for a lot of reasons when seeing the pope: some feel blessed, some believe it's of high respect that the Pope has elected to come and visit them in that part of the world, that they have a chance to pray alongside with the pope, etc.

As for how the pope is chosen, here's a link. In a nutshell, College of Cardinals.

4. What about my sins prior to becoming Catholic? Could any of them condemn me to hell.

Depends on the gravity of the sin. But don't worry, the same is true of practicing Catholics. However, being truly sorry and confessing your sins are a surefire way to be in good graces with the Lord.

5. What are some good writings/books to read to learn more about Catholicism?

There is the Catechism that I am actually rereading myself (As well as the Bible). Regarding other books, I can't really offer any input as I am in possession of a few books but I have not yet gotten around to reading them.

 

[meliz]

Thanks so much for the response!

 

[Chany]

Thanks so much for the response!

Just to let you know, not to assume, what do you understand about our Eucharist? Just checking.

 

[meliz]

Just to let you know, not to assume, what do you understand about our Eucharist? Just checking.

I understand that Catholics believe it becomes the actual body and blood of Jesus Christ. I have always been taught that communion in symbolic, so I have been praying about it.

Is there anything else I need to know about the Eucharist? The more knowledge I have, the better!

 

[stormcloud]

No. Your marriage, while deemed valid, was not considered sacramental.

Actually, an annulment might be necessary, but even if it were, it would probably be what I call a "short form" i.e. no need for witness statements or a narrative. It would be best to discuss the details with a priest to find out for sure.

I'm going through an annulment and can tell you that it's actually been a healing experience (allowing me to work through the pain of the past and put it in proper perspective), and I'm not even dating anyone at this point in my life let alone preparing for marriage. Your former spouse doesn't even have to participate (although they will be given time to respond so that might slow it up a bit) and it's non-adversarial. The primary thing to keep in mind about it is the purpose is NOT to assign blame/fault, but to determine whether it was entered into with the proper mindset by both parties (were there psychological issues involved, was there outside pressure to marry, was there deception involved, was there immaturity involved, did both parties have a full understanding of the sacramentality of marriage etc.).

 

[Foundthelight]

Catholicism for Dummies is a fantastic book. It helped me a lot when I first started looking at the Church.

Catholicism For Dummies (For Dummies (Religion & Spirituality)): Rev. John Trigilio Jr.,Rev. Kenneth Brighenti: 9781118077788: Amazon.com: Books

 

[Nietzscheiswrong]

I understand that Catholics believe it becomes the actual body and blood of Jesus Christ. I have always been taught that communion in symbolic, so I have been praying about it.

Is there anything else I need to know about the Eucharist? The more knowledge I have, the better!

not in substance (it could be sent to science labs and checked otherwise probably I'm wrong but it only makes sense that if it were in substance it could be tested..its not otherwise there would be no protestant sects) but in essence. If you're into deep theology you can try St. Thomas Aquinas (thomism) for the distinction between substance and essence. The language is very difficult for non-theologians there's other books to read first. Pope Benedict's Books on Jesus are a good start the language is clear and accessible to all.

I wish it were in substance - the solution to all problems but then that would leave no room for faith really...

Loosely speaking its more than symbolism its a mystery. We really don't really know what essence is. Really. If someone's truthful about it he doesn't know. Just like no one knows how heaven looks like for real. That's THE mystery everyone should be eager to find out "after". Imo. We should be focusing on wanting to find out how heaven and God look like more instead of the moralisms, legalisms and bigotry I think...hence more talk about the afterlife.

Maybe I'm just a romantic and sentimental guy (most of the time I don't make myself very clear over here!)

P.S. Non debatable - the eucharist doesn't taste like meat nor does the wine taste like blood. Hence not in substance but in essence.

 

[Standing_Ultraviolet]

2. I was married in a protestant church, and then divorced. If I ever became Catholic, would I have to get an annulment in order to remarry?

I really hope that this won't be a barrier to your joining the Church, and I encourage you to pursue the truth even if it is difficult (I had a hard time with the difficulties involved, believe me), but yes. The normal process would be to see if you could get an annulment, regardless of whether your old marriage was sacramental or not. Assuming that you and your husband were both baptized Christians, then it was sacramental. Just to be very clear on that, this isn't a point of questioning, but it is often misunderstood. The official position of the Church is that any valid marriage between baptized Christians is a sacrament.

An annulment is not the same as a divorce. It checks to see whether there was a truly valid marriage in the first place. There are situations where there might not have been, and the Church can determine whether any of those situations existed.

There are a handful of situations where non-sacramental marriages can be severed, but a sacramental marriage by its nature can't be severed. The Church can't do what's impossible. Civil divorce is allowed in some cases and unfortunately is sometimes necessary, but that doesn't allow either partner to remarry while the other is alive.

 

[meliz]

Thanks to you all for responding. I still have some questions, specifically about reconciliation/confession, but would really appreciate if someone could discuss it with me through PM. They might be sensitive in nature, and I really don't want to offend anyone!

 

[Brooklyn Knight]

Thanks to you all for responding. I still have some questions, specifically about reconciliation/confession, but would really appreciate if someone could discuss it with me through PM. They might be sensitive in nature, and I really don't want to offend anyone!

A user at these forums - FriendlyJosh - provided a great video about confession.

Confession Explained (full version) - YouTube


And another thing, there is nothing wrong with inquiring, so ask away.

 

[meliz]

I actually stumbled across this video the other day...it's partly why I'm interested in learning about Catholicism. I understand that there are venial and mortal sins. Mortal sins will condemn you to Hell, unless you do confession and repent of your sin before death.

Here's my question...what if a person has committed a mortal sin and confessed their sin to God and is repentant, but not yet to a priest, and they tragically die in an accident? Are they going to Hell?

And if the answer to this question is yes, then what exactly did Christ do for us on the cross, if he did not die for all of our sins?

I watched a mass online yesterday, and have been watching various things on EWTN such as praying of the rosary. After observing these things, I could really see myself attending mass and such, but I am so tripped up on the above questions. The level of respect for Christ and tradition I saw in the mass were really refreshing to see. I just haven't seen that in other churches I have visited.

 

[stormcloud]

Loosely speaking its more than symbolism its a mystery.

The fact that it is a mystery (beyond anything we can truly compare it to from our experiences), is exactly why it's so hard to explain. The word "symbolism" can inadvertently be misleading. Maybe explaining it this way might help. The bread and wine remain bread and wine in a physical sense (what apologists call the "accidents"), but supernaturally speaking, they become the mystical body, blood, soul and divinity of Christ.

Hope this helps.

 

[Brooklyn Knight]

I actually stumbled across this video the other day...it's partly why I'm interested in learning about Catholicism. I understand that there are venial and mortal sins. Mortal sins will condemn you to Hell, unless you do confession and repent of your sin before death.

Here's my question...what if a person has committed a mortal sin and confessed their sin to God and is repentant, but not yet to a priest, and they tragically die in an accident? Are they going to Hell?

It depends on the sin and how they tried to reconcile and make amends. Depending on the severity of the sin, priests will not absolve you of your sins until you come clean to the victims and accept whatever punishment that may befall, or you try to right a wrong you committed yourself.

If someone stole money, they should admit it was they who stole it and try to pay back the person they stole from. If someone struck somebody, they should seek this person, apologize and ask for their forgiveness. If somebody kills someone, they have to report to the proper authorities and accept whatever punishment that may befall them to be truly reconciled with God.

And if the answer to this question is yes, then what exactly did Christ do for us on the cross, if he did not die for all of our sins?

I watched a mass online yesterday, and have been watching various things on EWTN such as praying of the rosary. After observing these things, I could really see myself attending mass and such, but I am so tripped up on the above questions. The level of respect for Christ and tradition I saw in the mass were really refreshing to see. I just haven't seen that in other churches I have visited.

Christ did die for our sins but that doesn't mean we Christians have a blank check to do whatever to whomever. Christ died so we all can have an equal chance at salvation, for forgiveness here on Earth, and one way to attain that is if we repent for our sins and ask of our brothers and sisters to forgive us whenever we stumble.

 

[meliz]

It depends on the sin and how they tried to reconcile and make amends. Depending on the severity of the sin, priests will not absolve you of your sins until you come clean to the victims and accept whatever punishment that may befall, or you try to right a wrong you committed yourself.

If someone stole money, they should admit it was they who stole it and try to pay back the person they stole from. If someone struck somebody, they should seek this person, apologize and ask for their forgiveness. If somebody kills someone, they have to report to the proper authorities and accept whatever punishment that may befall them to be truly reconciled with God.



Christ did die for our sins but that doesn't mean we Christians have a blank check to do whatever to whomever. Christ died so we all can have an equal chance at salvation, for forgiveness here on Earth, and one way to attain that is if we repent for our sins and ask of our brothers and sisters to forgive us whenever we stumble.

Thanks. Definitely making more sense now. Although, I will admit the idea of confession sounds downright embarrassing. It's also overwhelming to think, if I do decide to become Catholic, then all these sins from my past that I thought had been forgiven by God aren't really forgiven. And what if you did something years ago, such as say unkind words about someone or lie to someone, and can't necessarily get contact with that person to make amends? I understand that making amends is important, but what if you can't? And also, what if you commit a sin, but don't remember it and don't confess it as a result? Do you need to write things down to confess?

 

[stormcloud]

I actually stumbled across this video the other day...it's partly why I'm interested in learning about Catholicism. I understand that there are venial and mortal sins. Mortal sins will condemn you to Hell, unless you do confession and repent of your sin before death.

Here's my question...what if a person has committed a mortal sin and confessed their sin to God and is repentant, but not yet to a priest, and they tragically die in an accident? Are they going to Hell?

The first thing to keep in mind is that we are bound by the sacraments, but God is not. God can save someone who hasn't been to reconciliation(confession).
Having said that, in the scenario you described, it sounds like the person in question made what we call and act of perfect contrition (praying to God with repentance that comes out of love for God and sorrow for offending Him). If his/her intention is to get to confession at the next opportunity, even if he/she doesn't make it, they would be "covered" so to speak. The other thing to keep in mind is that in the sacrament of reconciliation, the priest is acting "in persona Christi"(in the person of Christ). You can repent of your sins directly to God and God certainly has the ability to forgive you outside the sacrament of reconciliation. However, when you do so in the sacrament of reconciliation and the priest says "I absolve you of your sins", you can have complete assurance that your sins are absolved.

And if the answer to this question is yes, then what exactly did Christ do for us on the cross, if he did not die for all of our sins?

It might help to think of it this way: Christ died for our sins, but He didn't, and won't, force us to accept that gift. If He did, we'd live in a much different world. We still suffer from temptation and virtually everyone succumbs to it from time to time, and we do so of our own will. In Revelation 21 we're told that nothing unclean will enter Heaven. We can think of what Christ did on the cross as the gift of sparkling white clothes, every time we sin it's like getting dirt on those clothes and they need to be cleaned. Reconciliation is the washing machine and we want to keep those clothes clean so we can enter Heaven when our time comes.

I hope this helps.

 

[meliz]

And also, what about the thief on the cross? He didn't get baptism, or confess his sins, yet Jesus said he would be with him in paradise. I'm guessing this means that there are some exceptions to the need for baptism and reconciliation?

 

[stormcloud]

Thanks. Definitely making more sense now. Although, I will admit the idea of confession sounds downright embarrassing. It's also overwhelming to think, if I do decide to become Catholic, then all these sins from my past that I thought had been forgiven by God aren't really forgiven. And what if you did something years ago, such as say unkind words about someone or lie to someone, and can't necessarily get contact with that person to make amends? I understand that making amends is important, but what if you can't? And also, what if you commit a sin, but don't remember it and don't confess it as a result? Do you need to write things down to confess?

Any priest will tell you that the sacrament of reconciliation is an extremely humbling experience because they get the privilege of playing such an instrumental role in helping a person repair their relationship with God. The more the damage is being repaired the more they're humbled. They're strictly forbidden not to repeat anything said during reconciliation, and not to even let it color the way they treat or act toward the penitent and the Holy Spirit gives them the great grace of forgetfulness when they leave the confessional which is a great aid in helping them hold to that responsibility.
I left the practice of the faith for over 20 years and I had some heavy duty sins to clean up. Fr Bill showed nothing but love and concern as I related everything I had done. I was wiping tears of joy from my eyes the whole way home because of the great weight that had been lifted off my shoulders.

As for making amends to the person you offended, that will be up to you. The penance a priest will give you will actually be something so easy, you might feel like it wasn't enough to make up for what you might have done (but rest assured it will be all that God will require). As for the sins you've forgotten: after you tell the priest the sins you do remember just tell him that you think there were other sins but don't remember, and they'll be forgiven as well. If you happen to remember a sin later on, just mention it the next time you go to reconciliation just to put a bow on it so to speak.