Is it against a roman catholic to be interested and/or study wiccan?

Answer 1

I don't know enough about Wiccan to give you any advice.

But I do know that the Catholic church disapproves of magic. The Catholic Church teaches:

All practices of magic or sorcery, by which one attempts to tame occult powers, so as to place them at one's service and have a supernatural power over others - even if this were for the sake of restoring their health - are gravely contrary to the virtue of religion.

These practices are even more to be condemned when accompanied by the intention of harming someone, or when they have recourse to the intervention of demons.

With love in Christ.

Answer 2

A lot of lapsed Catholics are now neo-pagans and Wiccans since there is what we call high theater or rituals in our religious practices. We have shared many original concepts with Catholics and they have tried to assimilate heathens and pagans during the many years that there has been bad blood between Catholic and witches. Santaria (sp?) has married Catholic and African paganism together into a very strong religion. Celtic people have also married Catholicism and Celtic myth/magick with little or no major problems.

The Catholic church would probably excommunicate you if you started practicing magick... since like all the Christian religions they aren't willing to share their God with others. I have studied many religions as part of my theological training and I have to say that the human race does an awful lot of speaking for their deities and not much time listening!

Embrace the Earth and love all her children and you will find a spark of the divine in everyone!

Answer 3

I was roman catholic. I became pagan (not wiccan).

It's hard for the family to get their mind around it. Especially if they are more than sunday catholics. I still get a little spooked walking into a church (for weddings and funerals). I expect a bolt of lightning, or people pointing at me or something. Most of the people I've met in my area have come from the roman catholic religion (though I'm from Mass, and there are LOTS of RCs up here!).

Anyway, it's not against any religion to read about other religions. That's how you find out they are all so similar in the end. If you decide to change your faith, however, you may find a bit of resistance from your family and friends. Just be prepared to educate them about what wicca means to you and why you feel the change was necessary. www.witchvox.com is a really good site for introductory materials if anyone wants to know more.

Answer 4

I used to be Roman Catholic and it is possible to marry outside of your religion. I am no longer a Roman Catholic because I am divorced. We married in the Catholic church and he was not Catholic. We had to meet with Father at the church and take a compatibility test to make sure that we were compatible to be married. Also, we had to take classes that the church provides before we were permitted to be married. The church doesn't look kindly on marrying outside the religion, however, the marriage was recognized as being legal in the eyes of the church. Now, if you do not marry in the church and decide to marry elsewhere, the church will not recognize it as a legal marriage. These were the rules in 1993, however, I don't believe that things have changed all that much since then.

Answer 5

Well, darlin' Here are the references in the Bible to help guide you... they should help answer your question.

Verses about Witchcraft:

Leviticus 19:31; Leviticus 20:6,27; Deuteronomy 18:10-12,14; Isaiah 8:19 -- Matthew 22:29-32 -- Luke 20:34-38; 1st Samuel 28:3-25; 2nd Kings 21:6; 2nd Chronicles 33:6; 2nd Kings 23:24; Ezekiel 13:6-7; Acts 16:16; Isaiah 47:13; 1st Samuel 15:23; Jeremiah 14:14-18; Genesis 41:8; Isaiah 2:6; Acts 13:6,8; Exodus 22:18; ...the Greek word for sorcery is "Pharmakeia" which is where we derive pharmaceuticles... it means "enchantment by drugs" which concept is found in:
Revelations 9:21; Revelations 18:23; Galatians 5:20; Exodus 7:22; Isaiah 47:9,12... and I think Hosea 4:12.

Remember Philippians 4:8 "Finally, my friends, keep your minds on whatever is true, pure, right, holy, friendly, and proper. Don't ever stop thinking about what is truly worthwhile and worthy of praise. "

My note book lists accompanying verses as: James 2:19; Romans 4:7-8; Matthew 12:30; Malachi 3:6; Mark 9:40; Isaiah 41:4; Luke 9:50; Isaiah 43:13; Luke 11:23; Isaiah 46:4; Mark 9:42; John 15:1-2,5-6; Matthew 18:6-7; and Romans 11:16-21.

I hope this helps.
Peace.

Answer 6

No. Not really. It's no different than studying any other faith. Wicca is a system of faith.

It's ok to study up on Buddhism, Protestantism, Islam - what ever! It helps us to speak to those of other faiths if we understand what their faith is about.

Does "interest" mean you might wish to take it up? **This** would be dangerous ground.

However, I have a number of books on the subject. Historical. Not practical. It was in studying the history that I discovered the "burning times" was Protestant against Catholic. No witches.

The greatest areas and times of women burned as witches were areas and times of great protestant reformation. Such as the time of Martin Luther in Germany. Catholic men (especially priests) went to trial for treason. Catholic women were burned as witches.

Some of the greatest "witch hunters" were fanatical puritans.

When one studies up on such persecution of faith it really helps. I can't tell you how many wiccans I run across who are interested in the book Edmund Campion by Evelyn Waugh. Or the book Ancrene Wisse - from a 13th century manuscript for anchoresses.

Answer 7

It all depends.

If you are interested in reading up on wiccan beliefs and practices simply because you're curious, there's no problem with that - so long as you read this material from a discriminating perspective.

However, if your interest in learning about wiccan beliefs and practices stems from the temptation to follow wiccan beliefs and practices, this is not okay. This constitutes divination.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches:

2116 All forms of divination are to be rejected: recourse to Satan or demons, conjuring up the dead or other practices falsely supposed to "unveil" the future. Consulting horoscopes, astrology, palm reading, interpretation of omens and lots, the phenomena of clairvoyance, and recourse to mediums all conceal a desire for power over time, history, and, in the last analysis, other human beings, as well as a wish to conciliate hidden powers. They contradict the honor, respect, and loving fear that we owe to God alone.

2138 Superstition is a departure from the worship that we give to the true God. It is manifested in idolatry, as well as in various forms of divination and magic.

2117 All practices of magic or sorcery, by which one attempts to tame occult powers, so as to place them at one's service and have a supernatural power over others - even if this were for the sake of restoring their health - are gravely contrary to the virtue of religion. These practices are even more to be condemned when accompanied by the intention of harming someone, or when they have recourse to the intervention of demons. Wearing charms is also reprehensible. Spiritism often implies divination or magical practices; the Church for her part warns the faithful against it. Recourse to so-called traditional cures does not justify either the invocation of evil powers or the exploitation of another's credulity.

I hope this helped.

Answer 8

The Church would say it is, but I see no harm in it (and yes, I'm Catholic). If what you read leads you to convert (& yes, I am verging on heretical here), it should be because you truly feel it is a better spiritual path, and not just to spite people. That sort of decision usually backfires.
I did tell someone once that is there were no Christian churches--the faith had been completely wiped from the board, which is an impossibility, I know--I would follow the path of the Mother Goddess myself.

Answer 9

It's not wrong to study other beliefs/religions/traditions/cultures. Just as long as you aren't doing it to find out if they have the truth because you are having doubt. If you are learning about another belief and you feel yourself being pulled into that belief, then you need to stop. Satan will use these opportunities to lead you away from God.

Answer 10

Yes, but then again so is birth control, do you use that?
My advice, study it, what can it do besides open your mind? Just because you read it or study it doesn't mean you agree 100% with everything they believe in, Case in Point Roman Catholicism.