Catholic or Anglican ?

Question

I was apprently baptised C o E but never went to church when i was young. Iam 39 now with a catholic husband and 2 catholic children. I have been attending a catholic church for over 15 years now with my partner.My 9 yrd daughter told me because iam anglican i dont believe in God, only catholics do.
This statement was a reminder to me of my weak faith. I have committed various moral sins against god over the years. Iam afraid of the after life and what judgement will be handed down to me at the gates of heaven.There are other reasons for me to find grace with god, my question is iam very happy to become a full catholic via the right channels but will god forgive my sinful soul. I want to have a catholic funeral,buried next to my husband and know in my heart i love god before its too late. What do people think.

Answer 1

Hello, my friend. I am glad to hear that you are eager to join the Church. However, before I get into that, I am concerned that your daughter has apparently been taught that only Catholics believe in God. That is not consistent with Catholic Church theology. The Church has long held that our protestant brothers and sisters have a legitimate faith in God and can quite rightly call themselves "Christian." They lack the fullness of truth found in the Catholic Church, but they do not entirely lack faith in God. If you are concerned for the "correctness" of the information being communicated to your daughter, you might want to find out who is telling her these things and try to find another teacher.

As for your desire to fully enter the Catholic Church, please allow me to wish you the very best as you begin your journey home! God always welcomes His children when they come before him with a contrite heart and a desire to do the right thing. In the Catholic faith, we are blessed to have a Sacrament called Reconciliation, in which we have the opportunity to confess our sins to God, repent of them, and receive absolution for our transgressions. It is one of seven beautiful Sacraments in which you can participate as a Catholic. Never worry about God's forgiveness; even as the father welcomed his prodigal son home, God is always eagerly waiting for us.

To start you on your way, I encourage you to contact the church of your youth and obtain copies of your baptismal records and any other records that church might have regarding your spiritual formation. If you can't get these documents, that's okay too. They will provide useful information to a priest so that he might better advise you, but they are not required. Either way, make an appointment with your parish priest and explain your situation to him. He will most likely direct you to the parish RCIA program, which is the process by which adults are welcomed into full communion with the Church.

Don't be afraid. No matter what is in your past, God is waiting to welcome you home to the Church established by Christ. We're waiting too, to welcome you fully as a sister in faith. Best wishes to you on your journey, and peace be with you and your family.

Answer 2

Congrats on the marriage. Good luck to you. There's no problem for your kids because of your own religion, but you shouldn't have them Catholic just so you can get them into a good school. You should speak to a priest. If you are planning to live a Catholic marriage, I don't understand why you would do it in an Anglican church. As long as your spouse is Catholic, it's a Catholic marriage. Your family may be opposed to your Catholic marriage, and perhaps your parents even feel upset by your personal decision. In this case, check with a priest you trust to see about having a second ceremony outside of the Church, etc...

Answer 3

I think you should follow your heart.

The Catholic Church accepts your baptism by the Church of England.

If you are interested in joining or just learning more about the Catholic Church, contact your local parish and ask about information about their RCIA Inquiry group.

You can go and ask any questions you want.

This is the first step in RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) but you can stop at any time.

There is no obligation to become a Catholic.

With love and prayers in Christ.

Answer 4

Since you've been validly baptized, you're already about 80% to 85% Catholic.

C o E doctrines and practices are pretty close to Catholic, and you've been a nominally practicing Catholic for 15 years.

All you need is the RCIA short course, reconciliation and communion, and you should be good to go.

Send for a free copy of my Catholic Resource CD to help with your studies.

God bless you.

Answer 5

First of all find out where your daughter got that silly notion. It is statements like that that give Catholics a bad name. Jeez, she is almost as bad as a Fundie.

To clarify: I am not saying your 9 year old is bad but she obviously heard it from an adult Catholic and those adult Catholics who say things like that are giving Catholics a bad name.

Answer 6

I would speak to an apologist at www.catholicanswers.com.
As I read some of the answers people have given, it is evident you need to find out some real facts, rather than relying on some of the opinions people have here. Best wishes and I will pray for you.

Answer 7

Of course you will be forgiven. It's never too late to change, but picking a religion is something that should be chosen for the right reasons. Just make sure you weigh the options carefully.

Answer 8

I refer to the story of Martin Luther who was unable to find inner peace. He could not overcome his sense of guilt despite all his good works, prayers, penances, and alms. His confessor advised him to read Romans. In Romans Luther discovered the simple truth that God had forgiven his sins freely, not because of Luther’s works in Germany but because of Christ’s work on Calvary. That discovery freed Luther’s spirit and ignited a fire that swept over Europe. The watchword of the Reformation was the gospel: “The just (justified, saved) shall live [have eternal life] by faith [in Christ]” (Rom 1: 17)
Many Roman Catholics have never been taught this most precious truth of all, that salvation is a free gift of grace, accepted by faith.

Answer 9

Try and explain to your 9 year old daughter that other religions believe in the Living God as Catholics do.

Jesus Christ sacrificed Himself for all mankind. He came as our Savior and He took upon Himself all our sins. Your sins yesterday, today, and tomorrow are all taken care of. You just accept Him as your Lord and Savior and follow His teachings and you'll be fine.

Brother in Christ,
Egan

Answer 10

Talk to your Parish Priest. He will be able to answer your questions and set your mind at ease. God is all-forgiving and if you are genuinely penitent, all sins will be forgiven.