Priests criticizing other faiths during homily

[PetraG]

In a homily the priest said he doesn’t understand why Catholic girls don’t automatically look for Catholic boys. Catholic boys will respect you where these others won’t an only see you as there for their enjoyment.

Oh, that this were true. A great many Catholic women decide that a good man who isn’t Catholic but has sympathy for the Catholic faith seems far more likely to become Catholic than that a Catholic man who doesn’t see the point of being good is going to decide he wants to be good. They both happen, mind you.

As I being an “other” and my Catholic wife being one that fell for an “other” that made for some awkwardness…and a bit of frustration on her side.

Did it make for some awkwardness when the two of you mentioned this to him after Mass? (I would have to tell him that the Catholic boys got the first look, and they didn’t impress me in the way he implied they would.)

 

[Bruised_Reed]

who have bashed Catholics hard - went into these long rants -
from Mary - to the saints - to confession - etc -
And I’ve seen people get up and walk out as they preached -
I did too -

I’ve read conversion stories in which that kind of bashing lead to the non-Catholic investigating Catholicism for themselves and finding that not one thing that was preached to them was true, and they eventually converted. But that kind of vitriol makes other people feel all warm and fuzzy, too.

 

[PLeeD]

I don’t know where you people are hanging out. I’ve been in dozens of Protestant churches in my life and I’ve hardly heard a word about Catholics at all. Sorry to disappoint, but we generally are not any more interested in what you are doing than we are the Lutherans or Presbyterians down the road.

 

[Bruised_Reed]

Sorry to disappoint, but we generally are not any more interested in what you are doing than we are the Lutherans or Presbyterians down the road.

I’m sorry you thought I would be disappointed. I didn’t ask if people heard Catholicism disparaged by non-Catholic clergy (although I did share my own experience for contrast).

 

[masuwerte1]

Well, yeah, having attended Catholic Masses with my wife for 17 years, I’ve heard priests criticize non-Catholic faiths during their homilies. Maybe a dozen times in 17 years. Usually they make some blanket statement about “Protestants”, a term which is too general to be of much use.

I’ve never heard a non-Catholic minister bash Catholicism, although I suppose some do.

 

[masuwerte1]

A few weeks ago, the priest at my Episcopal parish made a point, in her homily, of reminding us that Jesus is really and truly present on every Roman Catholic altar throughout the world.

 

[PLeeD]

Understood, and sorry to barge into your discussion. I wasn’t responding necessarily to you and your original post , but to the many other reports here of Protestants disparaging Catholics. I don’t think you were asking for those comments either.

I know that happens in some places, but in my opinion, and among the Protestants that I’m associated with, Catholics are simply another part of the body of Christ. We try to follow Jesus the best we can, and assume you are doing the same, as are the Lutherans, Presbyterians, and Orthodox for that matter.

 

[Pattylt]

My synagogue was half a block from the Catholic boys high school. Many Jewish girls would flirt with the Catholic boys because they were forbidden fruit (and vice versa). Very little serious dating occurred, however. It was just TOO forbidden and Catholic guilt is second only to Jewish guilt!

 

[Axsenex]

Nope not at all…

 

[PetraG]

My synagogue was half a block from the Catholic boys high school. Many Jewish girls would flirt with the Catholic boys because they were forbidden fruit (and vice versa). Very little serious dating occurred, however. It was just TOO forbidden and Catholic guilt is second only to Jewish guilt!

The grandmothers agree: No, you can’t marry, and yes, you both need to eat more.

 

[Gingersnaps4]

I’ve never heard a priest criticize another faith either privately or in a homily and when I was a Protestant I never heard other faiths criticized either. That is just so tactless and rude, I couldn’t imagine it. I have heard priests and deacons talk/teach about our faith differences with non-Catholics but it was absolutely never done in a bashing way, it was done respectfully.

 

[AlNg]

I wasn’t responding necessarily to you and your original post , but to the many other reports here of Protestants disparaging Catholics.

…when I was a Protestant I never heard other faiths criticized…

I was having my car washed by some nice young people. And i found out that it was run by a local Baptist high school. One of the older gentlemen, who was helping with the car washing, answered the questions I had about it. He said that he was a Baptist minister who was in charge of the high school. He said that at the Baptist high school they do not allow smoking, drinking alcohol, drugs, using bad language, or dancing. And they ask their students to take a pledge not to attend any movies, unless it is one which is specifically approved and shown at the school auditorium. Further, there is a specific dress code to be followed. Anyone found violating a rule is subject to being expelled. I mentioned that Catholic schools allow dancing and he said, yes, he knew all about Catholic high schools and the parties that they have. He said that the monsignor wanted to have a friendly get together and he agreed with that, but said that when he met the monsignor, the smell of alcohol on his breath was strong and that his face was red and that he had a difficult time standing up and speaking coherently.

 

[Bruised_Reed]

I don’t think you were asking for those comments either.

You’re right. I wasn’t.

 

[glorybe]

Yes, I have heard it discussed that the Mormon church does not have a valid baptism as they don’t believe in the Trinity.

That’s simply stating the truth. When a Mormon is in RCIA converting to Catholicism, they must be baptized in the Catholic Church. Those converting from Christian Churches who baptize with water in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (like Lutherans, Baptists, etc) are accepted. Not Mormons or Jehovah’s Witnesses. Not to say they aren’t perfectly wonderful people, they’re just not Christian, in the same sense that Catholics are Christian.

 

[glorybe]

I remember Baptist’s bashing Catholics and Catholics bashing Jews

I’ve known many Baptists who seriously believe that Catholics go to hell. My maternal grandmother one of them. They learn that from their church. But why on earth would a Catholic bash a Jew, when Jesus was a Jew? When it comes down to “who killed Christ”, it wasn’t the Jews, it was all of us.

 

[Bruised_Reed]

I’d appreciate if the thread stayed on topic and not stray into who treated who worse territory.
While I’d still like to hear from more people who heard pre-VatIcan II homilies my take away so far is:

we can say that post-Vatican II homilies are better models for apologetics and evangelization.

 

[7_Sorrows]

I was not saying he was criticizing the Mormon faith by stating this. He was simply explaining why their baptism was not recognized as valid. I don’t remember if this was brought up during a homily or
in a class. I have been Catholic 10 years and have never heard a priest criticize another faith during a homily.

 

[exnihilo]

it seems like Catholics forget we can defend the faith without saying something negative about other religions.

It is true we can choose to not state the negative thing. But anything said as a positive for one thing is a negative for everything else, just like every choosing of one thing is a rejection of everything else. The negative thing not being stated doesn’t mean a listener won’t realize the truth of the matter. So at some point you may well have to acknowledge the negative.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

But why on earth would a Catholic bash a Jew,

Most historic “bashing of Jews” was economically driven. Religion just provided an excuse to get rid of people and take their assets, much as race often does the same.

 

[TC3033]

Did it make for some awkwardness when the two of you mentioned this to him after Mass? (I would have to tell him that the Catholic boys got the first look, and they didn’t impress me in the way he implied they would.)

Gotta be honest…we didn’t talk to him. At another point we were able to voice our concerns in an anonymous questionnaire. For some reason, we feel our family has found the microscope in that church (we’re guessing for voicing concerns over their R.E. program and mixed families, goals of the program for families like us, etc…) so we didn’t want to put ourselves in the spotlight anymore than we feel (felt) we were at the time.