I was brought up Catholic and was even an altar boy. But when my dad died and my mother wanted tme to go to confession and then communion, the priest refused to hear my confession, because, he said "You are not a prectising Catholic". Surely this cannot be correct. I thought confession was all about forgivness. I have not been back in the last five years. One soul lost or what???
211366
A priest is bound by Canon law to hear a confession :\n\nIn reply your question, first of all I find it difficult for a priest to refuse hearing someone's confession. What do you mean by a "closed" confessional...I presume a door or screen?\n\nCanon 986 of the Code of Canon Law makes it clear that priests are to hear the confessions of the faithful "when they reasonably ask for it." Here's the canon:\n\nCanon 986.1 "All to whom the care of souls is committed by reason of an office are obliged to provide that the confessions of the faithful entrusted to their care be heard when they reasonably ask to be heard and that the opportunity be given to them to come to individual confession on days and hours set for their convenience."\n\nAs to the place, Canon 964.1 states, "The proper place to hear sacramental confessions is a church or an oratory (chapel)." 964.3 states, "Confessions are not to be heard outside the confessional without a just cause."\n\nSo there it is! If a priest chooses not to hear a confession in a closed confessional, it is his choice, however, the sense of the canon law seems to be that he should not refuse and every priest is bound to the seal of confession no matter where it is heard.\n\n\nHope this is helpful. Father Arnister
629406
Oh My!! You confess to the whole church???  Do the people judge you for what sins you have made?? How could I look at the members in the church eye to eye, who have commited serious sins?  I don't think it is meant for us to judge.  How can we not when we hear about members airing their dirty laundry?  I think your sin should be left to God to handle.
520858
because the catholic religion is all about tradition. \nand nobody in leadership has bothered to look at what the bible says, instead, they go by the ritualistic traditions which are actually un-biblical.\n\nconfessing to a priest will do nothing for you, coz God says to confess to Him. \nthey sometimes use the excuse of the scripture that says "confess your sins one to another".. but if you read that passage, you will realise its talking about discussing your sins honestly with others in order to be accountable to someone to change. but its only God that we get forgiveness from.\n\nas far as Mary goes? again, they dont read the bible where it says that you are only to pray to the Father in heaven in Jesus name. they also obviously missed the spot where it forbids you to talk to the dead. mary is dead. she was awesome, but she is dead at the moment, in heaven and unable to hear them. it says nowhere that she and only a selected special few are saints. we are all saints when we are saved into Christ Jesus. thats what God calls us, saints.\n\nif any catholics dont believe me, take a look at all of the epistles, alot of them start with "to the saints of (insert place like ephesus or corinth here)". He addresses the people of the church, as saints. so unless that church is full of corpses of great men and women of God... He is writing to alive people. \n\n"My people perish from lack of knowledge".\n\nits just a lack of knowledge of what the bible says..so, what God says.\n\nits sad :-(
248225
I don't think that there's really a way to answer this question.  I know a couple of people who were once Catholic and are now Jewish, and they seem to still have a lot of respect for Catholicism.\nJudaism is less focused on sin, I think, and more about following the commandments and being good.  Of course, if you mess up you still feel guilty.  \nI find that most things are hard because I know what you are supposed to do, and the 'evil inclination' pulls me the other way, not because religion is trying to tell me to do something that's against my nature.  It's not really that hard to keep kosher, for ecample, it's just hard to have and keep the will to do it.  Does that make sense?
149408
YES.  According to the good ol' American Heritage Dictionary, a Christian is one who professes "belief in Jesus as Christ or following the religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus."  I'm a Catholic, and I know this describes me, as I'm sure it describes you as well.\n\nI have come to understand a bit more about why sometimes Protestants say Catholics aren't Chritistian, however.  Hopefully, these will help you understand your friends' logic:\n\n1. The Saints.  It's thought that by praying to saints, Catholics are worshiping them.  This isn't true, of course, for reasons I won't get into here - I'm sure you know them - but you can see how people might think you're not Christian if they thought this was true.\n2. The Bible.  Because Protestants don't have a Church structure the way Catholics do, Protestants often end up paying a lot more attention to the Bible, memorizing passages etc.  It seems to them that Catholics ignore the Scriptures and so the word of Christ.  This isn't true either, but it's a not-infrequent misconception.\n3.  The Eucharist.  Catholics say that the Eucharist is the essence of Christ, present with us.  We worship Christ in and through the Eucharist.  If you're Protestant, you (generally) think the Eucharist is bread, symbolic of Christ, but not actually Christ.  So if they see us worshiping God in the Eucharist, they think we're bowing down to a piece of bread.  You can see how this would seem sacriligious?\n4. Salvation.  Generally, Protestants believe that salvation can only come from accepting Christ as your savior.  Essentially, no matter how good a person is on their own, because they're not perfect, they wouldn't be able to make it to heaven if it weren't for Chirst's sacrifice.    Catholics believe this is true, but that you also have to 'walk the walk, not just talk the talk.'  Salvation is based on the acceptance of Christ as savior combined with good works.  The reason some Protestants have a problem with this is because they're thinking we're discounting the importance of Christ's sacrifice and that we think we could get into heaven on our own. \n\nSo you see, the concept of Catholics not being Christian is generally based on misconceptions.  Try explaining these concepts to your friends (without proselytizing) and try to find out why they think Catholics don't count as Christians.  We all believe in Christ as the source of eternal life.  Maybe you can help them see this.
375028
There is no time like the present. None of us can throw stones, if we believe in God  or not and are sorry for anything we have done, and where possible make amends, that is all one can do. If we treat others as we would like them to treat us, can't be bad. By the way Catholics do not have their sins forgiven if they have no intention of trying not to sin again. Anyone should know that!
259485
I go once a month.\n\nSeeing the same priest is a good thing.  He is familiar with your sins and can make the act of contrition better fit your situation.  You can, if you want, go to a different priest as often as you feel you need to, but I like having the same confessor - I think it helps me keep things in check.\n\nMany parish's have the option of using the confessional, or sitting face to face, you can do either one that fits your mood.\n\nFor those that do not believe in Catholic confession, you must understand that the priest is acting in the person of Christ (persona Christi) when he listens to confession.\n\nHe is not forgiving the sin, rather he is there to tell you what you need to do in your life to make the sin "right with God".\n\nIt is a very important Rite in the Catholic Church.  It is also based in scripture, and if you are interested, let me know, I will tell you where to find it.
537510
I feel the same way.  I am a Catholic and I don't understand why people believe what they hear about the Catholic Church from those who are not Catholic.  Wouldn't it be better to learn the Catholic faith from a practicing Catholic who has been taught the truth about the teachings rather than from someone who has gotten their information second hand?  So many non Catholics try to tell me what the Catholic church teaches when they have no clue what they are talking about.  How can someone who is not Catholic tell me, a practicing Catholic of 38 years, what the Catholic church teaches?\n\nGod bless,\nStanbo
177324
here is a good website explaining it.\nI am not Catholic.
106043
Call it what you want, catholics do venerate Mary, and the bible never says to do this. this is not an attack on Catholic church, but there is too much emphasis on ritual, the rosary and the saints can do nothing for your soul, that is dependent on you believing and accepting Christ, reading the bible and worshiping in spirit and in truth, which the catholic church does not do because they are so hung up on ritual. Isaiah speaks about how much God dislikes ritual, though it has it's place, it should not shift the focus away from God, which it does and God does not like that. Hey why don't you do a proper search before you swallow your doctrine whole, you might find that the catholic church really has alot of un-truths.
259378
Good Question.\n\nCatholicism does not teach "All non-Catholics are going to Hell" nor "All non-Christians are going to hell."\n\nCatholicism does teach salvation is through Jesus Christ.  The Catechism of the Catholic Church talks about Baptism as the way to become Christian.  For non-Christians it talks about Baptism of desire.  That is, someone who spends their life searching for the truth, living an upright life, but has not not found and rejected the truth, has implicitly or at least is willing to accept the truth but dies first... has been baptized by desire.  \n\nGod has come for all, to save all, and those who do not know the truth through no fault of their own can not be condemned.\n\nHowever, as for a belief that Jesus is one an equal footing with leaders of other religions, this is wrong.  Only Jesus offer forgiveness for sins.  Only Jesus can live on in us, continuing to give Himself to us, as he does in the Eucharist.  Only Jesus is God.  The others may have been holy men.  But Jesus is man and God.  \n\nAnd the God of Christianity (And Catholics are Christian) is not the God of other religions.  E.I. we can know positive things about our God e.g. He is loving, He is kind, He is merciful ... Many religions, such as Buddhism, There is an Absolute of which we can know nothing, but we are part of that and we should be absorbed into it.\n\nThe religions don't mix.  Many inherent contradictions, though Bahai folks are no doubt well intended.  \n\nGood question.  Sorry, my answer is written quickly, and could be much better with more time.\n\nPeace be with you!
319555
You may well be correct about the church and child molester connection.\n\nThere seems to be a common thought that if you confess and say you're sorry and you won't do it again, you can get away with anything - just like all those who go to church on Sunday morning, confess, and walk outside and start over again. It is no coincidence that churches are often built opposite the bar.\n\nWhat a load of crap especially from the answer above this one - if you do wrong you should be punished - becoming a born-again christian (or whatever) should not be a "get out of jail free" card.
487980
In the Catholic faith, we believe forgiveness is offered only if certain things are preseent. ( And FYI, confession to a priest is only necessary for mortal sins, not venial sins.)  God alone does the forgiving, not the priest.  The sinner must acknowledge that what he has done is truly a sin, and that it was done out of free will.  He must plan to try to not do it again.  He must be truly sorry .  He must be willing to make up for his sin in some way.  The priest, after hearing the confessor, is in a position (through the power of the Holy Spirit) to express what God has offered, forgivess.  Of course, if the confessor is lying, and doesnt have true remorse, or immediately goes out to sin again, then obviously God sees the reality of it all and forgivess was not present.  Jesus understood human nature perfectly when he instituted this sacrament: we have a need to talk to someone when we are feeling anxious, upset, and guilty.  A trained person who can listen and offer comfort and help us work through our sinfull desires, and then assure us, only after he himself is sure, that our loving and forgiving Father has welcomed us back with open arms.
580247
Jesus didn't take part of our sins to the cross; He took ALL OUR SINS.  He is waiting for you to return to Him.  If you confess your sins, He is faithful to forgive you.  Just ask Him.
79840
First, I am a fellow Roman Catholic.  I am also a Knight of Columbus, which should tell you my devotion to the Catholic faith.  Now, to the question:\n\nHave you ever hear the logic example that says, every square is a rectangle, but not every rectangle is a square?  The same applies.  Every Catholic is a Christian, but not every Christian (those whose religions refer to themselves as it, anyway) is a Catholic.  The difference here is Protestantism.  Protestants (Lutherans, Methodists, Pentecostals, Baptists, etc.) all call themselves Christians, but would be lothe to be referred to as Catholics.  Here are the main differences:\n\n1) Catholics believe that St. Peter was the first Pope, and the line of Popes runs from him down to our current pontiff, Benedict XVI.  Protestants do not recognize the authority of the Pope.\n\n2) Catholics believe in 7 sacraments, which are Baptism, Penance, Eucharist, Confirmation, Marriage, Holy Orders (priesthood), and Annointing of the Sick (aka Last Rights).  Different protestant religions take out different sacraments, depending on how they were founded.  Martin Luther did not fully believe the Eucharist became the Body of Christ, so they do not fully consider it a sacrament.  Baptists only celebrate 2, baptism and confirmation.  They do not consider marriage to be sacramental.  This is one of the big disputes...Catholics believe marriage is a sacrament, so divorce is not possible.  Annulment, if you have heard of it, simply states that the sacrament never happened...it does not break a sacrament.  NOTHING can break a sacrament.\n\n3) As you mentioned, Catholics believe in the intercession of Saints.  That means that you can ask different Saints to pray to God for you, and God can allow them to help you do different things.  Jesus, during His transfiguration, spoke with Moses and Elijha, proving that Saints are very real.  Revelations talks about God hearing the prayers of Saints.  Protestants generally do not believe in Saints, even going so far as to say you are evil for praying for their help.\n\n4) Catholics actually have a more books in their Holy Bible than protestants do.  Luther decided, and others helped over the years, that certain books just did not belong in the Bible.  So, they got rid of books like "Wisdom of Solomon," "Baruch," both books of Maccabees (which reference Purgutory), "Sirach", etc.\n\n5) Catholics (Roman Catholics, anyway) have celibate priests and nuns.  Other faiths can have their preachers and sisters get married.\n\n6) The biggest difference:  Lutheranism was founded by Martin Luther.  The Methodists were founded by John Wesley.  Baptists trace their church to John Smyth in 1609.  Catholics, my friend, were founded upon a command by Jesus, the Christ, to Peter, His Apostle (read Matthew 16:18).  Other religions may revere Christ and speak of the Apostles.  The Catholic faith was made by Christ's command, to the Apostles.\n\nI hope this helps.  Do not be fooled by those who tell you that salvation is found anywhere.  Be sure you get the original, untainted source.
525072
I am 23 now and right about 14 I started questioning being Catholic also.  I think at around 14 you realize the world isn't fun and games like you thought it was and start to have to act like an adult.  Up until I was 14 my parents were the ones who brought me up Catholic, and then all of a sudden it seemed as if it was up to me.  I think you are at an awesome point in your walk with Christ.  Don't give up or give in to the lies that you are wrong.  \nThis is a learning expirience for you.  I went through the same thing, only it took me till about 2 years ago to figure it all out.  I am so much stronger now, so don't give up.  I think you are just at the age where you are taking the responsibility out of your parents hands and are now having an awesome individual relationship with God.  It is kind scary and it makes you question a lot, but stick with your faith and you will be so much stronger and it will help for those future temptaions.  \nThe world is going to throw a lot more out there, and it is going to be harder to deal with as time goes on.  Questioning isn't bad, as long as in the end you are closer to God.  Good luck and God bless!
180034
i ve been asking this for so long. thank god i am not alone. i am so sick of this anti-catholic bs that has no validity whatsoever.\n\nyou would expect this kind of garbage from the secular world, but i have no idea what these protestants are thinking sometimes.\n\nhere's an idea protestants...why don't you actually learn about the catholic church first. as opposed to just blurting out a bunch of nonsense like we worship mary, and the pope ,etc.  give me a break already. still goin with those arguments?? don't even waste my time then.