I have had the"are you sure you weren’t poorly catechetised" line offered to me many times. In the beginning, my reaction was " How would I know?", because if all you’ve been taught is the wrong way, how can one recognize the right?
But over time, and with study on my own, I see that there were many holes in my Catholic education. Not a lot of misinformation, but quite a bit of lack of information.
I see this blamed on all manner of things, including that for a number of years maybe even decades the Catholic seminaries themselves were promoting all sorts of nonCatholic nonsense. I have no way of knowing if that is true.
I do know that my class studied the Catechism prior to confirmation, and honestly that is when my biggest doubts arose, when I saw the actual teachings hammered out in black and white. And further study had led me farther, not closer to coming back into the faith.
If what the church claims is true, that they are the one true church, with the Real Presence and the fullness of truth…I think they will indeed be held accountable for bandying with it. If they cannot, or do not even hold control over what is taught in the seminaries…then I question, if a priest is incorrectly catechetised (and seminary is no short and simple process), are his holy orders valid?
And if indeed people, at confirmation, are pledging to be soldiers for Christ and even die for the faith…can that be valid if they have not been taught the truth of the faith?
I have often asked…“Will the Real Catholic Church” please stand up. Just what does constitute the Catholic Church, because when issues arise, I hear excuses like, “well, of course people make mistakes”, “oh, that was when there was faulty catechism”, “Oh, imprimatur and nil obstat doesn’t mean that what the book teaches are the real teachings of the church” and even “THAT catechism was the one written to appeal to Protestants…don’t listen to that one.”
OK…!
Makes the real teachings that are true and infallible a little hard to track down, and apparently the bottom line is “TRUST NO ONE”.
So, how do I feel when I hear “you probably were poorly catechetised.”
I feel frustrated, confused, cheated, angry.
How do I know if any of what I’ve read, heard, etc is this Fullness of Truth?
Is “Catholicism for Dummies” which I have often seen recommended, the answer?
I’ve spent a lot of time and energy studying Catholicism…but am still told I know nothing.
I have come to the conclusion that that is the fall back response given to anyone who left the faith, it puts all the responsibility on them, keeps one from having to take anything they say seriously, and having to engage in honest discussion with them over issues and experiences.
