If you are a Christian, what is the real reason for you not being a Catholic? - 2

[O.S.Luke]

First of all, to once and for all correct a popular misconception that Catholics have, the Latin protestari, which “protestant” derived from, means “to publicly assert” or “standing witness.” It’s not a negative word - it’s a positive word. It can certainly be spun into the negative. Most churches at the time of the Reformation did not use the term “protestant” - they used words like “reform” and “reformed.” Unfortunately, “Protestant” became a word of hated and labeling.

The real reason I am not Catholic? Someone who believes in the Real Presence of Christ who is not Catholic cannot come to the Table to receive the Eucharist. And before someone gives me the long explanation, save your time - I already know it, having studied at a Catholic seminary and doing post-graduate work on Eucharistic and liturgical theology. The reasons are still inadequate.

So that’s the real reason. It makes no ecclesiological sense to recognize anyone’s baptism - the initiating sacrament - as valid and yet deny them the Eucharist - the sustaining sacrament. It’s akin to birthing a child and then denying them food.

O+

 

[Memaw]

First of all, to once and for all correct a popular misconception that Catholics have, the Latin protestari, which “protestant” derived from, means “to publicly assert” or “standing witness.” It’s not a negative word - it’s a positive word. It can certainly be spun into the negative. Most churches at the time of the Reformation did not use the term “protestant” - they used words like “reform” and “reformed.” Unfortunately, “Protestant” became a word of hated and labeling.

The real reason I am not Catholic? Someone who believes in the Real Presence of Christ who is not Catholic cannot come to the Table to receive the Eucharist. And before someone gives me the long explanation, save your time - I already know it, having studied at a Catholic seminary and doing post-graduate work on Eucharistic and liturgical theology. The reasons are still inadequate.

So that’s the real reason. It makes no ecclesiological sense to recognize anyone’s baptism - the initiating sacrament - as valid and yet deny them the Eucharist - the sustaining sacrament. It’s akin to birthing a child and then denying them food.

O+

Well, since you “know it all” then there is no reason for us to wonder why you want to go through life without the Holy Eucharist, in union with Christ’s Church. Read the Early Church Fathers. That may help, hopefully!

 

[Ronald_E]

First of all, to once and for all correct a popular misconception that Catholics have, the Latin protestari, which “protestant” derived from, means “to publicly assert” or “standing witness.” It’s not a negative word - it’s a positive word. It can certainly be spun into the negative. Most churches at the time of the Reformation did not use the term “protestant” - they used words like “reform” and “reformed.” Unfortunately, “Protestant” became a word of hated and labeling.

The real reason I am not Catholic? Someone who believes in the Real Presence of Christ who is not Catholic cannot come to the Table to receive the Eucharist. And before someone gives me the long explanation, save your time - I already know it, having studied at a Catholic seminary and doing post-graduate work on Eucharistic and liturgical theology. The reasons are still inadequate.

So that’s the real reason. It makes no ecclesiological sense to recognize anyone’s baptism - the initiating sacrament - as valid and yet deny them the Eucharist - the sustaining sacrament. It’s akin to birthing a child and then denying them food.

O+

I was away 40 years before I returned and made my confession and received Communion. I was attending Mass with my spouse for 6 months before I received the sacraments. I knew I was not worthy to receive Christ in the Eucharist. I had promised my wife that I would start attending Mass with her when our youngest child went away to college in '04. So I kept my promise.
I began to see that while others were receiving Communion and I wasn’t that it was my anger with the Church’s teachings being used as a smokescreen to defend me against my shame that separated me from the Church and influenced me to feel a false sense of superiority to the Church.
The Holy Spirit began to teach me about Humility being the only way to begin to understand Church teaching. Easter of 05 I took a step towards Humility and made my first confession in 40 years.
The first sin I confessed, without knowing what was going to come out of my mouth, was that I had received Our Lord in Communion in a state of mortal sin at my wedding 30 years earlier. I began to cry so hard I could not talk for a little while. The second sin I confessed was holding myself superior to the Church that Jesus created and died for. Again I cried. More sins were confessed, but that is for another time.
When I received absolution I cried tears of joy and my shame was gone. I now love my faith in a way I never imagined and as a result I love others like never before.
I think Paul said something like when I was a child I thought as a child and now that I am a man I put away childish things.

 

[SoledadLuLu]

Hello to all,

I read the posts and thought I would share with you my thoughts.

I am a catholic but struggling to continue as such.

I was raised a JW. What turned me off to the JWs was some of their teaching, not all of them, but some of them. Mostly what made me leave the organization was their arrogant attitude of “I am right you are wrong” and unless you do as the church says, you will not inherit everlasting salvation."

My observation over the last four years of associating with the catholic church is that it (the masses of the people) are just as arrogant as the the JW’s, and Born Again (Faith Only), (I only use these examples because that is all that I have association with). I do not mean to offend anyone here, it is just, there is so much focus on sin & how we are sinning, and what is a sin. There are so many catholics on this forum who are so quick to judge others, and point out their sins…Is the priest celebrating mass wrong, is the nun, who doesn’t wear her habit sinning, is the married couple who uses birth control sinning, is receiving the Eucharist more than once a day sinning, if I eat an hour before receiving the Eucharist sinning, is listening to the radio on Sunday a sin, sin, sin, sin…that is all I read about here and the arrogance of I am right, you are wrong…blah blah, blah.

There is so much focus on our sins. So much of this “holier than thou” arrogance, or the “I obey all the laws of the church, so thus I am righteous and better than you” Very much like the Pharisees in the day of Jesus.

How is a person, who is learning the catholic teachings going to find anything appealing about the Church of Christ if all we do is focus on is each other’s sin.

What about the goodness that being a Christian brings about in our lives. What about being patient and merciful to those who are trying to embrace the faith.

Jesus commanded the Pharisees in Matthew 9 when they were critical of Jesus when he ate with sinners and tax collectors to "Go and learn the meaning of the words “I desire mercy, not sacrifice. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners”. He then rebuked them a second time in Matthew 12 saying “If you knew what this meant, I desire mercy not sacrifice, you would not have condemned these innocent men” when his disciples picked wheat on the Sabbath. because they were starving.

In other words, you who are so righteous and obey the laws, be merciful to those who are lost. I have felt no mercy only condemnation.

Jesus also stated that he is greater than the temple. He is God! and he demands mercy. God is merciful.

I think we need to stop focusing on the dos and don’t of the Church… all of the churches…and put all that energy and focus on the proclamation of God’s Kingdom. Think of the good all of us Christians could accomplish if we weren’t so divided.

Jesus is all about mercy…show a little mercy to those learning the faith. Its a big turn off when many of you are critical and eager to point out sin. We are all sinners. Every single one of us.

I am fairly new to accepting, and learning about the faith teachings of the CC. I can’t say at this point, I fully embrace all of their teachings, it is impossible for me, because I am just learning, but so many of you have damned me to hell for my unbelief, just like the Pharisees condemned many.

You do not know what is in my heart, only Jesus does, and it is to God alone, not the churches of this world that I will answer to on my day of Judgement, just like the rest of you.

 

[Memaw]

I was away 40 years before I returned and made my confession and received Communion. I was attending Mass with my spouse for 6 months before I received the sacraments. I knew I was not worthy to receive Christ in the Eucharist. I had promised my wife that I would start attending Mass with her when our youngest child went away to college in '04. So I kept my promise.
I began to see that while others were receiving Communion and I wasn’t that it was my anger with the Church’s teachings being used as a smokescreen to defend me against my shame that separated me from the Church and influenced me to feel a false sense of superiority to the Church.
The Holy Spirit began to teach me about Humility being the only way to begin to understand Church teaching. Easter of 05 I took a step towards Humility and made my first confession in 40 years.
The first sin I confessed, without knowing what was going to come out of my mouth, was that I had received Our Lord in Communion in a state of mortal sin at my wedding 30 years earlier. I began to cry so hard I could not talk for a little while. The second sin I confessed was holding myself superior to the Church that Jesus created and died for. Again I cried. More sins were confessed, but that is for another time.
When I received absolution I cried tears of joy and my shame was gone. I now love my faith in a way I never imagined and as a result I love others like never before.
I think Paul said something like when I was a child I thought as a child and now that I am a man I put away childish things.

Beautiful, you made me cry. God Bless you and welcome back.

 

[awantz]

Opening gambit? Catholicism is not to be considered a “denomination,”
because she is the true Church, founded by Christ - with Peter

So, you are saying that Catholicism is not an organized group of a religious congregation? Are you saying they are not organized or that they are not a religious congregation?
Yes, but Catholicism fell away from what Christ intended for the church to be through Peter.

 

[O.S.Luke]

Well, since you “know it all” then there is no reason for us to wonder why you want to go through life without the Holy Eucharist, in union with Christ’s Church. Read the Early Church Fathers. That may help, hopefully!

I have never missed any opportunity to receive the Eucharist. And the ECF’s were required reading in seminary, Memaw.

In fact, the Eucharistic prayer (Word & Table I) in the United Methodist Church is patterned after the Eucharistic prayers of Justin Martyr and Hippolytus.

O+

 

[Memaw]

I have never missed any opportunity to receive the Eucharist. And the ECF’s were required reading in seminary, Memaw.

In fact, the Eucharistic prayer (Word & Table I) in the United Methodist Church is patterned after the Eucharistic prayers of Justin Martyr and Hippolytus.

O+

Doesn’t matter who it is patterned after , they, UMC, still don’t have Apostolic succession. Not a valid Eucharist.

 

[O.S.Luke]

Very valid, and I am very fortunate to experience the presence of Christ more than once a week.

With no disrespect intended, I could honestly care less what the Catholic Church thinks about my church’s celebration of the Eucharist, anymore than you would care what I think about your church tradition (although I have no problems seeing the Catholic Church having “valid” Eucharists). If I worried about such, I wouldn’t be Methodist.

In any case, Christ is the host at the Table.

O+

 

[awantz]

Very valid, and I am very fortunate to experience the presence of Christ more than once a week.

With no disrespect intended, I could honestly care less what the Catholic Church thinks about my church’s celebration of the Eucharist, anymore than you would care what I think about your church tradition (although I have no problems seeing the Catholic Church having “valid” Eucharists). If I worried about such, I wouldn’t be Methodist.

In any case, Christ is the host at the Table.

O+

AMEN

 

[Memaw]

AMEN

Read John 6. It should make a difference to you. The truth is the truth even if you don’t believe it.

 

[joe370]

So, you are saying that Catholicism is not an organized group of a religious congregation?

when did I ever say that?

Are you saying they are not organized or that they are not a religious congregation?

**They are organized and they are a congregation; the only church establish by Jesus Christ in the 1st century. **

Yes, but Catholicism fell away from what Christ intended for the church to be through Peter.

**At exactly what time in history did this earth shattering event take place? Surely it must be recorded in the annals of Christianity or other! **

**If you can prove that Catholicism fell away from what Christ intended for the church to be --through Peter–then I will be forced to renounce all of Christianity because Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit (the spirit of truth who cannot fail and would never misguide Jesus’ created church) would be with His created church “forever” and that means through every century until His second coming. If you are right then that makes Jesus a liar in my opinion, negating all of Christianity. **

However, I don’t believe that Catholicism fell away from what Christ intended for the church to be, through Peter; Quite the contrary!!!

**Jesus said, “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— the Spirit of truth…I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” (if Catholicism fell away from what Christ intended for the church, then Jesus did in fact leave them as orphans, aimlessly wandering in spiritual darkness) and a few verses later He reaffirms by saying *“the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” ***

**So, if the H.S. (“the spirit of truth” Who cannot fail) —the Trinity if you will, is to be with the church forever, which includes the 4th century, the 11th century, the tumultuous 16th century and this century—until His second coming —the H.S. is obviously still with Jesus’ created church, teaching Jesus’ church all things and reminding them of everything Jesus said. To say otherwise is to call Jesus a failure, again, just my opinion! **

**Now, as some like to claim —if the the H.S. (“the spirit of truth”) was in fact only promised to counsel and guide the apostles, and upon their demise, He would cease to counsel or guide Jesus established church, which of course was/is not the case, due to Jesus’promise of perpetuity, then that would leave their disciples (the church) vulnerable to a complete apostasy; a falling away from what Christ intended for the church to be —through Peter. However, the bible, given to us by the C.C., emphatically dispels this notion, and it would contradict Jesus’ plan of salvation for all. **

Jesus established a church in the 1st century and it will never fail, because Jesus cannot fail! “Many will fall away” due to the human innate nature of sin, and there will be apostates in Jesus church, as foretold by the Jesus and Paul, but the one, holy, catholic, apostolic church as a whole cannot fail and will come to fruition at Jesus’ second coming, again, in my opinion.

*“If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” John 14:15-18

“All this I have spoken while still with you. 26But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” John 14:25-26*

*"Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter (kepha), and on this rock (kepha) I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” *Matthew 16:16-19

*“Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God which he obtained with the blood of his own Son. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.” (Acts 20:26-30 RSV)

“Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.” Matthew7:15 *

 

[awantz]

Read John 6. It should make a difference to you. The truth is the truth even if you don’t believe it.

I’ve read John 6 and I don’t see why you think it would make a difference to me. I know that the truth is the truth and I do believe the truth.

 

[awantz]

So, you are saying that Catholicism is not an organized group of a religious congregation?

when did I ever say that?

You said that when you said that Catholicism is not a denomination, because that is the meaning of denomination according to the American Heritage Dictionary.

Are you saying they are not organized or that they are not a religious congregation?

They are organized and they are a congregation; the only church establish by Jesus Christ in the 1st century.

Then they are a denomination according to the dictionary mentioned above.

Yes, but Catholicism fell away from what Christ intended for the church to be through Peter.

**At exactly what time in history did this earth shattering event take place? Surely it must be recorded in the annals of Christianity or other! **

I was told this by some Catholics I know and the guy that teaches RCIA.

However, I don’t believe that Catholicism fell away from what Christ intended for the church to be, through Peter; Quite the contrary!!!

Why would good, strong, devoted Catholics say something negative about their own church’s past if it’s not true? Now, I’m confused.

 

[O.S.Luke]

Read John 6. It should make a difference to you. The truth is the truth even if you don’t believe it.

John 6 means a great deal to me - it’s one of the most eucharistic passages of the entire Gospel.

Jesus told the disciples to have the crowd “recline” (in Greek) - the posture of a feast. He also instructed that they give them something to eat.

Yes - the truth is the truth. I agree 100%.

O+

 

[Harpazo]

Very valid, and I am very fortunate to experience the presence of Christ more than once a week.

With no disrespect intended, I could honestly care less what the Catholic Church thinks about my church’s celebration of the Eucharist, anymore than you would care what I think about your church tradition (although I have no problems seeing the Catholic Church having “valid” Eucharists). If I worried about such, I wouldn’t be Methodist.

In any case, Christ is the host at the Table.

O+

Shlomo Luke!

I’m curious as to why the Methodists do not care about Apostolic Succession. To most people, logically speaking, that would be job one in being able to confect a valid Eucharist. You and I both know that there is no possible way Methodists have Apostolic Succession, by virtue of the fact that Wesley (not being an Anglican bishop) ordained his own ministers. Even if at this point in history there were some validity to Holy Orders in Anglicanism, Wesley couldn’t pass it on without being a bishop. That being said, how can Methodists have a valid Eucharist?

Alaha minokhoun
Andrew

 

[joe370]

awantz:
awantz -So, you are saying that Catholicism is not an organized group of a religious congregation?

when did I ever say that?

You said that when you said that Catholicism is not a denomination, because that is the meaning of denomination according to the American Heritage Dictionary.

A denomination is a group that brakes away from another group, to which they were once a part of, thereby rejecting their former identity.

“Denomination” comes from the Latin “de nomina”, meaning “out of the name” or “away from the name”. The Catholic Church did not originate by breaking away from another body. It is simply the one Church founded by Jesus Christ for all mankind.

For the first thousand years of Christianity there was no “Roman Catholicism” as we know it today, simply because there was no Protestantism to distinguish it. There was only the one, holy, catholic church affirmed by the early creeds, which was the body of Christian believers all over the world, united by common traditions, beliefs, church structure and worship (catholic simply means “universal”). Thus, throughout the Middle Ages, if you were a Christian, you belonged to the Catholic Church. Any Christianity other than the Catholic Church was a heresy, not a denomination.

If you lived prior to the 16th century reformation and you were a Christian, belonging to a church, you belonged to the C.C. or the E.O.C. Neither of which referred to the other as a denomination. You would have referred to them as the C.C. or the E.O.C.

However, if you want to call the C.C. a denomination, that’s cool! The Catholic Church is the largest “denomination” for 2 reasons, (1) because it was growing continuously for 1,500 years before Protestantism existed, obeying the command of its founder, Jesus Christ, to “go forth and make disciples of all peoples.” --(2) because it is the one Church established by Jesus, and as such is guided by the Holy Spirit according to His promise.

**Are you saying they are not organized or that they are not a religious congregation?
**

They are organized and they are a congregation; the only church establish by Jesus Christ in the 1st century.

Then they are a denomination according to the dictionary mentioned above.

No, not prior the the reformation… and yes, subsequent to the reformation… We seem to be delving into the realm of semantics. LOL

Yes, but Catholicism fell away from what Christ intended for the church to be through Peter.

At exactly what time in history did this earth shattering event take place? Surely it must be recorded in the annals of Christianity or other!

I was told this by some Catholics I know and the guy that teaches RCIA.

**So, you just take his word for it, without investigating the matter for yourself. Where does He teach, certainly no where in the catholic sphere. If I remember correctly, your husband is catholic, what does he have to say about all this! **

Again, I don’t believe that Catholicism fell away from what Christ intended for the church to be, through Peter; Quite the contrary!!!

Why would good, strong, devoted Catholics say something negative about their own church’s past if it’s not true? Now, I’m confused.

Doesn’t sound like they are good, strong, devoted Catholics. Cite some of their arguments and their sources that reputedly make this claim—at this thread!

I have to have something to work with…

 

[csmatyi]

Okay, Jim,

I’ll tell you my story. If you want to read it in detail, watch out for a book full of testimonies of 50 former Catholics being edited by Richard Peter Bennett, himself also a former Catholic and who leads Berean Beacon.

Jim,

I wouldn’t describe myself as one of the persons who you described in the introduction.

My reason for not being a Catholic is that although I tried hard at being a good one in my own way, the people at the Franciscan high school in Szentendre supplied me all the reasons I need. Myself born in the United States these people made it absouletely clear that they hated America in every way, these superior minded European Catholics (although they were seemingly oblivious to rampant sexual abuses in the Catholic church as all lay Catholics will freelt acknowledge in Hungary here).

These people hatd me and my brother and did everything to set us back. The students at this high school were so horridly obnoxious to me and my brother that my brother had to go to a mental institute for 3 months, and is still taking prescription medication, still, 10 years later.

The Catholic catechism states in its introduction that it’s main mission is to do all things in what it calls “love”. If it is love what they did to my brother and me, then what would they do to those that the church hates???

Jim: "One thing leads to another and before you know it, these same people are now “former Catholics” and bible scholars, not to mention an authority on the Catholic religion, almost over-night. “It’s a miracle!” "

Jim, it shouldn’t be because many Catholic priests have converted to true Christianity, therefore they should have lots of inside knowledge about what your church is like on the inside. Myself too, because the Catholic catechism says that those who are chrismated (I myself was), then that person has an adult Catholic faith. Therefore I myself had adult Catholic faith at around age 17 when I was still in the church.

Jim, why are you a Bible scholar?

My other main reasons for leaving the church besides its blatant hypocrisy and the hatred I experienced at a very live and personal level is that I see that the Catholic church has built up many, many, many human ideas into its theologies over the centuries. Think about it, the first heresies tried to enter the church in the very first century after Christ, it would be only logical if the church would have become chock full of heresies after many hundreds of years!

Just one such idea, about Peter being the so-called rock, on which the Catholic church bases its very exitance:

Btw think about it: Read Matthew 18:16-18. Is Peter really the rock? Think about it. Peter is part of the church because he is an apostle. Therefore if we state that the church is seperate from its base (because something cannot serve as a basis for itself, this is illogical), then, Peter as an element of the church cannot serve as its basis. This means that the rock, the basis of the church is something else, other than Peter. Indeed, many well known church fathers hold this opinion.

Therefore indeed, the Catholic church is apostate, and I call upon you and other Catholics to repent and follow Christ.

 

[Ronald_E]

Okay, Jim,

I’ll tell you my story. If you want to read it in detail, watch out for a book full of testimonies of 50 former Catholics being edited by Richard Peter Bennett, himself also a former Catholic and who leads Berean Beacon.

Jim,

I wouldn’t describe myself as one of the persons who you described in the introduction.

My reason for not being a Catholic is that although I tried hard at being a good one in my own way, the people at the Franciscan high school in Szentendre supplied me all the reasons I need. Myself born in the United States these people made it absouletely clear that they hated America in every way, these superior minded European Catholics (although they were seemingly oblivious to rampant sexual abuses in the Catholic church as all lay Catholics will freelt acknowledge in Hungary here).

These people hatd me and my brother and did everything to set us back. The students at this high school were so horridly obnoxious to me and my brother that my brother had to go to a mental institute for 3 months, and is still taking prescription medication, still, 10 years later.

The Catholic catechism states in its introduction that it’s main mission is to do all things in what it calls “love”. If it is love what they did to my brother and me, then what would they do to those that the church hates???

I left the faith for the same reason. I did not see the love. However, after 40 years away I realized through God’s Grace that our faith is different from the people who practice it. I know now that that Christ and His Love is the foundation of Catholicism. Those who harmed you and your brother did not practice our Catholic faith. Most people leave Catholicism for the reasons you described. I do not blame them, I blame those who have sinned against the innocent ones who were victims of abuse.

Jim: "One thing leads to another and before you know it, these same people are now “former Catholics” and bible scholars, not to mention an authority on the Catholic religion, almost over-night. “It’s a miracle!” "

Jim, it shouldn’t be because many Catholic priests have converted to true Christianity, therefore they should have lots of inside knowledge about what your church is like on the inside. Myself too, because the Catholic catechism says that those who are chrismated (I myself was), then that person has an adult Catholic faith. Therefore I myself had adult Catholic faith at around age 17 when I was still in the church.

I left the faith at 18. I did not have an adult faith. I had unresolved hatred for those who were supposed to teach me the faith. As a matter of fact I hated Christianity. If pain and anger are the motivations for us leaving then we will not know the depth of the faith because it is that same pain and anger that blocks out further development into a deeper understanding of our faith. Our brains do not become fully wired until around the age of 24 and if there is any unresolved pain, that pain then becomes a part of the hard-wiring through which we understand the Catholic faith. This is emotional learning that is so critical in our development in understanding who we are and where we “feel” we belong. The protein that is responsible for emotional learning and creating new learning stops for the most part being produced by the brain about the age of 24. That is why it is so difficult to unlearn an emtional response to a traumatic experience in childhood.
This is why so many have left Catholicism. It was the sins of others who harmed the innocent ones at very critical times in their human development.
This is what is so tragic.

 

[csmatyi]

I left the faith for the same reason. I did not see the love. However, after 40 years away I realized through God’s Grace that our faith is different from the people who practice it. I know now that that Christ and His Love is the foundation of Catholicism. Those who harmed you and your brother did not practice our Catholic faith. Most people leave Catholicism for the reasons you described. I do not blame them, I blame those who have sinned against the innocent ones who were victims of abuse.

I left the faith at 18. I did not have an adult faith. I had unresolved hatred for those who were supposed to teach me the faith. As a matter of fact I hated Christianity. If pain and anger are the motivations for us leaving then we will not know the depth of the faith because it is that same pain and anger that blocks out further development into a deeper understanding of our faith. Our brains do not become fully wired until around the age of 24 and if there is any unresolved pain, that pain then becomes a part of the hard-wiring through which we understand the Catholic faith. This is emotional learning that is so critical in our development in understanding who we are and where we “feel” we belong. The protein that is responsible for emotional learning and creating new learning stops for the most part being produced by the brain about the age of 24. That is why it is so difficult to unlearn an emtional response to a traumatic experience in childhood.
This is why so many have left Catholicism. It was the sins of others who harmed the innocent ones at very critical times in their human development.
This is what is so tragic.

Dear Ronald,

thanks for your response. But this raises a few questions in me: first of all, these offenses were commited against me by franciscan priests, at least 2 of them. They, who ere the ones responsible for teachin me the catechism! If they aren’t true Catholics, then who are?

Also, I was chrismated at 17. The Catholic church must, of course have a good reason for putting the sacrament of chrismation at such an age, even before people start thinking in a mature way. No?