Nebrfan:
My girlfriend and I are serious enough to be speaking of marriage. I was raised Catholic and attended Catholic high school (however not confirmed), she was raised very loosely as Lutheran. We both agree that when we bring children into this world that we should attend service as a family. I am drawn to the Catholic Faith, however, she is reluctant…partially due to recent events (sex scandals) but also because of much more distant, less inclusive teachings…i.e. mentioning that the Church taught that Jews were at fault for the death of Christ. How can I help to bring her, and myself, into the Catholic family…while reconciling for the previous failures of the Church? More importantly, how do I describe the Catholic Church as compared to the Lutheran faith?
Hi Nebfran -
I can contribute a bit here. I hi-lited two things above that struck me.
The first one about the sex scandals - The truth is that it is the individuals themselves who commited the acts that are at fault, NOT the church. I will agree that the church herself could have handled the situation better, but, the issue is being addressed by all involved, and the criminals are going to jail. Only closed minded negative people choose to use these criminal actions to somehow blame the church.
The second one about the Jews, ask her where she got her information because it is wrong. Make sure she tells you exactly where the church taught this from
Catholic Church documents. If it was at one time a teaching of the church, then she is choosing to hold onto past issues and to use them to negatively focus as an excuse.
Here is the church teaching about the Jews from the Catechism:
usccb.org/catechism/text/pt1sect2chpt3art9p3.htm
*The Church and non-Christians
**839 **"Those who have not yet received the Gospel are related to the People of God in various ways."
325
The relationship of the Church with the Jewish People. When she delves into her own mystery, the Church, the People of God in the New Covenant, discovers her link with the Jewish People,
326 "the first to hear the Word of God."
327 The Jewish faith, unlike other non-Christian religions, is already a response to God’s revelation in the Old Covenant. To the Jews “belong the sonship, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises; to them belong the patriarchs, and of their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ”;
328 "for the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable."
329
**840 **And when one considers the future, God’s People of the Old Covenant and the new People of God tend towards similar goals: expectation of the coming (or the return) of the Messiah. But one awaits the return of the Messiah who died and rose from the dead and is recognized as Lord and Son of God; the other awaits the coming of a Messiah, whose features remain hidden till the end of time; and the latter waiting is accompanied by the drama of not knowing or of misunderstanding Christ Jesus.
I hope this helps.
Subrosa
