Catholic at heart?

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HolyRosario

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What do people mean when they say they are only Catholic at heart but not official?
 
for me when i say im Catholic by heart is i belive everything the CC teaches but by my parents i can not join God’s one and Holy Church (im 17) woot woot for 18 😃
 
HolyRosario said:
What do people mean when they say they are only Catholic at heart but not official?
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Perhaps it means that they haven’t been officially received into the Church, but that their heart has received the Church? 🤷
 
Perhaps it means that they haven’t been officially received into the Church, but that their heart has received the Church?
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This was the case with me. Looking back at me as an Evangelical Christian, God had certainly graced me with a “Catholic heart” - I had a heart for God, a heart that believed in Christ and sought to commune with Him, a heart that continually sought renewal in His grace. That is a “Catholic heart”, and I eventually was graced with recognizing the Catholic Church as the fullest expression of Christ’s truth and grace here on earth. I became Catholic in '09 - “Desales09” for my patron and the year of my confirmation.

People who haven’t formally entered the Catholic Church but who say they are “Catholic at heart” either mean that they intend to enter as soon as they can, or are just confused.
 
CountrySteve said:
for me when i say im Catholic by heart is i belive everything the CC teaches but by my parents i can not join God’s one and Holy Church (im 17) woot woot for 18 😃
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I was in the same situation at your age. I was 16 when I realized I wanted to be Catholic, but my parents wouldn’t allow it until I was 18 and had graduated high school, and I obeyed. I doubt a priest would have allowed me to be received against my parents’ wishes anyway, and the benefit was I had about two years between my conversion of heart and mind and my entering RCIA to learn as much as I could about the Catholic faith, so when RCIA began I already knew more on most topics than the instructors, though of course that initial knowledge was spotty, with big gaps especially concerning practices.

During that intermediate time I would definitely have identified with the phrase “Catholic at heart but not official.”
 
I have felt Catholic at heart for a long while before I got the chance to join RCIA and join my local church. My parents didn’t like the idea, so I had to keep it to myself until I went to University. Now I am getting confirmed at Easter and my parents are quite happy for me and shall be there 😃
 
HolyRosario said:
What do people mean when they say they are only Catholic at heart but not official?
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My answer comes from an NLP/Neurosemantics General Semantics point of view. The ony way to know is to ask them, I don’t read minds. Each may answer differently. I suggest you ask someone “what do you mean by that” the next time you hear it and if you ask enough I would bet you would get different answers until finally you have a notion as to what the general consensus is.
 
HolyRosario said:
What do people mean when they say they are only Catholic at heart but not official?
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I had not heard that one before, so no idea. However, though I am not Catholic, I do agree with much of what the CC teaches. I also disagree with enough, that were I to become Catholic, many would call me a ‘cafeteria Catholic’.
 
HolyRosario said:
What do people mean when they say they are only Catholic at heart but not official?
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A recent poll conducted by Catholic University sociologist William D’Antonio may give some clues. Among the results:
  • 86% of Catholics say it’s possible to disagree with official church teaching on key issues and still be a loyal member of the faith
  • 78% say you an be a good Catholic without going to Mass every week (Only 31% do attend weekly)
  • 40% say you can be a good Catholic without believing in transubstantiation
  • 30% support the teaching authority claimed by the Vatican (that means 70% don’t)
  • 88% say how you live is more important than whether you are Catholic
My guess is that this last statistic comes closest to answering your question.

You can read the results for yourself here:

usatoday.com/news/religion/story/2011-10-24/catholic-religious-identity-survey/50891152/1
 
Sam_777 said:
Maybe they would face prosecution if they officially practised Catholicism, like in Saudi Arabia or Afghanistan.
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Wow, good point…

Baptism by water, fire, or desire… right?

We should pray for these folks.
 
You know, when I was discerning to become Catholic (took me 31 years… hooray for a patient Holy Spirit! lol), one of my Catholic friends told me I was “more Catholic” than most Catholics she knew! haha. I felt Catholic at Heart since I was 7. My fundamentalist mom pulled me out of the CCD classes that I found on my own and put me into a fundamentalist Sunday School. Whee! Anyways…

You know, Catholic just means “universal”, and maybe those who have intense desires for Christian unity are just drawn to the Catholic Church for that reason? I mean, that’s why we believe Christ founded the Catholic Church in the first place, isn’t it? So we wouldn’t be divided, just like the Holy Spirit isn’t divided?
 
The best way to find out is to ask them what they mean! 👍

It can mean a variety of things;
  • They were baptized but are not practicing
  • They follow Christian traditions and holidays, but not religious practices
  • They’re looking for an invite to church
Keep in mind - these people are ripe for bringing back to Jesus my friend! I would pursue these people, ask them to church! 🙂
 
I can relate. I have to wait now until next year to do formal RCIA. 🙂
 
Just a thought. I’d hope that anyone who is Catholic at heart would pray an act of spiritual communion. Here’s one version …

My Jesus,
I believe that You
are present in the Most Holy Sacrament.
I love You above all things,
and I desire to receive You into my soul.

Since I cannot at this moment
receive You sacramentally,
come at least spiritually into my heart.

I embrace You as if You were already there
and unite myself wholly to You.
Never permit me to be separated from You.

Amen.
 
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