How to bring my spouse to Catholicism?

[dusk]

I am married to a wonderful man. We have been married for 5 years and recently had our Convalidation. He believes in Jesus but doesn’t agree with the Catholic teachings.

I want to help him to understand the Catholic Church is THE Church, but I don’t want to be so pushy that I push him away from the Church. Any suggestions?

 

[YoungTradCath]

Well. If he believes in Jesus, he has to believe Church teachings, because they are Jesus’ teachings.

 

[ConstantineTG]

Be patient, pray, and live a life that reflects a true Christian. God will open his eyes.

 

[pablope]

I am married to a wonderful man. We have been married for 5 years and recently had our Convalidation. He believes in Jesus but doesn’t agree with the Catholic teachings.

I want to help him to understand the Catholic Church is THE Church, but I don’t want to be so pushy that I push him away from the Church. Any suggestions?

Ask him to go to RCIA classes. These require not commitment to covert…but it is one way to learn about the CC with others.

Or apologetic CDs.

And as already stated…pray.

 

[Bearontherun]

Pray, pray, and pray. Set a good example, as the others have mentioned.

If he is open to it, you could suggest he try RCIA to learn more about the faith.

Study the faith yourself so that you can more easily explain things when questions arise.

View catholic tv, read catholic books, pray catholic prayers, listen to catholic radio, visit catholic websites, etc, etc. where/when it is possible or available…and maybe he will “catch” the faith.

Try to be involved at the church and invite him to participate as well. Perhaps someone he meets there may help incite his interest.

Talk about your love for the faith. See if he is open to listening/discussing/asking questions. If you don’t know the answer, you can get back to him after researching it. Be confident and happy about your faith. He will see the twinkle in your eye. Pray to the Holy Spirit to guide you even as you converse with him.

You may want to check you Search and Rescue by Patrick Madrid. It is a book all about bringing others into the catholic faith.

I will pray for him as well.

 

[dusk]

Thanks so much. I will do some heavy praying. I almost had him convinced to learn about it in RCIA, but he changed his mind. Maybe soon I can get him close again.

I suggested he join the Men’s Group at church. The guys at his work (mostly married guys!) always try to get him to go drinking or to strip clubs and, thankfully, he doesn’t do that stuff. I told him it would be a good place to meet guys who don’t have interest in those things. I think he’s considering it.

 

[StarSapphire]

I am married to a wonderful man. We have been married for 5 years and recently had our Convalidation. He believes in Jesus but doesn’t agree with the Catholic teachings.

I want to help him to understand the Catholic Church is THE Church, but I don’t want to be so pushy that I push him away from the Church. Any suggestions?

Take him for a visit to the Vatican. That helped nail my wavering faith for me. You can feel how old the religion is, how steeped in history, its awe, splendour, horror.

You see, I have never been the best Catholic. I have wavered - on, off, on, off, on off. I always believed in God and have deep, deep ‘issues’ with my church over many issues, from women priests to literal interpretations of scripture, but for me I never had any doubts that, if I was going to believe in God, and in Jesus, and all that, then there could never be any other church.

It feels so ancient - it’s a massive international community steeped in history. It is far more than just a faith, a religion. It’s an identity that connects me, not just to God and Jesus and the biblical Middle East, but Rome, the foundations of Europe, art, poetry, architecture - its global reach, it’s ceremony and the really astonishingly pure depth and commitment of its priests, teachers and followers. I do not feel that sense of overarching spirituality in any other faith. The Catholic church really DOES spirituality, something that protestantism, or even agnostic branches, cannot do.

That spirituality, for me, is tangible in art, in history, in the church’s traditions and I really think, if you want to get him interested, showing him the spiritual depth of experience, beyond just the personal to the community in faith around the world, then he would understand the faith better, and, I suspect, one aspect it’s easy to lose sight of. Religion is about individual spiritual discovery, but it’s also about spiritual community, Us, rather than Me, which forms the foundation of everything Jesus taught.

Much of the dogma can put people off, but ultimately religion is not about the dogma, it’s about the soul, the spirit, and Catholicism really touches on that where many modern religions do not.

That’s in addition to what everyone else here has suggested to. Just my two pennies’ worth (or cents,for that matter).

 

[Tomek]

I am married to a wonderful man. We have been married for 5 years and recently had our Convalidation. He believes in Jesus but doesn’t agree with the Catholic teachings.

I want to help him to understand the Catholic Church is THE Church, but I don’t want to be so pushy that I push him away from the Church. Any suggestions?

Pray for him and serve as a good example.