Catholic Q&A

First topic message reminder :

Any questions for about the Catholic Church? Ask away!

First off the Pope doesn't have "the power to do basically anything" he wants without disagreement. Infallibility only applies when the pope is speaking on faith and morals and when he is speaking infallibly.

There are bodies in heaven. Jesus ascended into heaven body and soul. It is commonly assumed that Enoch and Elijah were caught up into heaven.

There really aren't three things. They basically would have to accept the authority of the Pope and certain other smaller things that are really inconsequential but we believe.

I know some about them and I am learning a lot more.

I love icons and believe they should be used frequently.

Yes. Many in fact.

If disagreement is allowed, how come the Catholic church did such terrible things?

Should the Church be the government? (and I don't mean at some time in the future, but right now)

How come there were certain early Councils without the "Pope"? (according to War Doctor) 

So, I read something about the resurrection of Mary that Catholics believe... Is this correct, and what is the story/teaching behind it?

What terrible things do you mean?

No. The Church should not be the government.

I disagree that there were Councils without the pope at least confirming what the council said.

I don't know what this belief is you heard of. It may be the Assumption of Mary which is the belief that at the end of Mary's time on earth she was assumed body and soul into heaven.

Jehoshaphat wrote:What terrible things do you mean?

You referred to it first.... "Bad popes, bad decisions, Pope's overreaching", etc.

Could you please explain what you mean "assumed body and soul"?

Jehoshaphat wrote:I cannot accept any Protestant denomination that rejected the traditions handed down over centuries.

Oooh, I'm not a Christian to a Catholic!

Just saying, Protestants really can't deny all Apostolic Traditions. We have the Trinity, we have the New Testament canon, many more liturgical Protestant churches follow some Traditional aspects. Many Protestant churches (a large sweep of ground) would say Tradition is just not "infallible", and that Traditions can be accepted, but they are not as important as the Bible. Yes, we don't follow all of your Traditions, but saying we reject all of them is incorrect as well.

So, to be a Christian, you just become a member of your church?

Pope are people too and there have been some gravely immoral popes, i.e. popes with illegitimate children et cet.

She was taken into heaven, both her body and her soul.

That's not what I meant. What I meant was that I cannot accept any Protestant denomination as the true faith because of that. A Christian is one who follows Christ and I believe that Protestants do follow Christ just not perfectly. Because of two reasons, no one can follow Christ perfectly and secondly they do not have the fullness of truth.

I agree but they still should adhere to tradition more.

No, to be a Christian you follow Christ and his teachings. To become a Catholic you must be baptised and then accept the teaching of the Church.

So, you expect us non-Catholics to believe your Church teachings remained correct even if you had horrible/immoral Popes that could mostly do whatever they wanted with the Church teachings?

Yes because as I pointed out those popes never changed anything. They could have done whatever they wanted to but history shows us that they didn't do anything. All teaching remained the same. That is what I am trying to say. If the pope isn't infallible then those popes would probably have changed something and led the church into error.

And that's why their's two whole churches that follow tradition and don't agree at all. Gotcha.

Why do you confess anonymously?

What is the purpose of penances after confession?

The differences between the EO and the RCC are heavily overemphasized. We agree on the majority of things which are far more important than what we disagree on.

We confess to a priest semi anonymously. We have the choice to go face-to-face in most churches. We do this because we confess to God and he knows who we are.

To move our hearts into the right place and help form us to be better people.

So you'd say the doctrine of the pope is overemphasized and unimportant?

Then why do you have to tell a Priest? It seems to make confession to a person rather silly.

Repeating prayers changes you?

@WD, no but I think there are many more areas that we share common beliefs than where we differ.

@Ox, the Priest is In persona christi, meaning he stands in the person of Christ so we confess our sins directly to God through the priest.

Yes, they open can be useful for meditation and general prayer. Also not all penances are repeated prayers. Some involve doing acts of charity.

But you are also really different... Just because you both love Mary and eat Jesus, doesn't mean everything's the same.

Is there such a thing as a pacifist Catholic?

True, but our core doctrines are much the same which is more important than are differences.

Yes.

Do you believe, as Pound Cake, that one can have faith in God without knowing Jesus?

Yes.

Why do you cross yourself?

We do it to remind ourselves of the sacrifice of Christ for us and to help us remember God and his nature.

How does it do that?

We make the sign of cross which symbolizes Christs passion and we say in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, as we do it reminding us of God's nature as trinity

When do you cross yourself? Do movies portray crossing oneself accurately? Does it matter how you hold your hand? Or what direction you cross yourself?

I cross myself at various times, during mass, before and after prayers, when I pass a church. Really at any time I feel like it. I don't think I have seen any movie with people crossing themselves so I wouldn't know. No, the position of the hand does not matter. Generally people cross themselves up, down, left, right, but I am not sure if there is a rule behind that.

How come your view on the atonement is completely different from Christian writings from the entire first Century?

What do you mean? Is that a reference to what I said on the SS? Because if it is, what I said is what I believe about earning salvation and not simply being saved always.

War Doctor wrote:So you'd say the doctrine of the pope is overemphasized and unimportant?

This question is from some time ago, but it's important to note that doctrine was being discussed as unchangeable and unchanged throughout millennia. The two groups of Catholicism agree on all doctrine. The only disagreements are on non-doctrinal matters and any contrary accounts are easily shown false, just like all claims of doctrinal inconsistency.