First Impressions: Discovering Catholicism

 In asking Chat GPT what I should write about next to make this not only an outlet for my thoughts but maybe even an evangelical tool, it was suggested to me that I might write about my initial thoughts on Catholicism. So, the task at hand: 'Share your initial reactions and any misconceptions you had about the faith.'

Where do I start? I had a hangup with the idol worshipping, the praying to Mary thing, the crucifixion of Jesus at each mass, confession to a priest, THE POPE, and his infallibility. I mean really the list could go on. As I was becoming Catholic each time we covered a new topic I would be challenged by what I thought I believed and then discovered a richer fuller version of Jesus and tradition. Other people would bring up other things that I might have a problem with and one by one as I took some time to read and ask questions the whole darn faith opened up to me. I will go through some of these here and others later. I will cover some of these in more depth in follow-up posts. I really want to keep this readable. 

Let's start at the top and work our way down, shall we? 

1. "Catholics are all Idol Worshipy" - It doesn't take long, if you have eyes, to see that there are statues and images everywhere in a parish or cathedral. You get an odd feeling when you first come across them. Catholics use statues and images as visual aids to focus their thoughts on God, Mary, and the saints. These images are not worshipped but serve as reminders of faith and devotion.  I used to have a wall filled with nice Christian regular old Hobby Lobby Crosses. The same wall remains, but now at its center Jesus on the crucifix because it's a more sober reminder that I am unworthy and will always worship the man who died for my sins. Mary and St. Francis are statues on my back porch for their addition to the overall design but so that Mother Mary is there to comfort me and also serve as a reminder of how much love and tolerance it must have taken to be the mother of our Lord and I can strive to love like her. St Francis is there to take care of all the birds and animals that eat the seed we set out at his feet. He looked after animals and the environment when he left his life of wealth to become a monk. He is a daily reminder to be more charitable with money and grace. Catholics aren't idol worshippers; they venerate, or show respect for saints and use statues as reminders of faith, not objects of worship. It's about honoring the holy lives of saints and focusing on God, not replacing Him with idols.

2. "Praying to the Mary Thing" - and the saints too for that matter. For me and probably most Protestants a hangup on the words "pray to". Yep, that was my hang up too. I pray to my Father in Three but to nobody else. I am pretty sure this was my first big issue I brought up to poor Deacon Tim while walking us through RCIA. Its a simple enough answer, but you might not like it. They mean 'through' and many Catholics I know actually say praying through, but a ton I know say 'to.' They mean through, as in, like, asking them to advocate or pray for you too. 

And for that, you might have to just take my word. 

I will get deeper into this subject in a future sesh, but for now if you're not Catholic, agree to disagree on the rest. I believe that words matter and that it looks cult-ish, but it's not. For example: If, as a Baptist, I were having surgery, I would ask my Sunday school class to pray for me, and maybe my friend group too. As a Catholic, I ask for the same people but might also ask Mary and St Gabriel or Saint Amalberga of Temse (known as the patron saint of injuries and surgery.) The point is, there are some souls (and these people were known to have the favor of the Lord) that are part of the living body of Christ that I can also ask as a backup to my friend's prayers.  When you realize how mysterious and powerful (and later we will see biblical) that is, why wouldn't I pray this way? These people are dead you might say. That's a different topic and I will get there. In a later post, I will reference Hebrews, Revelation, Psalms, 1 Cor, and Ephesians if you want to read ahead in those books. 

3. "Crucifying Jesus at Every Mass" - We don't. I  don't crucify Jesus at every mass; instead, I simply obey his request to drink his blood and consume his body. As a Catholic, I follow this tradition not as a repetitive sacrifice but as a profound act of faith and remembrance. It's about honoring his ultimate gift of love and salvation, participating in a sacred ritual that connects me to the divine mystery. It's not about re-enacting the crucifixion but about embracing the spiritual nourishment and grace that comes from this holy sacrament. We believe that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist, not just symbolically but in a real, tangible way. Now, the belief in transubstantiation, or the transformation of bread and wine into the actual body and blood of Christ, has its roots in the early Christian Church, based on Jesus' words at the Last Supper. Early Church Fathers like Ignatius of Antioch and Justin Martyr affirmed this belief, which continued to develop through the Patristic period with theologians such as Augustine of Hippo. The term "transubstantiation" emerged in the 11th century, and the doctrine was formally defined at the Fourth Lateran Council in 1215. It was further articulated by Thomas Aquinas and reaffirmed by the Council of Trent in the 16th century, cementing it as a central tenet of Catholic Eucharistic theology. 

4. "Confession to a Priest" - There were plenty of Old Testament verses about confessing sins in the way I had always understood it. You tell God what you have done and you repent for it. There are plenty of New Testament verses as well, like 1 Timothy 6 (written by a Gen 1 follower) and James 5 (written by an apostle and half-brother of Jesus). These two are arguably a couple of the closest to what Jesus said and did. If he and they ask us to Confess our sins to one another, adding to it the level of in front of witnesses is not a practice I held to before. Catholics believe in confessing sins to a priest based on biblical foundations, apostolic tradition, and theological principles. Scriptural support comes from John 20:21-23, where Jesus grants the apostles the authority to forgive sins. Early Christian writings like the Dideche which passes on traditions and practices confirm this tradition, with priests acting in persona Christi (in the person of Christ) during confession. The Sacrament of Reconciliation, one of the seven sacraments, offers grace, forgiveness, and spiritual growth. Confession provides tangible forgiveness, accountability, and spiritual guidance while emphasizing reconciliation with both God and the Church community. As a Protestant, I believed that I had grace, forgiveness, and spiritual growth through prayerful confession, and as part of the Godly mystery of parabolic, metaphorical, and literal teachings, it may be revealed to me someday that it wasn't needed but as something that seems biblical and ok as I now understand it, I am going to take Pascal's wager in that the benefits of confession are good. One more thing on the topic. In prayer, asking forgiveness, was hard, but safe. However, I found myself repeatedly sinning over and over again asking for forgiveness yet again for this thing or that act. You know what I am WAY MORE MINDFUL OF...??? I am more mindful of the sins I know I can "control" Until you've done it, it might be hard to understand, but confessing to another human that I have a sinful inclination or weakness and then returning to that human a day, week, or a month later saying that I need to confess that same sin again. It makes me pause before acting in the sin, knowing that this thing will keep me separated from God and I have to tell someone that I chose IT over God. It's a level of accountability that is actually working in keeping me in a more mindfulness of holiness. 

5. "The Pope and his infallibility" - This one might be tougher to explain because I am still learning and coming around to it all. There are factions and fractures from different men who have been elected Pope or even Anti-Pope. I have already said that I am now a studier of history now that I am a Catholic and there is SOOOO much of history even as it refers to this one topic, but here is where I rest. "And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." Matthew 16: 18-19. Jesus appointed Peter (aka Simon) as the person who would carry on with and lead The Church after Jesus was gone. During The Acts of the Apostles and other New Testament writings Peter is depicted as a central figure in the early Church. He often speaks on behalf of the apostles, makes important decisions, and performs significant acts of leadership. Judas being replaced by Mattias and other traditions being passed along. It's through these means, Peter and the early Church set the foundation for the succession of leadership roles, ensuring that the authority and mission entrusted to the apostles by Jesus would continue through successive generations.

One key aspect of Catholic belief is the infallibility of the Pope, which might sound super foreign to Protestant ears. I mean never wrong? This belief is rooted in Jesus' words to Peter in Matthew 16:18-19. Catholics interpret this as granting Peter and his successors a special guiding role. Infallibility, in this context, means that when the Pope formally declares something on faith and morals, he is protected from error by the Holy Spirit. He doesn't just walk around making declarations. It's not an always sort of thing. For instance, Pope Francis can't simply walk into the kitchen cupboard and declare that Poptarts are no longer to be considered for breakfast. He would certainly be considered wrong in that. The infallibility doesn't mean the Pope is perfect or can't sin—it only applies to specific doctrinal proclamations meant to preserve the unity and truth of the Church's teaching. As far back as I have read, these Popes also keep wise counselors around them and don't just willy-nilly say things. They seek counsel from bishops and Cardinals and discernment from the Holy Spirit. It doesn't help that the media will put out these clickbait-y headlines that people see and immediately begin to hate OR because they are not really interested don't read, but have no problem spreading the headline no matter how slanted. My favorite was the one about Pope Francis saying that priests could now bless same-sex marriages. This is not what he said, but that is what was spread. What he actually said, "that Christ and his blessings were for everyone". He condones and will not marry a same-sex couple or bless their marriage...but he will offer the humans themselves a blessing, this is in exchange of offering the Eucharist. Watch the 60 Minutes episode where Nora O'Donnell asks great questions and very pointed ones too. Tell me you think Jesus would disagree with him. 

One last thing to note, and that's the fact the fact that it has only been used twice in the history of the church: Papal infallibility, or the "extraordinary" papal magisterium, has been used twice:

1854: Pope Pius IX defined the Immaculate Conception of Mary

1950: Pope Pius XII defined Mary's Assumption into heaven

I don't know why in my head I assumed he was making up all kinds of stuff and traditions and being incredibly ornate. For this to have only been exercised twice in history makes me an idiot seems like quite a hangup. And honestly, I must have inexplicably been looking for something to hate.

As I conclude this exploration of my initial reactions and misconceptions about Catholicism, I do so with a sense of humility and gratitude. My journey into the Catholic faith has been one of challenging my beliefs and discovering deeper truths about Jesus and tradition. It hasn't been an easy road, but with each step, I've found a richer, fuller understanding of the faith and what it means to be a follower of Jesus. From grappling with concepts to submitting to the mystery, I've come to appreciate the profound spiritual nourishment that Catholicism offers. This journey has not only been an outlet for my thoughts but a transformative experience that I hope can also serve as an evangelical tool for others. May we all continue to seek truth with open hearts, embracing the wisdom and grace that God provides through His Church.