Do Catholics feel shame for the history of their church? Kinda has a nasty past doesn't it?

Answer 1

Not really.

Any organization over two hundred years old can be accused of having a "nasty past."

Remember the Church:
+ Has always been full of recovering sinners
+ Is full of recovering sinners
+ Will always be full of recovering sinners

Unfortunately a few of these sinners have done and will do a few horrible things.

Also most of the "nasty" history has been written by anti-Catholic historians and is not quite a "nasty" as it might seem.

With love in Christ.

Answer 2

Why don't you actually try reading some of the history for yourself...

For example, most people mistakenly believe the Spanish Inquisition was spearheaded and organized by the Church.

Wrong! Ferdinand and Isabella (the State) were the ones who pushed for and ultimately instituted the Inquisition. The Pope at the time (Sextus) first refused --what they wanted transferred authority from the Church into the State.

But the State pressured the Church anyway. Check out wikipedia's entry:

Alonso de Hojeda, a Dominican from Seville, convinced Queen Isabel of the existence of Crypto-Judaism among Andalusian conversos during her stay in Seville between 1477 and 1478.[6] A report, produced at the request of the monarchs by Pedro González de Mendoza, Archbishop of Seville and by the Segovian Dominican Tomás de Torquemada, corroborated this assertion. The monarchs decided to introduce the Inquisition to Castile to uncover and do away with false converts, and requested the Pope's assent. At first the request was turned down for a number of reasons. One reason was that they had requested the Spanish Inquisition to be under the control of the monarchs of Spain. This in turn would lessen papal authority over the clergy involved and make methods difficult to keep in line with official papal rules of inquisition, and instead easily become a mere political and semi-military tool of Spain. Ferdinand pressured Sixtus IV by threatening to withdraw militarily support during a time when the Turks were a major threat to Rome.

The Pope ultimately went along with it. The upshot was every that Inquisition "trial" was held in a State Court, as opposed to an ecclesiastical or clerical court.

The Crusades, also , have been largely distorted. The Crusades were actually a "reconquest" of European lands that had been taken over by the Moors. At the time, the state and the Church were one. Thus, it is often depicted that the crusades were purely about killing people for religious reasons -- but this was a major geopolitical struggle for land and existence, not purely a religious one.

Also -- this idea that Pope Pius XIII was "Hitler's Pope" secretly helping Hitler and the Nazi regime -- has been recently debunked by a number of historians... There is plenty of evidence to the contrary. Please see Rabbi David G. Dalin's account, for example. "The Myth of Hitler's Pope"

Answer 3

No, at the time things like the crusades happened, or the inquisitions things were different. I am sorry for those who suffered needlessly but I also believe that God has taken care of them.

Plus if you read up on the history of those times, you'll find that the Catholic Church has been made out to be a monster. Mostly because it's looked at with our understanding today.

You cannot judge by hindsight.

Do you feel shame for white people owning slaves? Even though we know it's wrong now, many people at that time believed it to be perfectly fine. Again...you cannot judge and blame people for things that happened in a time you do not know or understand.

Answer 4

The Church is a huge organization. Unfortunately, several evil or heretical men have held high positions in the Church at times. Please understand the difference between the flaws of men, and the actual Church. I firmly believe and follow the true teachings of the Church, but I agree that several evils have occurred in the name of Catholicism.
Let me ask a question. Say you love physics, but some physicists are evil and do things you do not agree with. Would you stop believing the laws of physics? Same thing.

If you have specific questions or problems with the Catholic Church, I would love to hear from you. Just email me and if I don't know the answer, I'll find it for you.

Answer 5

Actually, the more I learn about the Catholic Church, the more I love it. Taking history classes that focus on Europe within the past 2000 years has taught me how *beneficial* the Church has been, and how most of the things the Church is blamed for were actually committed by corrupt governments.

Answer 6

Since you describe the history as "a nasty past", I somehow think that you have not read much credible history. Yes, there have been scandals woven in there, even starting with St. Peter's behaviour that St. Paul called him on the carper for. The good news is that, just like with the history of the Jewish people, God directed them back to righteousness.

Answer 7

A nasty past that they've done a great lot to hide. Unfortunately for them, they haven't been completely successful.

I think some probably feel some shame, but not all.

Answer 8

It is quite embarrassing. I don't understand it myself. But this kind of crap happens every where, not just in the church! People in your own neighborhoods are doing the same thing, only difference is, it seems to be more shocking when it comes from a place of religion. The whole word seems to be going mad! Kids being molested and abused, people being killed over stupids stuff, people who continue to drink and drive knowing that they take that chance of killing someone when they get behind the wheel of a car while under the influence. This world needs to shape up! And it needs to start right here at home.

Answer 9

I wonder if all the high and mighty so called Christians who are pointing their finger at the Catholic Church are ashamed of themselves for letting their relatives kill my Indian ancestors huh? Guilt by association is cool with you isn't it?

Answer 10

It's only a nasty past to non Catholics. True Catholics either deny it or gloss it over, but they never admit to it.