Looking for reassurance about the Church

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It should be noted for the benefit of those who may be new to the Church/ not aware that Cardinal Burke and Pope Francis have been at odds since day 1 of Francis’ papacy. This is just more grist for their usual disputes.
 
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I don’t think I’d be going out on a limb if I were to say that every Pope has probably had Bishops and Cardinals who have been at odds with them since day one. Poor Francis is the first to have nearly every disagreement aired publicly through the internet.
 
I would add encyclicals of prior Popes. There is a book called The Popes Against Modern Errors that has some of these encyclicals.

Here is one that is relevant to what is going on currently…

http://www.vatican.va/content/leo-x...iii_enc_28121878_quod-apostolici-muneris.html
  1. Even family life itself, which is the cornerstone of all society and government, necessarily feels and experiences the salutary power of the Church, which redounds to the right ordering and preservation of every State and kingdom. For you know, venerable brethren, that the foundation of this society rests first of all in the indissoluble union of man and wife according to the necessity of natural law, and is completed in the mutual rights and duties of parents and children, masters and servants. You know also that the doctrines of socialism strive almost completely to dissolve this union; since, that stability which is imparted to it by religious wedlock being lost, it follows that the power of the father over his own children, and the duties of the children toward their parents, must be greatly weakened. But the Church, on the contrary, teaches that “marriage, honorable in all,”(13) which God himself instituted in the very beginning of the world, and made indissoluble for the propagation and preservation of the human species, has become still more binding and more holy through Christ, who raised it to the dignity of a sacrament, and chose to use it as the figure of His own union with the Church.
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Megwalters2288 said:
But, his behavior has me questioning if I made the right choice and what if the SDA Church was right about Pope Francis? Please be charitable here to me. I am not being rude at all. This is something that has me very worried because I take my faith very seriously
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Do not leave the Catholic Church. That is exactly what the devil wants you to do.

There have been many bad popes, and many periods when the Papacy was put under the control of some secular power that abused the office. But because Jesus keeps His promises, the Church always recovers.

The real question is, if there was nothing special about the Church, why do the bad guys always try to conquer Her?
 
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MarysLurker said:
The real question is, if there was nothing special about the Church, why do the bad guys always try to conquer Her?
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And, given the number of bad situations the Church has been through in 2000 years, why is it still in existence? There are many other religions that have gone extinct over much less.
 
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I feel like you at times and go here for answers to my questions related to our faith. Often times I come out feeling more anxious and a little disappointed reading how easily a simple question turns into argument between ourselves. On the other hand I have found eye opening infirmation here that has strengthened my faith. So I have learned to read around but always remember to go to Him and ask Him for clarity. He is the TRUTH. He will fill us with the peace, understanding and reassurance that we need.
 
Hi,

I am a Catholic. I joined at Easter 2019. I was a Seventh-Day Adventist before that. I understand where you are coming from, and I also sympathize with your concerns.

Let me start by saying the Catholic Church is the true church of Christ. It is the New Israel, a sign of the New Covenant. The Eucharist is our New Sabbath.

This forum was quite good for me in my formation as a candidate, but please keep in mind this is an American site, attracting a distinctly American discourse.

That discourse is often antithetical to proper discernment in regards to practical, everyday application of Catholic teaching.

Pope Francis is the head of Christ’s Church. That also means he has things to say to all people within and without that visible community. Speaking just for myself, I think his pastoral approach is appropriate and measured but that it also has increased tension and damaged relationships of people who he does not focus his attention on. But that is his prerogative, not ours as his sheep.

The truth will come out regarding his statements, whether today, tomorrow, or a hundred years from now. But nothing can ever change the Truth of the Church, and so please keep St. Padre Pio in mind, “Pray, hope, and don’t worry.”
 
Megwalters2288 said:
but the SDA Church has said that Pope Francis was the predicted fall of the church.
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Didn’t the SDA Church predict the end of the world in 1844? if they were wrong about that, why would they be right about this?
 
Megwalters2288 said:
the SDA Church has said that Pope Francis was the predicted fall of the church.
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Sorry to keep picking on this (not you, but whoever told you this), but SDAs say the Church supposedly fell when we instituted Sunday worship 2000 years ago. That’s the whole point behind SDAism’s existence. I don’t think Ellen Gould White founded her religion on a 21st century movie splicing together a Pope’s quotes devoid of context, on some bad Pope, or on anything in between. It seems weird an SDAist would imply such a thing to you.
 
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Just to add one more thing, SDAs support the use of contraception (a direct immorality). It’s proliferation and acceptance has led to a greater separation between human sexuality and procreation in society’s consciousness, which has itself led logically to great acceptance of other sexual acts not ordered to procreation, such as homosexual acts. Who has consistently opposed contraception and other disordered sexual acts? The Catholic Church–and Pope Francis himself has been clear about these things. His proposal of civil unions as some sort of arrangement for property, healthcare, and other legal issues independent of one’s sexual sins was certainly too nuanced for the world and contrary to how the world defines and understands civil unions (which made it open to scandal), but it wasn’t per se immoral (unlike SDA acceptance of contraception).
 
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You made the right decision to come to the Catholic Church. You do have to develop a thick skin when you start listening to the “opinions” of others, especially on a forum. That is why, as Catholics, we have the Bible, Catechism, tradition, writings of the early Church Fathers, and the Magisterium. I’m a relatively new Catholic (4 years) and have found that I need to read exactly what the Pope said and in what context. I also listen to Catholic radio (priests and apologists) and they do a great job explaining things. When the Pope speaks, the world is out to twist it.
 
Please do not leave over this. Recall those who led Gods People in the Old Testament: recall their personal lives & how they were not always admirable yet God led through these people in spite of themselves. God will do the same here. This doesn’t mean we must look to this Pope as a model of holiness as if he were a saint. It simply means God will work with him. Look how God worked through Samson! King David! And countless other examples in the Bible. In the meantime realize not all Popes are wise, holy, or even spiritual. The Church outlasts them. Hold onto the Church, not the Pope. Receive the sacraments. Pray. Fast. And let God handle the rest!
 
1Lord1Faith said:
If someone doesn’t like the Pope (whatever that means), is it okay to question his orthodoxy on a public Catholic forum? Or to even say “I don’t like the Pope”. Is that love?
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Like and love are very different things…
 
People are fallible, and Pope Francis has not yet made a dogmatic declaration on that matter…and if he did it would be heretical thus nullifying his papacy.

Remember why you are Catholic, its not because of any priest, or any Pope. Its because 1. Its Jesus’ Church that HE made and 2. its true, look back in history and there have been many Popes who were horrible people, bad leaders, scandalous, etc.

Just don’t get caught up in the hype and get down and study your faith, so that when confusion comes you wont be confused, you will be a person who is a leader and can spread the truth!
 
You made the right choice about the Catholic Church. The Teachings are protected by the Holy Spirit. It’s the only Church that can be traced back to the time of Christ. Read the Catechism, study Canon Law, read the lives of saints and pray for our vicar. It’s going to be ok.
 
What is going to help you in the future is going to the Catholic sources like Vatican News (www.vaticannews.va), EWTN (www.ewtn.com), your diocese/bishop´s conference instead of secular media. That helped me a lot when I was becoming Catholic. I even started a hobby of finding all the errors reported about the Catholic Church and the pope in different media articles and news reports. And there were a lot of them! When I had learnt the “Catholic lingo” it was very, very easy to recognise if a reporter working in secular media was Catholic or not.

I am just waiting for the following twisted headline: “Pope says: Poor people should starve!” in secular media. 😟
 
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