I was born into a Catholic family, raised Catholic, attended Catholic school for 8 years and then “left” the Church. The time was the 1970’s and 1980’s.
I left the Church as a young person and while some in my generation took to the exotic drugs...I took a spiritual excursion. At the time I could not put my finger on exactly why I left the Church and sought God in everything from “atheism” to evangelical to wicca.
Now here I am 3 decades later watching the Church of my youth finally standing up for what they teach. Time, age, and experience has given me new understanding to my wandering off...to my spiritual walk-about. The Church teachings at the time of my youth were hollow and the Church did not have the “guts” to stand in their faith.
In fact, as any truth speaking Catholic knows the Church was turning and bending to the social justice ideals. As a young person immersed in the religion, needing to believe...and finding the faith of the church at that time empty I left to find the God that seemed to be missing.
It is very good to see the faith of my youth finding that which they had lost. And yes, I agree with the Pope we are about to witness the “great falling away.” I disagree that this is a “test” to Catholics. It is the separating of the wheat and the chaff not just of the church, but of the world. Wheat is wheat and chaff is chaff one cannot become the other but for the miracle of Jesus.
I have been tempted to venture into a Sunday mass lately. Out of the 3 local churches only one does not mention their duties of ‘social justice’ in the community. I am thinking this one is where I will go and see if the faith of my youth, the faith I was taught...is there.
I can now say I left the church 30 odd years ago, because the church appeared weak and wavering to me.
I am a “revert” myself, having left the Church in my youth and then sincerely searching for the truth. That search, the prayers of my Mother and some fairly thorough research to get to the truth led me back. It was a 15 - 20 year process...and I now understand how truly ignorant I was.
God is patient and He is VERY GOOD.
;-)
http://www.catholicscomehome.org/former-catholic.php
The above link may be a good source of help for you...and If there is anything I can do to assist, I certainly will. Remember that God is purifying His Church and there are still many in the Church (lay and clerical) who do not follow the Teaching Magisterium..but we are, INDEED, on the cusp of the great sifting. Those parishes that are loyal to the Teaching Magisterium of the Church are full and vibrant and growing!
Look for a Latin Mass parish near you.
We welcome you back.
The weak bishops of that time (I call them Bernardin’s boys) misinterpreted Vatican II and did a lot of damage to life in general by not supporting Humanae Vitae wholeheartedly.
Today the Church and the current Pope and Bishops are reaping the whirlwind of their poor decisions.
May God have mercy on us!