10 Reasons Why It's Hard to Become Catholic

Canterbury Tales ^ | May 6, 2013 | Taylor Marshall

[NYer]

Is it difficult to become Catholic?

I don't often disclose personal thoughts on this blog, but I feel that this is something that might be helpful for folks on both sides of the Tiber: Ten Reasons why it's hard to become Catholic.

I have spoken to somewhere between 50-100 Protestant ministers who have become Catholic or are contemplating entry into full communion with the Catholic Church. Most of these are Anglican or Presbyterian. A few have been Lutheran. 

Over the last several years, I've gathered up the "big ten" that either cause pain or lead to a man saying "No thanks," to the Catholic Church.

#10 Theological Submission

It's difficult to say serviam ("I will serve"). Theology is no longer "what I think". It requires a submission of the mind. At the same time, this a liberation of the mind. Still, it is difficult to tell oneself: "I don't fully understand the Treasury of Merit, but I will submit my reason to the reason of the Church."

#9 Priests

Catholic priests are not like Protestant ministers. Relatively speaking, they are more distant than Protestant clergy, albeit for good reasons sometimes. A Protestant has the experience of a minister smiling whenever he sees you, memorizing your name, and generally going out of his way to make a personal connection. This rarely happens in Catholicism. I admit it - it wounds my pride a little. I wish that I were greeted and hailed by the pastor after Mass. It's humbling to be part of the masses at Mass.

Protestant ministers usually have smaller congregations and more competition with one another. Hence, the minister is much more likely to say, "Hey, let's go to Starbucks this week and talk about your faith."

Of course, I know dozens of Catholic priests who do reach out on a personal level, but for the most part, Catholic priests are stretched out more thinly. Consequently, personal access is more rare. And to be honest, I'm glad to know that my priests are hearing confessions and going to the hospital all the time. That's a much better use of their time than drinking expensive coffee with me.

#8 Liturgy

I am beginning to think that there is nothing as controversial in the Catholic Church as liturgy. It is at the center of everything.

I like clean, tight liturgies. Altar boys turning on a dime and making a 90 degree right angle around the altar. Latin. Gregorian chant. Synchronized genuflections. Defined signs of the crosses. Corporal folded the proper way (up not down!) You may have guessed it. I attend the Extraordinary Form of the Mass.

However, it's not like that everywhere. There are some wonderful liturgies and some not-so-wonderful liturgies. Sometimes, potential converts walk in to a not-so-wonderful liturgy with broken rubrics and oddities. It's difficult for many - especially if they are coming from a more liturgical form of Protestantism. I don't know the best answer to this problem. All I know that it is a problem.

My suggested solution is the "Great Catholic Migration of the 21th Century." Click here to read more about "the great migration."

#7 Dealing with marriage, divorce, homosexuality, contraception, abortion

Some people have irregular marriages, live homosexual lifestyles, or enjoy the comforts of contraception. It's painful to allow your divorce and re-marriage to be examined by the bishop's tribunal. It's embarrassing to talk about a 'lifestyle.' It's not easy to imagine having a minivan overflowing with car seats or to rethink the vasectomy. 

For some, they have to revisit an abortion that occurred decades ago. These sort of things cut deep to the heart and make us squirm. All this is understandable and I think that these things should be addressed with caution and compassion. If you're a potential convert, pray for and seek out a good priest with whom you can speak confidentially.

I'll also add from personal experience, the healing a good confession is about 100 times more powerful than any of the shame or fear associated with past problems. I think others here would agree. 

(Please leave a comment below to testify to this reality so others might be assured.)

#6 Financial discomforts

If you're a clergyman you stand to lose your great pension, great health benefits, discretionary fund, and your salary. I've been there and it's tough. It's likely that you haven't been trained to do anything else that is marketable. I doubt that anyone out there will pay you six figures to write sermons for them or lead a small-group Bible study. It goes without saying that most ministers take a major pay cut when they become Catholic. Their family income goes down. They usually start having more kids. Also, they usually start paying for parochial education - another hit to the pocketbook.

#5 Vocational confusion

It was difficult at first to admit that my Anglican priesthood was invalid. I wasn't a priest long, but I heard confessions, anointed the dying, etc. What was I doing? What was God doing? Why did God let me function sacramentally with people who were deeply hurting. I still don't know how to "classify" those ministerial acts.

I think other would-be converts struggle with the same ideas. Even if they were laymen, they wonder about their past roles as Sunday school teachers, mentors, Bible study leaders, counselors, etc.

#4 Non-Catholic ridicule and estrangement

Family and friends do not understand. Even when they try to understand, they will never appreciate the frustrations, study, and heart-searching that goes into becoming Catholic. Some Anglicans still call me "Father", which makes me feel uncomfortable. Others have written terrible things about me. I've never been more greatly attacked for anything else in my life.

Tension often arises with parents and siblings. I've even heard of converts who were cut out of the inheritance because they became "Roman".

#3 Catholic ridicule and estrangement

This may seem odd, but some Catholics are suspicious of converts to Catholicism. These come in two forms. Type A is the cradle-Catholic who has all their ducks in a row and suspects the convert of being a crypto-Protestant unschooled in the ways of being Catholic. If the new Catholic prays extemporaneously, then it's "We don't do that." If the convert quotes Scripture about something, they frown upon this, too. 

Some Catholics also seem to think that it is helpful to ridicule my past as a non-Catholic, as if that would somehow validate me as now "one of them." Some Catholics just love to hear converts bash their former faith. This places converts in a strange position.

Type B is the cradle-Catholic who is less committed to the distinctives of the Catholic faith. They see zealous converts as a threat. These converts are overly-concerned with dogma and truth. And this leads us to obstruction number two...

#2 RCIA (Rite for Christian Initiation of Adults)

RCIA must have been invented so that every conversion to the Catholic Church might somehow be miraculous. It is becoming an element of Catholic lore that RCIA is commonly led or organized by someone who is a "type B" Catholic as described above. These people don't seem to understand how zealous these converts can be. These leaders stress the "feelings" part of Catholicism and not the "orthodoxy" part of Catholicism much to the chagrin of the converts who have had it up to their ears in Protestant appeals to their feelings.

It's amazing how many people "give up" in RCIA. It's also amazing how many push on through. I know many who have had wonderful RCIA experiences, but I know many more who had to defend the Catholic faith while taking RCIA.

Just so I don't step on any toes, I salute and applaud all the great RCIA teachers out there. I know that you're out there and we are thankful for you! Keep up the great work.

#1 Pride

I don't know how to say this in a witty way, but pride holds the number one slot. At one point in life I felt that I was too good for all those people who respected the Infant of Prague. I'm ashamed to admit, but there it is. Why join a religion where adherents air brush images of Our Lady of Guadalupe on the hoods of their lowriders? (I grew up in Texas...) One Protestant gentlemen even told me that he couldn't be Catholic because it was "the religion of the masses." I asked him what he meant, and the term "Mexicans" was employed in his reply. 

It's snobbery against the religion of the masses and immigrants.

It's just cooler to go to an Evangelical mega-church that has a pool, basketball gym, powerpoint presentations, podcasts, and a rocking "praise team." I sometimes wish that our homilies had really cool cultural references in them or solidly crafted "gotcha" endings. Alas, this is not typical of the parochial homily.

[xzins]

I think all true believers in any denomination are Christian, and that holds for every Trinitarian denomination.

I think each denomination has a bunch of straphanger attenders who are not believers. God will sort that out. Jesus said there were tares sown in the wheat field.

My theological concerns that have yet to be scripturally answered are: immaculate conception, assumption, the fine line between veneration and worship, and a non-scriptural personal issue, opulence (which Francis I might be ready to fix.)

[rwa265]

“In the early Church there were 2 clear divisions: those from a Jewish background and those who weren’t.”

I have been reflecting on the readings from the Acts of the Apostles that have described this division, particularly Acts 15. I wonder about what happened when Paul and Barnabas came back from Jerusalem with Judas and Silas with the letter from the apostles and elders. Did those who debated Paul and Barnabas agree with the decision, or did they continue their instruction that upset the gentiles?

[Tenacious 1]

A mortal man absolving you of your sins, that's rich!

Indeed. It is. Absolution comes from the spirit not the priest and is dependent upon your commitment and integrity during the process. Faking confession to fulfill an obligation warrants your cynical jab.

Reconciliation is very powerful in its truest form. But it takes humility and faith. To truly be sorry for your sins and to passionately seek forgiveness along with an earnest desire to improve and sin no more with God's help.... It is a moving and spiritual thing.

The Priest is simply a vehicle that passes no spiritual judgement of his own. If you are just going through the motions, then so is he. THAT'S RICH. "Oh my God, I am sorry for my sins with all my heart. In choosing to do wrong And failing to do good, I have sinned against you whom I should love above all things. I firmly intend, with your help, to do penance, to sin no more, and to avoid whatever leads me to sin."

You gotta mean it, humble yourself and prove your intent by confronting another "Mortal being." I am not diminishing the power of private prayer and confession. We should all always seek forgiveness and give thanks in prayer privately. But actually going through the Sacrament involves the Sacrifice and the reward of spiritual peace.

[Tenacious 1]

You clowns can get made if you want

Really? Wow. I'm not even Italian. How is it that I can get MADE?

[daniel1212]

A mortal man absolving you of your sins, that's rich!

Based upon the erroneous premise that binding and loosing and remitting sins was only spoken to the apostles, and that Ja.5:14,15 involves confession sins. God can chasten souls for sin, and intercessory prayer by mature souls, esp. those who are charged with caring for the flock, can be efficacious in obtaining mercy, while confession of faults to each other is also exhorted for healing, and 1Jn. 1:9 is also a promise for every contrite Christian.

[rwa265]

Liberal Democrat = Catholic
Catholic = Liberal Democrat.

This is no more true than to say:

Liberal Democrat = Californian
Californian = Liberal Democrat.

[Cronos]

I believe that they complied and stopped their teachings. I’m pretty sure they didn’t like it, but the sense of community and oneness was strong then...

[Cronos]

you are correct about Marcion’s dating. However, I was bringing up the point that illiterate gentiles may not have been interested in the OT at all..

[Tenacious 1]

Colofornian can fill you in on that kind of thing.

Really? Why would you go and do that?

[Zionist Conspirator]

The real number one: You have to believe the “old testament” is mythology.

[OneWingedShark]

>>2 - the praying to angles
>
>What do you have against geometry?

SOH CAH TOA!
SOH CAH TOA!

That and the identities.

LOL - That was a typo, obviously I meant 'angels'.

[OneWingedShark]

Where their is no prime authority there is always chaos.

Then you would deny that it is possible for a church to have scripture or the Holy Spirit himself as their prime authority?
If that is true your views on the commendation of the Bereans and the Pentecost, respectively, must then be... interesting.

[ArrogantBustard]

Opulence:

I Has It.

[verga]

LOL - That was a typo, obviously I meant 'angels'.

I figured I just thought it was amusing juxtaposed in a religious discussion

[OneWingedShark]

>> LOL - That was a typo, obviously I meant ‘angels’.
>
> I figured I just thought it was amusing juxtaposed in a religious discussion

I hope my response amused you too. :)

[Jim from C-Town]

They consider themselves to be Christian.

[Jim from C-Town]

I would suspect that all churches would consider themselves as the only true faith. If not, what is the point? What is their underlying reason for existence? What do they claim as their underlying authority?

[ex-snook]

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” Catholics try to do the will of the Father.

[Borges]

Check out this guy.

[wideawake]

Doesn't appear to be much "there" there, Borges!

Sharp as a bowling ball.