Why be Catholic? I miss my church!

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RomanRiteTeen

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Recently I made the choice to join the Catholic Church, I will be Confirmed this Easter and be welcomed in.
What attracted me was the outward appearance of the Church.
I thought of mystery, unity, latin, incense-- true and honest REVERENCE to CHRIST our KING.

Then, I went to Mass. Ack. Touchdown Jesus, corny sermons, felt tapestries, modern art. No altar rails, no beauty, no reverence. Where was my King?
Is this what has swept the Church? There is no unity in it! There are so many laws on Liturgy, and none are followed. I cannot praise my King while mentally trying not to note various abuses.

I miss my Church, the Church wherein I was baptized. I miss the Anglican Communion! How joyous, uplifting, and reverent was the Sacrifice of the Mass there!
Even in the worst, ugliest, modernist, dare I say the most liberal of churches, NO LAWS WERE BEING BROKEN! (Because there were none to break!)

I was simply kneeling before my Lord, singing the ancient hymns of my faith, and receiving him at the rail where countless others had knelt-- in silence before the altar.

I guess I’m just venting, but why leave paradise for the desert?
http://www.mncj.com/Messiah.jpg
 
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RomanRiteTeen:
Recently I made the choice to join the Catholic Church, I will be Confirmed this Easter and be welcomed in.
What attracted me was the outward appearance of the Church.
I thought of mystery, unity, latin, incense-- true and honest REVERENCE to CHRIST our KING.

Then, I went to Mass. Ack. Touchdown Jesus, corny sermons, felt tapestries, modern art. No altar rails, no beauty, no reverence. Where was my King?
Is this what has swept the Church? There is no unity in it! There are so many laws on Liturgy, and none are followed. I cannot praise my King while mentally trying not to note various abuses.

I miss my Church, the Church wherein I was baptized. I miss the Anglican Communion! How joyous, uplifting, and reverent was the Sacrifice of the Mass there!
Even in the worst, ugliest, modernist, dare I say the most liberal of churches, NO LAWS WERE BEING BROKEN! (Because there were none to break!)

I was simply kneeling before my Lord, singing the ancient hymns of my faith, and receiving him at the rail where countless others had knelt-- in silence before the altar.

I guess I’m just venting, but why leave paradise for the desert?
http://www.mncj.com/Messiah.jpg
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As a former Anglican, I read you.

Why leave “paradise” for the desert? Isn’t that what the Israelites said when Moses led them through the Red Sea?

Cyber hug coming your way! This is a big step and we are called to “leave everything.” It’s OK that it hurts; think of it as part of his gift to you.
 
I have to second that. I have had the same issues. Then I had a nightmarish clash with ECUSA “classes” centered around a “politically correct” and “inclusive” curriculum. But the autonomy of congregation which is key to the Anglican faith allows one church to be one way, and others to be others-- so you can’t judge them all by one.
Similarly, there are some Catholic parishes that are out there (like the notorious Saint Joan of Arc, I forget where that is.) But the real stinger is that in the Catholic Church, there should be no room for that sort of thing if the laws and rules are to be considered – yet there still is, and in the Anglican Communion, there are no laws and rules and rubrics and codes being violated, because they have not been hyper-defined. So I do understand where you are coming from: it hurts when there are laws being broken and nothing being done about it. It smacks of hypocrisy and detracts attention from the real star of the liturgical show, Jesus.
 
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mercygate:
As a former Anglican, I read you.

Why leave “paradise” for the desert? Isn’t that what the Israelites said when Moses led them through the Red Sea?

Cyber hug coming your way! This is a big step and we are called to “leave everything.” It’s OK that it hurts; think of it as part of his gift to you.
Click to expand...
🙂 Thanks, but I’ve never considered the Anglican Church enslavement, like was faced by the Jews in Egypt. It was intellectual freedom, really.
 
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mercygate:
As a former Anglican, I read you.

Why leave “paradise” for the desert? Isn’t that what the Israelites said when Moses led them through the Red Sea?

Cyber hug coming your way! This is a big step and we are called to “leave everything.” It’s OK that it hurts; think of it as part of his gift to you.
Click to expand...
I too am a former Anglican. I miss the reverence of the church, but I submit to you, it is not about the rails or the old oak benches, it’s about the relationship between you and God. Why leave paradise? Because your the Anglican paradise is acturally a mariage. The true paradise is in the very real presense of Christ in the Eucharist.

If you are joining the Church because of the buildings, then you are joining for the wrong reason.
 
Anglicanism looks good, but it’s rotten to the core. Shiny, glittering exterior – sick and dying interior.

The Prince of Wales has a live-in girl friend in the palace in London. The Anglican church thinks that’s just wunnerful. The Archbishop of Canterbury says the upcoming civil “marriage” of Charles and Camilla is just wunnerful. The English support this sinful relationship (they pay for it). That is a precis of Anglicanism/Episcopalianism.

In EVERY Catholic Mass, no matter how poorly celebrated, the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ become present. I receive the Holy Eucharist as as my spiritual food. In the Anglican/Episcopal liturgy, the priest goes through the motions but nothing happens. I wouldn’t trade the most poorly celebrated Catholic Mass for the emptiness of Anglicanism with all its external grandeur.

Anglicanism, from its very foundation, is imitation Catholicism. The “branch theory” is bull-oney.

The Anglican/Episcopal church supports abortion, contraception including abortifacients, divorce and remarriage at will, homosexuality, ordination of active, practicing homosexual clergy with “partners” who live in the rectory, homosexual marriage, women “priests,” and the list goes on. And you tell me how beautiful it is? That they never break any laws? How about God’s laws?

I attend the Tridentine Latin Mass every Sunday – the most beautiful thing this side of heaven. The rest of the week I attend the Novus Ordo Mass. But in every Mass – no matter how banal – a miracle takes place before my eyes, and I renew God’s covenant with the People of God – the Catholic Church – by receiving Holy Communion. I thank God I’m a Catholic!

The Church will again regain her equilibrium, once Vatican II has been digested. It takes about a hundred years for the Church to overcome the upheaval caused by a general council, and we’re only 40 years out from VII.

Anglicanism will one day be but a bleep on the screen of history. Catholicism will endure until the end of time. We have Christ’s Word on it: “the powers of death will not prevail against it” (Mt 16:18-19).

If your reasons for becoming a Catholic are only superficial, don’t do it. We’ve have enough dissident, malcontent Catholics as it is – plenty, plenty.

JMJ Jay
 
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Katholikos:
Anglicanism looks good, but it’s rotten to the core. Shiny, glittering exterior – sick and dying interior.

The Prince of Wales has a live-in girl friend in the palace in London. The Anglican church thinks that’s just wunnerful. The Archbishop of Canterbury says the upcoming civil “marriage” of Charles and Camilla is just wunnerful. The English support this sinful relationship (they pay for it). That is a precis of Anglicanism/Episcopalianism.

In EVERY Catholic Mass, no matter how poorly celebrated, the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ become present. I receive the Holy Eucharist as as my spiritual food. In the Anglican/Episcopal liturgy, the priest goes through the motions but nothing happens. I wouldn’t trade the most poorly celebrated Catholic Mass for the emptiness of Anglicanism with all its external grandeur.

Anglicanism, from its very foundation, is imitation Catholicism. The “branch theory” is bull-oney.

The Anglican/Episcopal church supports abortion, contraception including abortifacients, divorce and remarriage at will, homosexuality, ordination of active, practicing homosexual clergy with “partners” who live in the rectory, homosexual marriage, women “priests,” and the list goes on. And you tell me how beautiful it is? That they never break any laws? How about God’s laws?

I attend the Tridentine Latin Mass every Sunday – the most beautiful thing this side of heaven. The rest of the week I attend the Novus Ordo Mass. But in every Mass – no matter how banal – a miracle takes place before my eyes, and I renew God’s covenant with the People of God – the Catholic Church – by receiving Holy Communion. I thank God I’m a Catholic!

The Church will again regain her equilibrium, once Vatican II has been digested. It takes about a hundred years for the Church to overcome the upheaval caused by a general council, and we’re only 40 years out from VII.

Anglicanism will one day be but a bleep on the screen of history. Catholicism will endure until the end of time. We have Christ’s Word on it: “the powers of death will not prevail against it” (Mt 16:18-19).

If your reasons for becoming a Catholic are only superficial, don’t do it. We’ve have enough dissident, malcontent Catholics as it is – plenty, plenty.

JMJ Jay
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I concur, though I find your post fairly aggressive. I simply stated what attracted me to the Church, not what I now believe it holds. My reasons for joining are far from “only superficial”.

I just have nostalgia sometimes, these forums are a good place to vent. 🙂

(I’d also like to clarify I was speaking of Liturgical Law)
 
RomanRiteTeen said:
🙂 Thanks, but I’ve never considered the Anglican Church enslavement, like was faced by the Jews in Egypt. It was intellectual freedom, really.
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You’ve got it!

Anglicanism, like all Protestantism, is freedom to believe whatever you wish to believe. It’s “freedom” is built into its own structure. Anglicanism embraces the “high church” which is ersatz Catholic and teaches that the Eucharist is the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ; the “broad church” which is ersatz unitarianism; and the “low church,” which is Evangelical and teaches that the “Lord’s Supper” is purely symbolic. Can’t get much more “intellectual freedom” than that! If that’s one’s definition of “intellectual freedom,” that is. I view it as “spiritual and intellectual anarchy.”

JMJ Jay
 
It’s very easy to get “hooked” into the worldly aspects of our Church - it’s specific traditions, how it looks, even the Priests who give service. While that’s all very important to us, it is the means to know God. Many Churches specifically rotate which Priests do which Mass regularly, so people don’t get too comfortable with just one Priest. God is coming to us through all of them, each in his/her own way.

I make it a point when traveling to visit other Churches. I find things I like abut other Priests and Churches, while I admit my home Parish is my favorite, I have had some wonderful experiences and I hope it keeps me focused on the right stuff.
 
Hi RRTeen,

I’m sorry you are feeling lonesome for your old church. I too am joining (is that the right word?) the Catholic Church this Easter and lately I’ve been feeling very lonely for all my Evangelical friends back at my old church. I miss the singing, the Sunday School programs for my kids and the on fire for Jesus sort of feeling. I was so excited to be coming into the Catholic Church and now that it’s getting so close, I’m having some second thoughts. Maybe you are too? So then I get to wondering if it’s Satan trying to lure me away? I don’t know about you but I feel my old church has the Catholic Church beat when it comes to friendly people & lively worship. What it doesn’t have is JESUS in the Eucharist and if it doesn’t have HIM, it doesn’t have diddily squat. I don’t know much about the Anglican Church (the picture you posted looks very pretty though) but rather than dwelling on where you’ve been, why not spend some time reading about the Catholic Faith to remind yourself why you’re here in the first place. (A great book is Suprised by the Truth ) Also, if you don’t like the particular church you’ve been going to (they break all the rules?) maybe you could try a different one? In my town there’s a totally liberal Catholic Church at one end (no crucifix even) and a totally trad one at the other. I go to the trad one & love it. Hang in there kiddo. I’ll be praying for you (and you could pray for me too!) Hugs,
 
Thanks Carol.

I’ve been having the same feelings-- as an Anglican I also believed in True Presence (an optional belief though). So, I also have to convince myself that was a sham. I thank you for your charitable and sensitive reply.

My parish is very liberal, and things are usually not scheduled very well. However, it’s the only one in the area.
 
We used to have both-until some people thought that all Old is bad-including the Old churches which are being sold off to pay the lawyers for all of the abuse-and being told that we must all travel and attend these “modern” looking Protestant resembling churchs.

The Catholic church-with the Sacrifice of the Mass-and the Art, the statues, the reverence, was the envy of the world for almost two millenium-now we are just like all of the rest, we dont even claim to be the One True Faith any more-that we should look for good and truth in all of these false faiths-even the Moslems, Hindus.

I found an old newspaper in my attic that was maybe 25 or 30 years old, and it had an article on Archbishop Sheen and , this is when Paul VI was alive, how great it would be if he could be Pope. You could see the careful way the writer, who had a Jewish name, wrote about the church, and the beloved Sheen.

Now, the only thing the Catholic Church makes the front page for is to blast us about the abuse, how many schools are closing, how we are meeting with the rabbis so we dont endorse Mel Gibsons movie, we have no power or prestige anymore, we let ourselves be trapped by the secularists and the Modernists-many of whom have had anti Catholic and pro Jewish feelings and sympathies.
 
Well RRTeen and Carol as a Cradle Catholic I miss those things too. I believe we are on the way to getting them back in the U.S. Churchs. I have a feeling that in the next few years things will be turing around. Especially with good converts such as yourselves coming in more and more.

Keep you hopes up and if you see things that are wrong you have just as much right as us long timers to fight to get them fixed.
 
carol marie:
Hi RRTeen,
I don’t know about you but I feel my old church has the Catholic Church beat when it comes to friendly people & lively worship.
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Welcome Home and I want to suggest something that I know you probably already thought about. The parishes that I have belonged to are large and therefore you don’t get that homey feeling you would at a smaller community. However, I guarantee that once you join some committees or bible studies at your church you will get back that small community feeling. All the parishes I have belonged to have offered many opportunities to join many varied groups. Sadly, some people just don’t respond. I am not sure why some Catholics get lazy or complacent. (That would be a new thread!) However, my parish has so many things going on that I can only do a few. I love what I do, so I am satisfied. Once you belong to groups withing the larger group, you will begin to feel more at home. I pray that happens for you.
 
Roman Rite Teen,

I was a strict Roman Catholic from the tine I was converted (1955) until about 1972, or when it was that they first said Mass in English. It floored me. I could not understand why our Church would change to the vernacular. I was mad. I didn’t ever go back to Mass for over ten years. Then on a special occasion I went to Mass. I found out they were asking the laity to sing songs. I had never heard the laity sing before - only a few hymns by the 10 -man choir. Again it made me think…what are they doing? Are they trying to be like the Baptists. Baptists are big on singing ( why , I dont know). It just burned me up.

Over the past 3 years I started to go to Mass during the week ( 8 AM) so I can avoid the singing at least. But the Latin is gone. The Church that I knew, that caused me to convert, WAS GONE.

So, when you say the church is not what it used to be, I understand. It is sad. I see teenagers come to mass reading the news paper, talking, wearing immodest clothes and after recieving the Eucharists resume talking as if they had just had a sip of a Coca-Cola. I go for one reason, to recieve Our Lord in the blessed sacrament. That’s the only reason because the Libertine Powers that Be have driven the Catholic out of the Catholic Church.
 
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RomanRiteTeen:
Thanks Carol.

I’ve been having the same feelings-- as an Anglican I also believed in True Presence (an optional belief though). So, I also have to convince myself that was a sham. I thank you for your charitable and sensitive reply.

My parish is very liberal, and things are usually not scheduled very well. However, it’s the only one in the area.
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## You don’t have to. Catholics who attack Anglicanism make me long to be Anglican again. I love Protestantism, not just Anglicanism - those who attack Anglicanism in a certain way miss all that is good in it: if it were so totally, self-evidently, obviously worthless, if it were nothing but a load of useless & God-forsaken rubbish, then it is impossible to understand how, amidst so many troubles, it has survived. 🙂

Besides, there are plenty of scandals in Catholicism - are those**** clerics “precis of [Catholicism]” ?
****If the answer is, “Look at the good things in the CC” - well, fair’s fair; so, why not look at the good things in the C of E ? All good comes from the same Source, ultimately. ##
 
Katholikos,

Please provide evidence that the C of E regards Charles and Camilla’s relationship as “wonderful.” And note that they are not allowed to get remarried in church. That contradicts your claims. Can you explain how the Archdiocese of Boston’s granting of an annulment to Joseph Kennedy was any less scandalous than the C of E’s conduct in this case? Frankly, I’d take the C of E any day on this one.

The Episcopal Church is another story. Surely you know better than to use “Episcopalianism” and “Anglicanism” synonymously. Yet you do just this. You need to pay more attention to the truth if you want to defend the Truth.

Exporter, why do you hate singing so much? How is congregational singing contrary to Sacred Tradition? It’s found in Scripture, it’s found in the Fathers–shucks, it’s found in traditionally Catholic countries like Bavaria. Your prejudice against it is based on modern circumstances and is utterly un-Catholic in every meaningful way. As long as your attitude is regarded as Catholic within the Roman Communion, so long people like me will be unable to see the Roman Communion as truly Catholic. Hymns are part of Sacred Tradition (ask St. Ambrose), and they are a part that has been far better preserved among Protestants than among Catholics. That’s not an argument for Catholics to reject hymns–it’s an argument for Protestants to reject the claims of the Roman Communion to be the Catholic Church.

Finally, RomanRite Teen, I understand how you feel. Considerations like this brought me back to ECUSA even after I’d gone a good way through RCIA. However, had I actually been received into communion with Rome, I don’t think I could have ever reconciled it with my conscience to leave the Roman Communion. You have great blessings as a Catholic, for which I envy you. Make the most of them. We all have something to put up with–that’s the reality of the Church on earth.

In Christ,

Edwin
 
Contarini,

You wrote,“Exporter, why do you hate singing so much? How is congregational singing contrary to Sacred Tradition? It’s found in Scripture, it’s found in the Fathers–shucks, it’s found in traditionally Catholic countries like Bavaria. Your prejudice against it is based on modern circumstances and is utterly un-Catholic in every meaningful way. As long as your attitude is regarded as Catholic within the Roman Communion, so long people like me will be unable to see the Roman Communion as truly Catholic. Hymns are part of Sacred Tradition (ask St. Ambrose), and they are a part that has been far better preserved among Protestants than among Catholics. That’s not an argument for Catholics to reject hymns–it’s an argument for Protestants to reject the claims of the Roman Communion to be the Catholic Church.”
I DID NOT WRITE THAT! ME EXPORTER DIDNT WRITE THAT. Contarini did that.
Maybe on another thread you saw that I was a convert at age 23, that was in 1955. What was I before 1955? I was raised as a little kid in a Consolidated Methodist/Baptist Church…it was avery small town ( 200 people , couldnt support two churches.) They sang a lot, 8 to 9 songs, all four or five stanzas- I thot to avoid having to say anything meaningful. I didn’t like it then, and I don’t like it now. After going in the Service I became a Pagan - a real live Pagan - like Father Corapi was.
I do not give a flip if you say singing by the laity is reguarded as Catholic. I do not believe you. Didn’t you read that I said from 1955 to 1972 it was ONLY the small choir that sang. The people DID NOT sing. I liked that. I’ll say it again, I liked that the people did not sing - thats the job af a choir. It made the priest more the center of attraction, not the people!
You said I was prejudiced - that’s wrong! Prae- judicae mean to Judge before you have the Facts! Praejucicae? No! Not true. I had the facts. I had the facts before I made a judgement. I knew I didn’t like to sing those silly songs. I am an adult. The songs more redily fits 10 year olds! I found the Roman Catholic Church didn’t sing! I liked that. So dont you call me prejudice!

The singing inturrupts prayer, the concentration before the consecration. Now I suppose you take on a glow ( while you sing)when you should be contemplating the miricle that is about to happen. That consecration is the highest act mancan witness, why dilute that supreme act with a silly song? Now we have made an exchange of ideas. Don’t we hear enough silly somgs during the week?
 
Contarini:

I was born and raised in the Episcopal Church. For all practical intents and purposes, they’re the same, esp. if you’re “High-Church”. My BIG PROBLEM IS THIS, since 1977, ECUSA has destroyed ALL of the Validity of the Church’s Orders. The same holds true for the C of E and those National Churches in Communion with the C of E who’ve ordained Women Priests. That means, they’re Sacraments aren’t valid, and if you understood the hard work good men did trying to restore their validity, you’d understand the tragedy…
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Contarini:
Katholikos,

Please provide evidence that the C of E regards Charles and Camilla’s relationship as “wonderful.” And note that they are not allowed to get remarried in church. That contradicts your claims. Can you explain how the Archdiocese of Boston’s granting of an annulment to Joseph Kennedy was any less scandalous than the C of E’s conduct in this case? Frankly, I’d take the C of E any day on this one.

The Episcopal Church is another story. Surely you know better than to use “Episcopalianism” and “Anglicanism” synonymously. Yet you do just this. You need to pay more attention to the truth if you want to defend the Truth.

Exporter, why do you hate singing so much? How is congregational singing contrary to Sacred Tradition? It’s found in Scripture, it’s found in the Fathers–shucks, it’s found in traditionally Catholic countries like Bavaria. Your prejudice against it is based on modern circumstances and is utterly un-Catholic in every meaningful way. As long as your attitude is regarded as Catholic within the Roman Communion, so long people like me will be unable to see the Roman Communion as truly Catholic. Hymns are part of Sacred Tradition (ask St. Ambrose), and they are a part that has been far better preserved among Protestants than among Catholics. That’s not an argument for Catholics to reject hymns–it’s an argument for Protestants to reject the claims of the Roman Communion to be the Catholic Church.

Finally, RomanRite Teen, I understand how you feel. Considerations like this brought me back to ECUSA even after I’d gone a good way through RCIA. However, had I actually been received into communion with Rome, I don’t think I could have ever reconciled it with my conscience to leave the Roman Communion. You have great blessings as a Catholic, for which I envy you. Make the most of them. We all have something to put up with–that’s the reality of the Church on earth.

In Christ,

Edwin
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…Now, ECUSA has CONSECRATED a man as Bishop who left his wife and young children for his gay lover. If you take the word “Gay” out, anyone can see that’s absolutely unacceptable!

Regarding the Archdiocese of Boston, I agree with you. If I were the Pope, that man would be a Parish Priest! That annulment is a black spot on the Church, and it’s an embarrassment! The annulment was given ONLY because of the Kennady’s family’s power and as a favor to a vehemently PRO-ABORTION Politian. And, when you consider that the annulment was granted so that Senator kennady could marry his misstress…I agree with you about that action, but that’s NO reason to remain in a Church that has INVALID sacraments and preaches a “Working Theology” discribed here:

**Re: Ecumenism-New American Bible-Offensive Language to Jews Deleted - Post #44 **
forums.catholic-questions.org/showpost.php?p=437108&postcount=44

Please read the LINKED Articles.

You might also want to read C.S. Lewis The Screwtape Letters, paying special attention to how the devils want their “patient” to concentrate on the faults of those around him instead of the “Horrible spectre” of the whole “Communion of the Saints”.

May God Bless you.

In Christ, Michael
 
RomanRiteTeen said:
🙂 Thanks, but I’ve never considered the Anglican Church enslavement, like was faced by the Jews in Egypt. It was intellectual freedom, really.
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I loved the Anglican Communion. I never wanted to leave it. But ultimately, with Newman, I realized that it was neither “intellectual” nor “freedom” if it was false.

That said, I value the “safe house” it provided for me to convert slowly over a period of decades from an anti-catholic, to a practicing catholic, and finally to the realization that I had to become Catholic “for real.” Nowhere else could that have happened.

One of the tough things about coming into the Church from high-end Anglicanism is that the Anglicans “do it” so much better than the average Catholic parish. It really HURTS to leave what we know the liturgy can be when done with reverence and care. But we come anyway. It’s worth it. But – both for your own sake and for ours – don’t do it unless you’re prepared to live with it.
 
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