Please I need advice and Prayers:my wife is threatening to divorce me if I become Catholic

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Perhaps you should consider marriage counseling. If she will not go with you, go for counseling alone. At the very least, she should be able to accept you converting, even if she does not. Maybe if you discuss that you are not demanding she convert, she will reconsider, and then, when you lead by example, she may see she was wrong to object.
 
You are in a tough situation; I sympathize and will pray for you.
Just curious, do you and your wife attend church together currently? You mentioned that you attended a Reformed church and that your wife was raised 7th-Day Adventist, but it wasn’t clear from what I read if you still attend the Reformed church together or if only one or neither of you attends services. I was wondering if (in addition to her dislike of the Catholic Church) she might be worried about attending her church alone and practicing her faith alone.
 
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Thank you. I will get that book as soon as I can. I know she is very afraid due to my background of being a JW and she was there before our romantic relationship going through a lot of it with me. I think she is afraid that Catholicism will be similar to the JW and that I’ll be in a cult again. Religion can be a touchy subject that brings a lot of emotion to her. I have sent a request in to meet with my local Priest and I hope to meet soon and see what he says and the advice he gives. But I am just praying that God will soften her heart to the Catholic faith and be okay with me becoming Catholic.
 
We currently don’t go to a church together right now but have talked about attending one soon. We have recently moved to a new area and haven’t had a lot of time to go looking at churches. Since studying the Catholic Church and coming to believe it is the one true Church, I haven’t really found many Churches I could stomach while I wait to go to the Catholic Church. I though maybe an Episcopalian church since it sounds and looks similar to Catholicism but idk if my wife would be okay with that since it has a Catholic feel. Any ideas on a church to attend while I come into the Catholic Church?
 
The Church of England was formed by an adulterer who didn’t want restrictions on whom he could marry, and they snatched a lot of Catholic property. Might as well be hung for a sheep as for a lamb and go to a church you actually believe in, rather than relying on external similarities. (I say this as a stout Protestant, by the way.)
 
I would say that the longing you feel to be Catholic is God calling you to Him. When it’s God doing the calling, I don’t know of how one can ignore that. Your wife is scared because of what she thinks she knows about the Catholic Church, but she is scared by ignorance. I would say just be the happiest, most thoughtful, wonderful husband you can be, and let her know the light you shine is from the joy and happiness you have found in Catholicism. I think talking to a priest is very good advice.

This should have been posted in Non-Catholic, there is a group ( On Tiber’s Shore ) who are longing to be Catholic, but finding nothing but resistance from family. They know what you are going through and can help you with advice. Praying for you and your wife. God bless.

Blessed Mother, please intercede for us.
Hold the sorrowful-
Mother and love the weary, abused, neglected
or forgotten among us-
Give your aid to all needing help or healing-
Assist those who are sick, in pain or suffering-
Be with those needing peace-
Console the lonely or brokenhearted-
Comfort the lost or hopeless-
Strengthen the fearful-
Guard the unborn-
Pray for those who are dying or who have died-
Soften those with hardened hearts-
Enlighten those who do not yet see truth-
Help us be brave enough to let our hurt and anger go-
Show us the way to do the right thing-
Protect those who are in danger, and
Guide us from every evil.
May all who keep your sacred commemoration
experience the might of your assistance.
Amen
 
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SeekerOfTruth7 said:
I though maybe an Episcopalian church since it sounds and looks similar to Catholicism but idk if my wife would be okay with that since it has a Catholic feel. Any ideas on a church to attend while I come into the Catholic Church?
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Heidi’s response above regarding the Church of England / Episcopalian church is spot-on. I wouldn’t go that direction.

I would recommend attending a Catholic Church since if you become Catholic you will be there every Sunday (or Saturday evening) plus holy days anyway. It’s kind of a tough question to answer because of your situation. If you and your wife were already attending church together, I would say to attend that one with her in addition to Mass. But just choosing a compromise church that neither of you is really on board with is not likely to be a productive way to go.
 
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That’s a good point. Thank you for the replies. A lot to ponder and pray over.
 
The Lutheran church, I believe, is the closest to Catholic.
But your wife would probably not go for that since they are so close in appearances

Could you attend a Catholic mass on your own during the week?
 
You cannot be controlled by this. And maybe it’s just a threat to try to control anyway. A loving spouse does not act this way. Dont feed into it. Remain calm and let her make her threats. But show her that they wont affect your convictions.

I would attend Mass for a while and take baby steps towards initiation. Dont be anxious.
 
“When we moved to Smallville, we chose a grocery store and a dentist, we chose a pizza place and a dry-cleaners. For some reason, we put our Spiritual lives lower on the priority list than our stomachs. This Sunday, I am going to the 10 AM service at St. Whatever’s. I’d love for you to join me, if you do not want to, I’ll be home around 11:30 and then we can go out for brunch.”
 
It’s possible, but only after a good talk. Right now I am in the process of writing a letter to her about it and my reasons for believing in the Catholic Church. I feel like when we talk so much emotion comes forth that its hard to get my points across. So, I am going to list my reasons and comfort her that I won’t be requiring her to become Catholic but that the Church is the way I am going. Then I will talk about going to mass on my own and then even going to a church service somewhere with her. Thank you all for the replies!
 
I always said if I weren’t catholic I would be Baptist, not the kind that believes in onceSavedalwaysSaved, though… not hardly… but anyway, I have had few arguments w/ Baptists. Catholics and Baptists can always talk about the Bible they both believe in and there won’t be those whacky doctrines to overcome like when you were in the JW… who don’t believe in eternal punishment (even though it is CLEAR in Jesus’s words that there is a hell and “many there are who” go there… see Mt 25:31 and etc)
 
“The heart is deceitful above all and desperately wicked”

Jeremiah (17:9? )
 
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I wish I could find a spouse as caring as you seem to be. I have been w/ so many “my way or the highway” types.

Still… Jesus tells us to leave all (at least be willing to leave all) to follow him… It is not an easy Path. Jesus didn’t call it narrow for nothing…
 
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I have edited my post because the person I was responding to regarding a generalization has removed it from his post.
 
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I love the letter writing idea! It allows both people to remain calm and think of what is really happening and create a good response. Instead of having heat of the moment debates.
 
well, we can agree to disagree.

that said, i do not believe in the stereotype of men being “unemotional” and women being emotional. Men can be “emotional” they use violence to express their pent-up feelings. They have passion just like women do and passion is not always a bad thing but when it leads to violence, it is, and as we all know, most murderers (I think of dv murderers in particular) are men.

so both genders experience emotions, but … as the Bible says Be angry but sin not
 
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