What Keeps You Catholic?

[anna ~ grace]

Hey, friends. I'm not Catholic, but can't technically call myself a Protestant either, so this is in no way meant to discourage or provoke, but rather, help an outsider to learn. With things as they are in the Vatican, what, yet, do you still love about Rome, her History, and Church? What keeps you Catholic, as opposed to anything else?

In Christ ~ grace

 

[victorinus]

What keeps you Catholic, as opposed to anything else?

there is a saying -
once a catholic -
always a catholic -
that is certainly true for me -
I was raised and educated a catholic
-but-
for various reasons I stopped going to church for 17 years -
it was john paul the great that got me back -
we have lost a lot of catholics but some of them are now coming back -
the real story is catholic converts -
just google -
'famous catholic converts' -
the other story is so many catholics in powerful positions -
up until the death of scalia -
we had 6 on the supreme court -
it is a tribute to the rational aspects of the catholic religion

 

[BroIgnatius]

Because Jesus founded the Catholic Church. It is the only true Church in the fullness of the faith. Because of the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Because of the seven sacraments. Because God did not leave us to be blown around by opinion, but gave us a Magisterium (a Supreme Court), Pope and the bishops in union with him, to definitively resolve theological disputes on faith and morals. And that the papacy is proven in the Bible, as is the Real Presence.

These are some of the reasons I converted to the Catholic Church. I used to be an ordained Baptist minister.

 

[mea kulpa]

Hey, friends. I'm not Catholic, but can't technically call myself a Protestant either, so this is in no way meant to discourage or provoke, but rather, help an outsider to learn. With things as they are in the Vatican, what, yet, do you still love about Rome, her History, and Church? What keeps you Catholic, as opposed to anything else?

In Christ ~ grace

With all the madness unfolding i take great strengh and faith that all of what is going on has been fortold in both scripture and by saints and visionaries of the church centuaries even a millenium before and as st paul says it is by holding to traditions our lord will bring us through this.

 

[Virgil the Roman]

In no particular order:

The Seven Sacraments, most especially the Holy Eucharist and the Sacrament of Penance. Divine Tradition/Paradosis (which contains Holy Scripture as an inseparable portion of it). Baptism is another key one as well. The Papacy is pretty much the lynch-pin or 'keystone' for me.

First and foremost: the Mercies and Grace of Our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ.

 

[Stabat Mater dolorosa]

I'm Catholic despite what's happening in the Vatican.
What's happening in the Vatican is just the lead up to the Catholic eschatology where in the end the women will be chased by the Dragon.

I cannot leave the truth just because we're few in numbers and the faithful are ostracized by the falsehood of the post counciliar church.

Catholicism that being the uncontradicted faith prior to Vatican II is the truth revealed to the faithful by the Holy Ghost through the church for the salvation of mankind.

How could I ever leave?

 

[victorinus]

Catholicism that being the uncontradicted faith prior to Vatican II

get over it -
we have survived vatican 2

 

[Stabat Mater dolorosa]

get over it -
we have survived vatican 2

It depends what you mean by surviving...

Well I don't care to argue with you in our safehaven on the feast of the nativity of our Lord.

I just explained why I don't leave the faith.
Rome could go off the track as far as she like and I'll still believe in the preconciliar church.

Blessed Christmas to you and yours.

 

[pdudgeon]

Hey, friends. I'm not Catholic, but can't technically call myself a Protestant either, so this is in no way meant to discourage or provoke, but rather, help an outsider to learn. With things as they are in the Vatican, what, yet, do you still love about Rome, her History, and Church? What keeps you Catholic, as opposed to anything else?

In Christ ~ grace

What keeps me Catholic is knowing the 'what else' that is out there.

For me I'm waiting to see what happens at the Vatican and the UN in the next few years.
not too thrilled with the Vatican leadership, that's for sure, but the Catholic Church is still homebase for me.

I want to see my parish church stay strong in Christ,
and get our Catholics more committed and on fire for Christ.
We have an amazing congregation when we're all together at Christmas and Easter, so I'd like to see something catch fire from the plentiful Christmas and Easter kindling.

 

[anna ~ grace]

Thank you very much to everyone who has answered.... God bless and keep you, and a Merry Christimas , too! Thank you.

 

[LivingWordUnity]

Here is what keeps me Catholic:

1) My faith in God

2) The deposit of faith

3) The examples of the saints

 

[Rhamiel]

John 6:68
Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.


when I see the things that go on now
well I remember that Judas was an Apostle
Arius was a Bishop

there have always been good and bad people in the Church "the wheat and the tares grow side by side"

 

[Open Heart]

John 6:68
Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.


when I see the things that go on now
well I remember that Judas was an Apostle
Arius was a Bishop

there have always been good and bad people in the Church "the wheat and the tares grow side by side"

One of the best posts ever.

 

[Gnarwhal]

Hey, friends. I'm not Catholic, but can't technically call myself a Protestant either, so this is in no way meant to discourage or provoke, but rather, help an outsider to learn. With things as they are in the Vatican, what, yet, do you still love about Rome, her History, and Church? What keeps you Catholic, as opposed to anything else?

In Christ ~ grace

I won't be Confirmed until Easter, but the reason I'm pursuing it with a singular focus is:

1. The Church's claim to a lineage tracing back directly to Christ and the Apostles is legitimate and tangible, it's not some kind of symbolic heritage.

2. Baptism, Confession, Confirmation, Eucharist, Matrimony, Extreme Unction, and Holy Orders.

3. The Magisterium.

4. The fact that the Church has weathered problems in the Vatican before, but Christ's promise that the gates of hell won't prevail over her has held true for two millennia.

5. How deeply rooted the Sacred is in the fabric of the Church. Despite the fact that there are elements in the Church who seem to turn their backs on things like properly Catholic concepts of Sacred Space, iconography, statuary, etc, it's nevertheless an integral part of the Church's DNA, and orthodox Catholic teaching demonstrates why it's all perfectly in line with the historic Christian belief.

 

[Virgil the Roman]

get over it -
we have survived vatican 2

If you call 3/4 of Catholics exiting the Church since Vatican II 'survival', you must have really awesome poll numbers . . .

 

[victorinus]

If you call 3/4 of Catholics exiting the Church since Vatican II 'survival', you must have really awesome poll numbers . . .

where did you get that number?
not enough left in my mind

 

[Virgil the Roman]

In the US in the 50s, statistics have 75% of Catholics were practising. Now it's between 17%-25% rate of practise. So at least 50% have left, although even more have left, it is more likely.

 

[victorinus]

In the US in the 50s, statistics have 75% of Catholics were practising. Now it's between 17%-25% rate of practise. So at least 50% have left, although even more have left, it is more likely.

okay so why don't we have enough priests?

 

[anna ~ grace]

What do you all feel may happen to the Catholic Church in the next 5-10 years? Is some kind of schism / separating possible? Would that be a good thing?

 

[Gnarwhal]

What do you all feel may happen to the Catholic Church in the next 5-10 years? Is some kind of schism / separating possible? Would that be a good thing?

Francis won't be Pope forever, he's 80 and he's already hinted before at retiring rather than occupying the papacy until his death. Like a pendulum swinging the other direction we'll probably see a more theologically oriented and orthodox Pope elected, maybe not quite as stringent as Benedict XVI, but nevertheless firm in orthodox theology.

There won't be any more schism than there already is, if anything I imagine some healing and reconciliation may happen.

But then, the decision lies with God in the end. So we shall see.