10 Misunderstandings About The Church

[cappie]

Why are there so many misunderstandings regarding the Catholic Church and the areas that involve it? We have decided to try and clear up some of these common misconceptions with this list of ten of the most popularly misconstrued issues. They are as follows:

[b]1. The Pope is Always Correct: [/b]- Roman Catholics believe there are only three circumstances in which the Pope is does not make any errors. These conditions are:
1. The Pope must be making a statement about morals or faith
2. The declaration must be binding by the entire Church
3. The Pope must be speaking with the full authority of the Papacy, and not on a personal level.

Basically, this means that when the Pope is speaking on subjects such as science, he can make errors. However, when he is teaching on topics of religion and the other above two conditions have been satisfied, Catholics believe that the statements is equal to the Word of God. There can be no discrepancies in any previous statements made and all Catholics must believe. If a person denies any these serious decrees, they are believed to be committing a mortal sin in which you can be sent to hell for.

[b]2. Priest’s can deny baptism to a baby or child of a single parent or a couple not married in the Church: [/b]- If the parent or parents, whether single or married, bring the child to the Catholic Church for baptism, the priest must decide according to the Canon Law 868 #2, which is “that there be a well-founded hope that the child will be brought up in the catholic religion.” This is the principle factor for the Priest to decide whether to baptize the child, not the fact that it may be a single parent family, or that the parents were not wed in the Catholic Church.


[b]3. Catholics Should Marry Only Catholics :[/b] - Catholics have the right to marry the person of their choice, whether non-Christian, Catholic, or Christian, on the basis that the marriage does not endanger their Catholic faith. A Catholic has the right to request the necessary administration needed to marry someone who is not Catholic. Believe it or not, Catholics do feel that religion should always be free, and neither the priest nor significant other should put pressure on the non-Catholic to conform for the sake of the marriage only.

[b]4. Catholics pay for Indulgences to have their sins forgiven: [/b]- The Catholic Church teaches that there are two punishments when a person sins: One being eternal, which is hell, and the other temporal, which is on earth while you are still alive or purgatory after death. To remove the eternal punishment, Catholics must confess their sins and be forgiven. The temporal punishment still will remain. To remove the temporal punishment Catholics can receive an indulgence. This is considered a type of special of blessing that removes the temporal punishment by performing acts like reading specific prayers or volunteer work.

In the Middle ages, forgers would write fake indulgences offering the forgiveness or removal of eternal sins in exchange for money which was used for building the Church. After this practice had been going on for over three centuries, the Popes finally were able to put an end to the sale of indulgences. Real indulgences have existed from the beginning of Christianity and the Church continues to grant special indulgences today.


[b] 5. If a child in not baptized, they go into limbo after death:[/b] - Until recently, this belief was never formally explained by the Catholic Church. Actually, the Catechism of the Catholic Church does not even use the word limbo. It states this: “As regards children who have died without Baptism, the Church can only entrust them to the mercy of God, as she does in the funeral rites for them. Indeed the great mercy of God who desires that all men should be saved, and Jesus’ tenderness toward children… allow us to hope that there is a way of salvation for children who have died without baptism”. So as you can see, it is up to God and his mercy to decide the fate of an unbaptized child.


[b]6. The Catholic Church opposes cremation: [/b]- The concern of the Catholic Church is the respect for the body of the deceased person, not the act of Cremation itself. It is now an accepted form of care unless it is done with disrespect. However, scattering of ashes is not something the Catholic Church approves of, whether by person or airplane. Again, the issue is the respectful treatment of the person’s remains. Most Churches consider storing the ashes in a memorial type environment instead of keeping them in an urn at home. Cremation was less acceptable in the past because of the misperception of disposing of something that is not wanted. Cremation became an appropriate method of burial for Catholics after the Second Vatican Council in the late 1960s. The Catholic Church does permit it, provided it is not a denial of the person’s possible resurrection.

[b]7. Catholics believe that sex was the "original sin" of Adam and Eve:[/b] Though many Catholics have believed this in the past and may still believe it here in the present, it is definitely not the official teaching of the Catholic Church. The original sin was one of pretentious disregard of God's commandment, not the act of lust. Pride is the worst sin of all, and the root of all sin. Again, that is not the teaching of Mother Church. The original sin contains the important significance of the sin of Adam, particularly, the absence of pure mercy in the spirit, not the act in where a child’s life was created.


[b]8. The Catholic Church disagrees with science and shuns evolution:[/b] - This is not the conviction of the Catholic faith despite this popular stereotype. In fact, there have been many considerable scientific advances that have come from Catholic scholars and academics. One engaging reference is that of Monsignor Georges Lemaître . He was a priest from Belgium who suggested the Big Bang theory.

Also, the Catholic faith does not reject the theory of evolution although they do remain generally quiet about the very first days of the theory. In 2004, a Theological Commission led by Cardinal Ratzinger, released an announcement that said: “According to the widely accepted scientific account, the universe erupted 15 billion years ago in an explosion called the ‘Big Bang’ and has been expanding and cooling ever since. [...] Converging evidence from many studies in the physical and biological sciences furnishes mounting support for some theory of evolution to account for the development and diversification of life on earth, while controversy continues over the pace and mechanisms of evolution.” Catholic Schools around the globe use scientific evolution as part of their curriculum in their science courses.

[b]9. Catholic Priests can’t get married:[/b] - To clarify this one, you will need to have a better comprehension of the principles of the Catholic Church. Within the Central Church there are different sectors, one of the most common ones the Roman Catholic Church. Then you have the Eastern Catholic Church. Both of these sections abide by the authority of the Pope and they practice the same doctrines but small areas such as worship are different. In the Eastern Church, priests can be married but they cannot become a Bishop. Although rare, there are some examples in the Roman Catholic Church in which a pastor who has converted from another religion are able to become priests even though they are married.


[b]10. The Catholic Church has added their own books to the Bible: [/b]- The Catholic version of the Old Testament differentiates from the Protestant version being that the Catholic edition contains seven more books than Protestant Bibles. These additional books are the cause of people thinking that the Catholic Church added extra books. But in all actuality, these books were held as the official canon (list of books) of Christians until the Protestant transformation during which Martin Luther removed them. A few of these books even have assertions of Catholic teaches that Luther discredited. The justification for the Catholic Church using the Greek edition is that the apostles used it solely in their sermons.


[url="http://www.onlinedegree.net/10-common-misunderstandings-of-the-catholic-church-explained/"]http://www.onlinedegree.net/10-common-misunderstandings-of-the-catholic-church-explained/[/url]

[Resurrexi]

[quote name='cappie' date='05 November 2009 - 01:38 AM' timestamp='1257403092' post='1996458']
[b] 5. If a child in not baptized, they go into limbo after death:[/b] - Until recently, this belief was never formally explained by the Catholic Church. Actually, the Catechism of the Catholic Church does not even use the word limbo. It states this: “As regards children who have died without Baptism, the Church can only entrust them to the mercy of God, as she does in the funeral rites for them. Indeed the great mercy of God who desires that all men should be saved, and Jesus’ tenderness toward children… allow us to hope that there is a way of salvation for children who have died without baptism”. So as you can see, it is up to God and his mercy to decide the fate of an unbaptized child.
[/quote]

I don't see why this is listed as a misunderstanding. There are many Catholics, including myself, who thing that unbaptized babies go to limbo.

[Deus te Amat]

[quote name='Resurrexi' date='05 November 2009 - 01:43 AM' timestamp='1257403420' post='1996460']
I don't see why this is listed as a misunderstanding. There are many Catholics, including myself, who thing that unbaptized babies go to limbo.
[/quote]

By thinking so, you are in disagreement with Church teaching.

Edited November 5, 2009 by Deus_te_Amat

[Jesus_lol]

I did not know number 9, even after being here for 3 years. thanks!! thats pretty interesting!

[Resurrexi]

[quote name='Deus_te_Amat' date='05 November 2009 - 01:58 AM' timestamp='1257404288' post='1996462']
By thinking so, you are in disagreement with Church teaching.
[/quote]

That is completely incorrect. Infant's limbo was never declared a false or erroneous doctrine.

Firstly, the document by the International Theological Commission on Limbo, like all documents by that commission, was non-Magisterial. You will not find its documents in the [i]Acta Apostolicae Sedis[/i], the publication in which all magisterial documents of the Holy See are normally promulgated.

Moreover, if you had taken the time to read the ITC document, you would have seen the following:
"It is clear that the traditional teaching on this topic has concentrated on the theory of limbo, understood as a state which includes the souls of infants who die subject to original sin and without baptism, and who, therefore, neither merit the beatific vision, nor yet are subjected to any punishment, because they are not guilty of any personal sin. This theory, elaborated by theologians beginning in the Middle Ages, never entered into the dogmatic definitions of the Magisterium, even if that same Magisterium did at times mention the theory in its ordinary teaching up until the Second Vatican Council. [b]It remains therefore a possible theological hypothesis[/b]."

I would be more careful the next time you accuse someone of disagreeing with the teachings of the Church.

Edited November 5, 2009 by Resurrexi

[Mark of the Cross]

[quote name='Deus_te_Amat' date='05 November 2009 - 05:58 PM' timestamp='1257404288' post='1996462']
By thinking so, you are in disagreement with Church teaching.
[/quote]
Thank God for that!

[b]5. If a child in not baptized, they go into limbo after death:[/b]- Until recently, this belief was never formally explained by theCatholic Church. Actually, the Catechism of the Catholic Church doesnot even use the word limbo. It states this: “As regards children whohave died without Baptism, the Church can only entrust them to themercy of God, as she does in the funeral rites for them. Indeed thegreat mercy of God who desires that all men should be saved, and Jesus’tenderness toward children… allow us to hope that there is a way ofsalvation for children who have died without baptism”. So as you cansee, it is up to God and his mercy to decide the fate of an unbaptizedchild.

I'm sure God would know best.

Edited November 5, 2009 by Mark of the Cross

[goldenchild17]

until the Church formally declares on it, or at least gives compelling evidence against it, I will continue to believe in Limbo.

[Resurrexi]

[quote name='Mark of the Cross' date='05 November 2009 - 03:15 AM' timestamp='1257408952' post='1996471']
Thank God for that!
[/quote]



You're completely wrong.

The Magisterium Church has never said that Catholics may not think that unbaptized infants go to limbo.

It is a complete falsehood to say that those who support infants' limbo are in some way going against Church teachings by doing so.

[OraProMe]

[quote name='Resurrexi' date='05 November 2009 - 01:43 AM' timestamp='1257403420' post='1996460']
I don't see why this is listed as a misunderstanding. There are many Catholics, including myself, who thing that unbaptized babies go to limbo.
[/quote]

Wow. An innocent infant is deprived of heaven because of an inherited sin he didn't commit? Your God must be pretty petty.

[MIKolbe]

[quote name='Resurrexi' date='05 November 2009 - 03:16 AM' timestamp='1257405408' post='1996467']
Moreover, if you had taken the time to read the ITC document, you would have seen the following:
"It is clear that the traditional teaching on this topic has concentrated on the theory of limbo, understood as a state which includes the souls of infants who die subject to original sin and without baptism, and who, therefore, neither merit the beatific vision, nor yet are subjected to any punishment, because they are not guilty of any personal sin. This theory, elaborated by theologians beginning in the Middle Ages, never entered into the dogmatic definitions of the Magisterium, even if that same Magisterium did at times mention the theory in its ordinary teaching up until the Second Vatican Council. [b]It remains therefore a [size="4"]possible theological hypothesis[/size][/b]."
[/quote]

Let's see....

possible theological hypothesis....OR....trusting the mercy of God


:cues 'Jesus loves the little children':


not a tough one for me....

[zunshynn]

I had a question about #2... My uncle is not a practicing Catholic, not married in the Church... and his wife, I believe, is Episcopalian, also not practicing. They have a daughter about a year old, and they have mentioned perhaps having her baptized. I know that for them, it would mostly just be a "family tradition" kind of thing. I'm pretty sure they have no intention of bringing her to mass or raising her with more than a basic "we believe in God but it's not that big of a deal" kind of thing. With that said, is it still better for her (or someone in her situation) to be baptized? After all, it isn't her fault her parents are living the way they are.

There is also a good chance they would ask me to be her godmother... but is that something I should agree to when I know that I won't be in a position where I can try to teach her about the faith with her parent's approval?

I'm not sure if it falls in with the statement made in #2... because not only are they not married in the Church, they are also not practicing at all.

Edited November 5, 2009 by zunshynn

[JimR-OCDS]

My understanding is that the Church has merely defined the term "Limbo," in clearer language.

Limbo is a state of "unknown." An infant who dies without Baptism, goes into an unknown state, could be heaven, might not be. The Church hasn't had anything revealed for her, in order to make a decision one way or another, hence, the child is in Limbo, or to put it another way, "we just don't know."

Jim

[Thy Geekdom Come]

Stepping in as the theologian:

Limbo is not a doctrine of the Church but a theory or attempt to explain a particular part of the Church's teaching. As such, it is not against the Church's teaching to believe unbaptized babies go to limbo, nor is it against the Church's teaching to believe they go to heaven. The Church has no official position on limbo. However, the Church's theology does currently tend toward the belief that limbo as a theory is incorrect.

This does not impact the Limbo of the Fathers, which Jesus calls "Abraham's Bosom," which is doctrine.

God bless,

Micah

[rhetoricfemme]

[quote name='zunshynn' date='05 November 2009 - 09:49 AM' timestamp='1257432594' post='1996512']
There is also a good chance they would ask me to be her godmother... but is that something I should agree to when I know that I won't be in a position where I can try to teach her about the faith with her parent's approval?
[/quote]
If they do ask you to be her godmother, could you discuss it with them? They've got to be choosing you for a reason, right? So maybe you could let them know that it's only fair to their daughter to have that exposure to faith. Even if you're not close by you could send her a rosary, pray for her, and when she's old enough tell her about Christ and such.

Just an idea.

[Jaime]

[b]#11 Turkey Bingo is not a scam even though Mrs Klingerfeldt seems to win every year.[/b]