Can I Still be Catholic

  • Thread starter Thread starter pdwhit01
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
P

pdwhit01

Guest
CCC87 says, “Mindful of Christ’s words to his apostles: “He who hears you, hears me, “the faithful receive with docility the teachings and directives that their pastors give them in different forms.”

I don’t and never have considered myself a docile person. If I don’t accept all the teachings I find in the Catechism of the Catholic Church with docility, does that mean that I can no longer be considered Catholic and can no longer participate in the Eucharist and other sacraments?
 
I guess what you see as docility. It might have negative connotations.

I think it was St. Thomas Aquinas wh said it is related to the virtue of prudence. Specifically, it is that part of prudence. It us to acquire knowledge through the teaching of another. It is not blindly accepting the teaching, however.

Don’t ask for a reference or citation, just something I rememberer.
 
Docility in this sense of the word means you are open to the Church teaching and not trying to find fault with it at every turn or complaining about everything.

The word “docile” comes from the Latin “docere”, meaning “to teach”, so it basically means you aren’t resistant, like a troublemaking kid in school, but can be taught.

The vast majority of us Catholics have issues with a couple of Catechism teachings. There are ways of disagreeing but still having “docility” as in having an open mind, realizing you might be wrong, and praying for God to help your understanding or otherwise enlighten the situation. As opposed to saying, "Well that’s clearly wrong, my opinion is right, and if the Church doesn’t agree with me then I will have a tantrum and if necessary leave. "
 
The thing is, so many people seem to equate ‘thinking for yourself’ to “rejecting something”.

You almost never hear, when somebody says, “You know, I’ve made a real thorough study of the teachings of the Catholic Church, and I find that I agree wholeheartedly with them”. . .

Another person saying, “Well, good on you! Glad you thought for yourself and came up with this insight!”

Instead, "Oh yeah, another lazy person content to ‘let the Church do all the thinking’ and just mindlessly agree’.

I’d have a lot more respect for the concept of "thinking for oneself’ if I saw it used equally for people who agree with something, and not just for those who disagree, so that it would hold the neutral status it should.
 
stpurl said:
I’d have a lot more respect for the concept of "thinking for oneself’ if I saw it used equally for people who agree with something, and not just for those who disagree, so that it would hold the neutral status it should.
Click to expand...
Agreed. Many of us of an older age who are currently on Team Catholic either converted from non-Catholic backgrounds or else were away from the Church for some long period of time and reverted, because we thought about it and realized it was the right way to go.
 
Last edited:
Thank you for your answer to my question. It was quite helpful. I am not resistant to any Catholic teaching. There are a few items that I struggle with, but feel I am teachable and do have an open mind to change. I know that when I converted to Catholicism I had issues most of which I was able to work out and through. I will continue to prayerfully seek answers to open issues, with the hope that they too will be resolved. Thanks Again!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top