Wife is protestant

[ajaffres]

Protestants believe in the Bible Only. But Christ didn’t leave us a Bible, he left us the Catholic Church as our teacher. The Church, guided by the Spirit, produced the Bible.

The Church is the “household of God, the church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15). The manifest wisdom of God is made known, not through the Bible, but through Christ’s Church (Ephesians 3:8-11).

Most Protestants (and, sadly, too many Catholics) do not know where we got the Bible. The New Testament consists of 27 of the Catholic Church’s own writings. The Catholic Church discerned the contents of the OT and NT and compiled the Bible at the end of the fourth Christian Century.

I wish you peace in this life and in the next.

Jim Dandy
Ex-Southern Baptist, ex-agnostic, ex-atheist, ecstatic to be Catholic!

Thanks Jim, I read at length about the Bride relationship of the Church with Jesus, but never looked at this angle.

 

[Jim_Dandy]

Thanks Jim, I read at length about the Bride relationship of the Church with Jesus, but never looked at this angle.

I, formerly an obnoxious, argumentative, card-carrying atheist, am literally stunned by the beauty, logic, and TRUTH of Catholicism. Amazing grace that saved a wretch like me. Thank you so much.

 

[AMD10]

I suggest the two of you find both a Catholic church as well as a Protestant church. Tell her you will attend her church if she attends yours. My husband and I had that deal (and we pretty much stuck to only Catholic services, just so you know. We’ve been so blessed with amazing parishes throughout our relationship), and now I’m in the process of converting.

You can’t expect her to convert overnight or ever at all. But you can respect her beliefs, just as you expect her to respect yours – and expect her to take it a step farther (further?) in promising to raise your children Catholic.

If coming back to the Church is what you want, do it wholeheartedly. Perhaps seeing your faith deepen will spark her curiosity, and she’ll want to learn more about Catholicism.

 

[ConsciousCoward]

First, that anybody is antagonizing the OP about marrying a Protestant is really troubling. It’s not the point of the thread, and it’s playing into the hands of pride so much; you are not entitled to a right to comment on someone else’s marriage, nor are you entitled to hate on Protestants.

That said, I’m really surprised at how roundabout these responses have been. I can answer your question very quickly, OP. Yes, you are obligated to go to Mass. As far as your wife goes, it’s obvious to me that she just wants you to go to church with her. I don’t know about you, but worshipping with someone I’m close to brings me infinitely closer to them. It also helps to keep the relationship centered on Christ.

So find a parish to attend, go Saturday/Sunday evenings, and go be with your wife and worship with her on Sunday mornings.

 

[Jim_Dandy]

First, that anybody is antagonizing the OP about marrying a Protestant is really troubling. It’s not the point of the thread, and it’s playing into the hands of pride so much; you are not entitled to a right to comment on someone else’s marriage, nor are you entitled to hate on Protestants.

To me, your criticism of Catholics is disquieting. Nothing that has been said is an indication of “hate” toward Protestants. It’s the Protestant heresy that troubles us. Protestants personally are not heretics, because they were either born or proselytized into it, and are considered our separated brethren. We know the Catholic Church to be founded by Christ, the God-Man. The Church speaks for Christ (Luke 10:16). All Protestant ecclesial communities (there’s only one Church) have been founded by men (or women), in or after the 16th century, based on thousands of different interpretations of the same incomplete Bible cut by Martin Luther. We believe in objective Truth as taught by the Apostles to the first Christians – i.e., to the first Catholics.

Peace be with you,

Jim Dandy
Ex-Southern Baptist, ex-agnostic, ex-atheist, ecstatic to be Catholic!

 

[Califman831]

it should also be pointed out that you cannot satisfy your Sunday obligation at a protestant church. This idea of going to a catholic church one week and then going to a protestant church the next week is heretical. God’s church is not Baskin Robbins, she is Catholic and only Catholic. Also faith does not come from the individual its a gift from God that we either choose to accept or reject. Hopefully not the second option.

Praying for the wife’s conversion and the salvation of the family.