F
Fraz94
Guest
Hi All,
Code:
I want to write a post about my experiences with Irish and Spanish Catholicism and how they relate to me in my life, after experiences I have had in these Catholic environments. I was brought up visiting very often my Irish grandmother and spent a lot of time with her- although I am English and was born and raised over here. I have a great respect for my grandmother, who is a very traditionalist Irish woman and her views have really sought of rubbed off on me, I had a very good instruction and Catechetical formation by Irish Priests and Nuns.
I identify myself very much with Irish Catholicism- I mean the universal faith and Church has many different ways of expression and living all within her large and united family. My home parish is very Irish and I have always been surrounded by traditional Irish Catholic views and practices, I love it very much.
I have lived in Spain for while and for years before, when I visted and etc. was very swayed and taken with the “Spanish Catholicism” I saw- I love the huge processions and all the Sacramentals and relics, Saints etc. Which is very typical of Spanish Catholicism and will always be part of my expression of the faith- in fact I remember telling a Priest I was more inclined towards Spanish Catholicism than Irish Catholicism. However, since living in Spain and spending time in a Spanish religious Order I have discovered the truth about the Spanish Church and the faith there (if you are Spanish or live in Spain you will understand me) the Spanish Church although part of the universal Catholic Church is in huge crisis- the people are Catholic and always will be (culturally) but the Church in Spain has become so liberal and has turned into a Church with liberals and conservatives pitched against each other (more so than I have experienced or heard of anywhere else)- even in England what we would consider conservative is seen as liberal over there.
I know this to be true; I studied for a number of months in a liberal Catholic university and a Religious Order. I was made to feel very uncomfortable for my more traditional understanding of the faith and traditional practice and ethos, which I learnt from my Irishness and Irish Catholic instruction. In Spain sadly you are either a liberal or a conservative- it is like a huge turmoil between the two and “being a Catholic”, what I always thought I was “just a Catholic” was not acceptable there- in the surroundings I was in I had to either be a liberal or a conservative- I wanted to be a conservative and a “Tradicionalisto” which resulted in my leaving the order where I was a Postulant.
Ireland, like Spain has always been a hugely and devoutly Catholic country- they have different “cultural” expressions of the faith but it is the same faith and the same Sacraments etc. I always saw Spanish Catholicism are more “free”and “expressional”...Irish Catholicism is always seen as “guilt ridden” and “closed minded” by a lot of people. However when I experienced the true nature of modern day Spanish Catholicism it made me realise that yes, okay I will always love the beautiful Spanish Traditional, their Saints and traditional Spanish Catholic practices and Spain itself I am shocked and disheartened by what is going on there. I was told by my Spanish Confessor “here you will only find Liberal or Conservative, choose which one you want to be”.
I know that the Irish Church has also been shaken severely lately due to the abuse scandals and some of the awful things done by Irish Priests and nuns- it is very sad and shocking, and sadly a huge amount of people have gone away from the Church due to it- but like Spain the Irish people will always be culturally Catholic. After my experiences I don’t really know how to put it- there are “problems” in the Church yes **but** I believe and love my Irish cultural Catholicism and think that it is a very important thing to note that the Irish Church may have been through the mill in regards to this abuse and bad publicity but in regards to teaching and doctrine she is so strong and still standing firm, especially where the Church in Spain is not- where liberalism is rotting it to the core. I will always be grateful to the Irish Priests who have formed me and the Irish Nuns who have taught me so much and been a huge inspiration to me. I think that the Irish Church is very beautiful. I love Irish devotions and expressions of the faith.
It is so important that our Church is one Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church- however within that one united Church there are problems- I really wanted to write this post and hear from other people their experiences in the Spanish Church, I am sorry if I didn’t go into enough detail- but I am sure there are a number of people who can relate to it. I am so grateful of my Irish Catholicism and Irish instruction when I was faced with all the problems I faced over there, don’t get me wrong I love Spain but what I want to say is I am so grateful to the proper instruction and understanding I was given of the Church and the faith through the good old fashioned Irish ways which are amongst the best and most concrete. The Irish Church has its problems too but not in the same ways as Spain- I know Ireland is not as devout as it once was, I know many Irish no longer practice the faith etc. but I just want to say I love the Irish ways and the Irish Church- she stands firm no matter what!