Cyrpto Catholicism?

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Hi , is it possible to practising my faith secretly? .For example,dont want to share my faith publicly and attending the mass secretly? For instance, in orthodox denomination,its okay to keep your faith secretly…What about catholic church?

'‘An early attestation and justification of cryptochristianism is found in an epistle of Patriarch Ioannes 14th (Ιωάννης ΙΔ’)(1334-1347) of [Constantinople] to the Christians of [Bithynia]( (Asia Minor). He says that " those [christians] who by the fear of punishment [by the muslims] want to believe and practice christianity secretly, they will be also saved, provided they study god’s orders as far as possible ".
‘’
 
Do you live somewhere where Christians are persecuted?

I don’t mean like rude comments, I mean like actual violent persecution.
 
I live in Turkey,there is no physically persecution,however there is a mental persecution.Im working and ım sure that they will fire me if they notice this situation.
 
asrock said:
Hi , is it possible to practising my faith secretly? .For example,dont want to share my faith publicly and attending the mass secretly? For instance, in orthodox denomination,its okay to keep your faith secretly…What about catholic church?

'‘An early attestation and justification of cryptochristianism is found in an epistle of Patriarch Ioannes 14th (Ιωάννης ΙΔ’)(1334-1347) of [Constantinople] to the Christians of [Bithynia]( (Asia Minor). He says that " those [christians] who by the fear of punishment [by the muslims] want to believe and practice christianity secretly, they will be also saved, provided they study god’s orders as far as possible ".
‘’
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There some saints that were secretly Catholic in countries where it was illegal such as Ireland in the 1690s.
 
You don’t have to tell everyone you’re Christian. I’d say be lowkey, but it’s not necessary to be secretive about it. Just don’t go about wearing crucifixes and whatnot if you know you could get insulted. And you don’t have to answer questions regarding your faith- it’s no one’s business. Just make the questioner know that you consider the question inappropriate and decline to answer.
 
Do what you need to do in order to practice your faith while still surviving.

Remember that even in Jesus’ time, he had disciples such as Nicodemus who came to him secretly for fear of what would happen to them if they went public.
 
asrock said:
I live in Turkey,there is no physically persecution,however there is a mental persecution.Im working and ım sure that they will fire me if they notice this situation.
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If someone asks you directly if you’re Christian, you should say yes. But you can be very discreet about it. Avoid discussing religion at work, be vague about your plans on Sunday, etc
 
Bishops were forced to operate clandestinely before 1660.
These led to imprisonment and execution:
  • Henry VIII: Treasons act of 1534.
  • Elizabeth I: Earl of Essex proclamation of 1563.
  • Charles II: Titus Oates conspiracy 1678-1681 .
 
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It was effectively outlawed to practice Catholicism (requires the Mass) where Catholic clergy were liable to execution when found, being legally expelled.
 
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You are a lamp which is to be placed on a lampstand, so as to give light (the light of Christ dwelling within you) to those around you.

If you fear exposing your faith, a plea to the Holy Spirit will help. Consider the laying on of hands and prayer for revelation of, expansion of, and fearless manifestation of your charisms.

A quick read and reflection on Acts 2 will shine some light on this.
 
I thank you all for responding 🙂

By the way,ı found this in Catechism:

IV. RESPECT FOR THE TRUTH

[2488](javascript:openWindow(‘cr/2488.htm’)😉 The right to the communication of the truth is not unconditional. Everyone must conform his life to the Gospel precept of fraternal love. This requires us in concrete situations to judge whether or not it is appropriate to reveal the truth to someone who asks for it.

[2489](javascript:openWindow(‘cr/2489.htm’)😉 Charity and respect for the truth should dictate the response to every request for information or communication . The good and safety of others, respect for privacy, and the common good are sufficient reasons for being silent about what ought not be known or for making use of a discreet language. The duty to avoid scandal often commands strict discretion. No one is bound to reveal the truth to someone who does not have the right to know it.283

My parents will think that still ım a muslim…As it is known by majority of people, 5times salat is important for muslims.My father come and force me to pray salat every day…

So even if ı pretend salat, ı can pray to the christ secretly… Its because we believe in same god,right?
 
You can pray Christian salat. I suggest you look into praying the Divine Office.

I also live in a Muslim majority area and I time my own prayers to Muslim azans. It’s very convenient.
 
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Also, if you want, you can use the prayer time to pray a decade of the Rosary. The Rosary is a Christian devotion comprised of five decades. It fits in nicely with five prayer times. Just pray a decade at every azan and BAM! Daily Rosary.
 
Christianity has a long tradition of practicing the faith in secret. Christianity also has a long tradition of martyrs who have openly stood for the faith in times of persecution. Both Catholicism and Orthodoxy share in those traditions, and they are as old as the faith itself. I don’t know the situation in Turkey, in your family, or your place of employment. But I think the Catechism and tradition leave enough room for you to make the decision, and to not feel guilty about whatever you choose. It’s a very personal matter, and will be very different for people in different parts of the world and in different cultures. If you have a priest or religious nearby to talk to about specifics and help weigh your options and potential consequences, that would be your best option.
 
Thanks for the advice :))) …Although ı live in muslim majority country, we have a lot of catholic churches in Turkey… I feel so lucky 🙂
 
You don’t have to proclaim you are Christian to anyone but if asked, I myself get anxious to hide or be evasive. I am not judging you just that hiding up my beliefs from family or colleagues even if they are Christian too but nowadays being Christian ain’t publicly cool for the younger generation has been wearing me out. And so I said ok if they suddenly dislike me for this then it’s ok. Some behaved better than expected.
But if it hurts you to hide your faith then you should ask God for help. There are stories in the East when the Muslim Turks did have change of hearts after stabbing icons or shooting them. However these stories are mostly about AFTER they did it so I understand why sometimes you feel afraid.
I never had to fear anything worse than mean words and when they came out they did and I wasn’t dead or anything just sad.
 
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