What exactly is a cultural catholic?

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vz71

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I have seen some people using this to identify themselves, but have no idea what it means.

Can you shed some light on this?
 
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Someone who grew up in the outward cultural expressions of the faith but does not have a depth of committed discipleship or relationship with Christ.
As a criticism, the term Cultural Catholic should not denigrate Catholic Culture, but should call attention to the relative depth of committed discipleship and relationship with Christ.
 
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I’m not sure if it’s where it began but I recall hearing the term ‘Cultural Jew’ before I heard it applied to Catholicism. The person may, having grow up Catholic or in a Catholic extended family, still appreciate and practice many of the same traditions, celebrations, holidays and so on, and even find comfort and meaning in them, without sharing the actual faith at least at that point in their life.
 
These are good definitions, but I would sum it up a “cultural Catholic” as being someone who:
  • identifies with the Catholic Church on some level, but does not sense the obligation to accept all of its teachings, especially those where the larger secular world militates to the contrary (issues of sexuality, marriage, and reproduction, the necessity of adherence to Christ’s Church and sacraments for salvation, the possibility that some people may not be saved, religious diversity not being a legitimate difference among peoples, etc.)
  • seeks at least some of the Catholic rites of passage, particularly infant baptism, matrimony, and funerals, as much (or more) for cultural reasons, than reasons of piety and vocation
  • incorporates certain Catholic “cultural markers” into their life, such as Christmas midnight Mass, religious jewelry, possibly even iconography (not limited to Eastern Christian icons, but such things as statues of the Madonna, St Christopher medallions in one’s car, and so on), without seeking to pursue orthodox Catholic faith and piety as an integral part of one’s daily life
 
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I think this is a pretty good summary, but I would add that at least sometimes the difference relates to the person’s belief in the supernatural. These people often believe that the Catholic lifestyle is a good and proper lifestyle, including believing in and following Catholic moral teachings, but they may not believe in God, or at least in the Trinitarian God of Christianity. In this way they are similar to the cultural Jews referenced earlier in the thread. Like many terms, however, there is no one definition that would fit everyone who embraces the term. Many people that are cultural Catholics feel pretty strongly that they are “really” Catholic, just as most cultural Jews would say they are truly Jewish.

Because of the above, it can be pretty hard to tell if someone who presents as Catholic is a cultural Catholic. I know any number of people who practice the faith in a pretty devout manner are agnostic (at best).
 
Many Catholics seem to really be upset at Catholics that are only culturally Catholics. Many appreciate that, as long as they aren’t actively harming others faith, they should still be a welcomed part of the Catholic family.

Do you think these culturally Catholics should be confronted on their lack of following the faith as strictly as the church wishes or should you just accept their laxity and hope for the best…a return to better faith? Should you drive them out to keep the Church holier or tolerate them to keep them within reaching distance?
 
There would likely be varied answers and different standards used.
 
Pattylt said:
Do you think these culturally Catholics should be confronted on their lack of following the faith as strictly as the church wishes or should you just accept their laxity and hope for the best…
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With respect, I think that this precise issue is presented by both cultural Catholics and other Catholics. Or are you saying that any Catholic that deviates in any way from Catholic teaching is necessarily a “cultural Catholic”? Some of the most devout Catholics I know dissent from Church teaching in certain areas. In any event, I don’t see why the community should treat so-called “cultural Catholics” differently from any other Catholic.
 
TMC said:
In any event, I don’t see why the community should treat so-called “cultural Catholics” differently from any other Catholic.
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It’s usually an intellectual one and chances are that these things don’t appear on a parish level.
 
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TMC said:
Or are you saying that any Catholic that deviates in any way from Catholic teaching is necessarily a “cultural Catholic”?
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No, I didn’t mean active Catholics that have specific issues. I was asking about Catholics that really don’t attend Church very often, don’t follow the faith in any pious manner, are more worldly…yet still claim to be Catholics and maybe show up at Easter and Christmas, baptize their children, may even send them to catholic school…those types.
 
I think the precise definition of a cultural catholic is someone that loves to draw attention to the ashes on their forehead on Ash Wednesday or mention they are abstaining on fridays of lent, while also rarely going to mass or striving for the virtues the Church teaches.
 
I think it’s our duty to call everyone to repentance, and to move to a closer relationship with God! We cannot be idle while we see others struggling to live their faith. It is our duty to make disciples of all nations, well we have plenty of work to do within our own church even before we start going out into the rest of the world!
If I say to the wicked, You shall surely die—and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade the wicked from their evil conduct in order to save their lives—then they shall die for their sin, but I will hold you responsible for their blood. If, however, you warn the wicked and they still do not turn from their wickedness and evil conduct, they shall die for their sin, but you shall save your life.
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TMC said:
I think this is a pretty good summary, but I would add that at least sometimes the difference relates to the person’s belief in the supernatural. These people often believe that the Catholic lifestyle is a good and proper lifestyle, including believing in and following Catholic moral teachings, but they may not believe in God, or at least in the Trinitarian God of Christianity. In this way they are similar to the cultural Jews referenced earlier in the thread. Like many terms, however, there is no one definition that would fit everyone who embraces the term. Many people that are cultural Catholics feel pretty strongly that they are “really” Catholic, just as most cultural Jews would say they are truly Jewish.

Because of the above, it can be pretty hard to tell if someone who presents as Catholic is a cultural Catholic. I know any number of people who practice the faith in a pretty devout manner are agnostic (at best).
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I think that the majority of these “cultural Catholics” do have some sort of belief in the supernatural — they’re not atheists — but don’t go “full bore” because that would require them to make too many changes in their lives, make their lives more difficult, and some would just reply that they “aren’t all that religious”. There are some people, of all religions, whose disposition and personality just doesn’t fit well with religiosity. Everyone is different.
 
Pattylt said:
Do you think these culturally Catholics should be confronted on their lack of following the faith as strictly as the church wishes or should you just accept their laxity and hope for the best…a return to better faith?
Click to expand...
If I knew what exactly it was, I could say.

Thus far it looks like the consensus is that it is a Catholic that holds to the label but does not live it.

But this far I have not heard from anyone that holds the label. I am interested in knowing what those that call themselves cultural catholic think it means.
 
To me, I think we need to define a few other terms first, before we can define a “Cultural Catholic.” For example: we have the following:
  • Former Catholic – someone who used to be Catholic and has made the decision to leave the Catholic Church, buy either officially disaffiliation or not. But the point is, they no longer consider themselves to be a Catholic
  • Cafeteria Catholic - this is a label that one typically does not put on themselves. These are the Catholics who still go to mass (either weekly or a few times a year) but they pick and choose which Catholic teachings they believe in. Perhaps they disagree with something like all male priesthood, abortion, the need for confession to a priest, etc. But they typically keep their views to themselves or within just their immediate family.
  • Dissenting Catholic - similar to the Cafeteria Catholic, except they actively work to attempt to change Church teachings.
  • Practicing Catholic - this is a person who attends at least every Sunday and Holy Day and is trying their best to follow the all the teachings of the Church (even if they fail at some)
  • Devout Catholic - similar to “Practicing Catholic” but these are the ones the average “practicing Catholic” views as the “model Catholic,” while the average “Cafeteria Catholic” might view the devout as “over the top.” They pray their Rosary daily (if not multiple times a day), go to mass typically more than once a week (if not daily), practice NFP or have a lot of kids (if married & still in child bearing years), practice chastity, visit the Blessed Sacrament often, wear metals and/or scapulas, perhaps member of Third Order or Confraternity, etc.
Now that leaves us the…
  • Cultural Catholic - the Catholic who doesn’t really fit into any of the above, except maybe the Cafeteria Catholic. However, unlike the Cafeteria Catholic, the Cultural Catholic sees “being Catholic” similar to being Italian, being Irish, etc. They view it primarily has part of their cultural heritage. Now, while some people who believe in Christ might consider themselves to be “Cultural Catholics,” I think the key difference between the “Cultural Catholic” and the “Cafeteria Catholic” is that the Cafeteria Catholic still believes the Catholic Church is their religion while the “Cultural Catholic” may technically be an atheist, agnostic, “spiritual but not religious,” and/or really a non-denominational Christian with simply cultural ties to Catholicism but zero theological ties.
In other words, the “Cultural Catholic” has sentimental/historic/cultural/artistic/academic/familial ties to Catholicism, but no theological ties.

Basically, these people don’t reject the Catholic Church. They have no hate or dislike of the Church. They simply just don’t believe in Catholic theology.

I hope this helps
 
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