Do you love the Catholic Church because you love Jesus or love Jesus because love the Catholic Church?

[phil19034]

What about though when fighting occurs over religions?
Is the cause due to too much rigid adherence to “like a group” (whether Catholic, or orthodox, Protestant or Muslim etc)?

No, I don’t think it’s a fight over “rigidness.” What we would call “rigidness” is really just inside a religion / denomination.

Religious wars are usually one of two things

1. Fighting because one group views the other as pushing blasphemy - which can be extremely offensive to people with religious sensibilities
2. really a political war disguised as a religious war.

Now being a uncharitable to ppl of different religions can be a result of hatred- which can obviously lead to genocide. But often it has less to do with the religion and more to do with the fact that they are different.

But as for religious wars, real ones are due to one group viewing the other as a bunch of blasphemers.

Or at least that’s my understanding of history.

God Bless

 

[phil19034]

I personally thought that while Cardinals were “technically” choosing, God was inspiring them who to choose. I know some vote for different choice but I thought the “winner” was ultimately Gods will.

No. This is not how it works. God respects the free will of the Cardinals. They are allowed to pick a horrible Pope if they like.

What God does is protect the Church from a bad Pope dogmatically approving heresy. But God does not prevent a bad Pope from making a mess of things and confusing the faithful.

NOTE: I am NOT talking about our current Pope. I’m simply trying to explain the Papal elections and infallibility

 

[Rozellelily]

It makes total sense.
Unless we have been to USA, most of what Australian (and other countries) understand about Americans is based from the internet and media.

 

[BigRon]

I love Jesus and the Catholic church but I don’t like the catechism. I don’t think loving Jesus and His church is enough though, I know I will end up in Hell no matter how hard I try as I generally feel spiritually alone and fall into sin a lot.

 

[Rozellelily]

@BigRon

I am very sorry that you are feeling that way.
Please try not to be too hard on yourself and to remember that God is aware of all your struggles.

What is it about the Catholic Catechism that you don’t like?
Is it the wording or something in particular it states?

 

[BigRon]

What is it about the Catholic Catechism that you don’t like?
Is it the wording or something in particular it states?

Firstly I struggle with it as it is written in an intellectual manner and not for laypeople. Secondly when it speaks of muslims for example it sounds like they can get to Heaven but when we read about us it seems almost impossible to get to Heaven. I think the catechism is the main thing that makes me lose hope. It makes me feel lie I fall into mortal sin the moment I leave the confessional.

 

[phil19034]

I understand, but i would think the Pope puts a lot of thought and prayers into decisions like this and isn’t just his own personal thought?

The problem is that ALL POPES (like all good leaders) rely on the people around them. The better the staff and advisors, the better the leader. But when you have a lot of “yes men” or people with their own agendas, then it can hurt any good leader.

It should not surprise anyone to learn that there are a number of “yes-men” and men with their own agenda in the Vatican. It’s been like that for centuries.

Plus, all Popes are human. They have ALL made mistakes. From St Peter to Pope Francis. No Saintly Pope was perfect.

Heck, at least one Pope (during Saint Athanasius’ time) publicly accepted a heresy. HOWEVER, he never dogmatically forced it on the Church and was later rebuked by a future Pope. And actually, during this time, it was mainly the laity that fought back against the Arian heresy - which infected a ton of bishops at at least one Pope.

So they are not perfect.

God Bless