Catholics and the church?

Question

I really am trying to make this non-offensive but not sure how successful I will be.

I have seen Catholics on here talk about how in their church everyone believes exactly the same. The teaching does not change. I don't see how this can be. Do you never question what your priest teaches you? Do you never say what he just taught doesn't make sense? That you read it differently than him? I know I do this often in my church and I will talk to my pastor about it. Sometimes I come around to his way of thinking and other times not. Do Catholics never do this? Or do you just assume everything the priest teaches must be right even if it seems wrong to you?

I really tried to be as unoffensive as possible so please forgive any offense I caused.

pepgurli - What happens when the priest explains and you still disagree?

Answer 1

Well, you make a good point.

Personally, I have done that many times. I find something that doesn't fit, I talk to the priest for an explanation.

Sometimes I agree, some other times I don't. Then I consult different sources to see whether I find an answer, but I know that not always I can find an explanation

Answer 2

Our priests are for the most part, HIGHLY educated. Very rarely do they teach something out of line with the Church 's interpretation (at least I've been lucky). However, this is more in the case of faith (Bible) and morals. I strongly disagree with many of the political things that come out of the Church.

What to do if I don't agree with something Father says? I research it, all the way back to the Catechism and early Church Fathers, if necessary. If he just got it wrong, or confused me, then that's not a problem. If it's something I truly disagree with, then I must examine my conscience. What, for example, does the Church really teach and more importantly WHY?

If the Church's reasoning is sound, then I must be the one to change my opinions, not my 2000 year old Church. In that case, I am arguing with God, not man.

You see, we are but little branches of the vine, and have the authority of the Church and magesterium's teaching to fall back on.

For example,. euthanasia is held to be intrinsically evil. I have problems with accepting that in full. HOWEVER, I am bound to strive to understand the reasoning behind this.

In another example - that so many people really get wrong - the death penalty. According to the Church, it is not intrinsically evil. The late JP2 was greatly opposed to it, but it is allowed in certain cases. At first, I couldn't understand the reasoning of the late Pope. But after researching, I can understand his position. Has my overall position changed? Not to a great extent, but I am now much more understanding as to why some people believe as they do.

Much of the interpretation taught in Church is during the homily, which is usually tying the 2 or 3 readings together and applying them to our life.

In summary, when we say the Church's teaching doesn't change, we aren't talking about one parish. Indeed I feel connected to Rome and the rest of the world as well. This might be something someone from a Bible based independent church might have difficulty grasping.

Pax tecum!

Answer 3

Many Catholics disagree with policies and even doctrines of their church. But often they do not challenge them directly. There is a downside to having a hierarchy. Even the most theologically ignorant or operationally clueless pastor has more authority than any lay person. Bishops control pastoral assignments and the pope controls episcopal assignments. Short of gross incompetence or scandal, there is little that can change the bishop's mind.

A great many Catholics are happy not to rock the boat, accepting whatever is told them, and seeking out clarification when there is ambiguity. They like having a reliable authority telling them what to think and do. There are also Catholics who ignore official Catholic moral and social teachings they disagree with, but this is done at home, not in church.

The most active (and effective) dissidents are ultra-conservative Catholics who look for signs of "modernism" in their pastors. Priests who occasionally ad lib a prayer rather than reading it out of the book, who slide over masculine nouns whem referring to God, who don't show sufficient reverence for the Eucharist, can get reported by a loose network of conservative spies who have the sympathetic ear of some bishops and cardinals. These tactics have turned the Catholic church in a more conservative direction over the past decade or so. (Hyper-orthodoxy is always easier to defend than "lax observance".) There are good, thoughtful, competent priests out there, but they have to be very careful and can be hard to find in an atmosphere of fear. It seems that the most highly valued talents in a priest these days are an ability to balance the books, raise funds and prevent scandals rather than preach the good news and promote spiritual growth in the parish.

About the only other lay organization that has effectively challenged the Church, at least in the USA, is SNAP, over the sex abuse scandal, but most of this success has been through civil legal proceedings. SNAP chapters have met in church facilities, but not everywhere, I'm certain.

Often Catholics who are frustrated by ignorant or distorted homilizing just grit their teeth, then find their spiritual nourishment in small lay groups or pursue a solitary spiritual path, attending Mass simply for the community. When asked to choose between leading a dynamic faith community and tending sheep, many Church leaders lean toward the latter.

Answer 4

Yes, sometimes there are things a priest says that I do not agree with. There are priests who are just dead wrong in their teachings...we do not believe or agree with everything a priest says.

A priest does not always agree with nor follow all the teachings of the Church. He should but it's not always the case. So we can disagree with a priest as a person, but the Church, the magesterium has the authority given it by Christ.

Believing what the Church teaches as it's dogma is not the same as agreeing personally with every Catholic priest. They can be as prone as anyone, to different ideologies, liberal perspectives, conservative perspectives etc. But as a Catholic priest you have the teaching of the Church to guide you and you know 100% when you have chosen to ignore the teachings and state your own personal opinion.

As Catholics we are responsible to know our faith. Then we know when a priest is giving his personal perspective on something and we certainly have the right and responsibility to question his perspective and disagree if we are so incliined.

As a Catholic I agree 100% with the Church dogma. The core teachings of Catholicism have never changed. Priests have been extreme to one side or the other, but the pillar of truth has been constant and solid. This is what we believe. Having someting we can always turn to in the face of renegade priests give us that anchor we need. We are not so likely to be taken merrily down the path by a charismatic pastor who has absolutley no interest in Christ or salvation.

Answer 5

We're not really lemmings or sheep or anything else that just blindly follows along.

There are things that are considered non-negotiable, like the evil of abortion. There are things that you can choose to accept or not, like did Jonah really live in the belly of a whale. There are things the Pope speaks infallibly on -- sorry, I don't have an example, but I'll bet Swiss Guard can think of one...and there are other things he says that are not considered infallible.

I have things that trouble me, things I have trouble accepting. I know a priest who's intellect and knowledge I trust, and I can call him or speak to him in confession about these things. But priests and bishops and even the Pope are just human beings...more learned and educated than I am, but human none-the-less.

When it's a matter of dogma, of absolutes, I pray to understand the teaching, so that I can accept it.

Answer 6

Hello,

No, there are many things we question and do not take as gospel. I have had many great discussions with priests from birth control through to when one can and cannot receive communion either after church or over a glass of beer or wine at my house. In the late 60's we used to have town hall type meetings with them to discuss the social upheavals in those times.

Cheers,

Michael Kelly

Answer 7

As a Catholic I can tell you I go To church With open heart. The most Important thing after the Love Of God Is The preservation of the Holy Sacrements as He set them before us.

Sheep, lemming follower. Whatever you want to call me is fine. The belief that being a leader is the only prized personality to have is a symptom of modern day psychology.

Answer 8

You sound sincere...as a Catholic yes I do wonder about what my pastor says at times...but that is because I homeschool my kids and have learned so much about the faith that I never knew before. I am often more concerned with what does not get said....ie....why abortion is wrong, why living together is wrong, why we need confession, the basic tenets of the faith that do have solid scriptural reasons. There has to be one authority otherwise you end up with 30,000 differing opinions and all of them thinking they are truth.

Answer 9

I think there's a false assumption in there somewhere. Catholics have many variations. Charismatics are unlikely to spend a lot of time praying the Rosary for instance. And the parish priest is indeed held responsible for his words. And he CAN be reported to the archdiocese.

Answer 10

Not many of the Catholics I know personally do NOT have a very good Bible knowledge. They believe what they are told in the church. They are more into tradition. They are religious, but God wants us to have a personal relationship with God.