Ask A Catholic II

[civ_king]

1. Any and all Vatican II Catholic posters on CFC are welcome to contribute - I know there are a fairly good number who popped in to say hi on the last few, I would encourage them to contribute this time as well.

2. Neither I, nor anyone else who answers any questions, is doing so in an official capacity. I will try to make it clear what is my opinion and what is Church doctrine.

3. We do not claim to be able to prove our faith. In real life, we believe it for a variety of reasons that we can't simply explain to someone so convincingly that they will instantly join the church. On the internet, that would be even harder.

4. We (at least I) will try to answer every question posed here. I realize that some people have not gotten answers that they considered satisfactory, but I will explain everything to the best of my ability. If I don't, most likely I overlooked the question, feel free to ask it again.

Posting is now open

 

[civ_king]

Why?

You are confusing God and the RCC. They are not at all the same...
We asked if the RCC and your country had a conflict, where would you side?


OK, so, you do not believe the Pope is infallible in this sense at least, am I correct?


You can research it your whole life, but I will save you the time. Jesus certainly didn't set up the idea of going into a church and finding a priest to confess too. His teachings were much less organized. Human nature is what has led to the extreme organization and resulting corruption of the RCC.


OK... so can I take confessions and officially forgive people then?
I was really under the impression that we were forgiven by the death of Christ, and He showed us this with His resurrection, so long as we repent. Why did it become more organized/formal than that?

All earthly institutions eventually collapse, the CC has not.

*sigh* The point of this thread is for people to ask questions of Catholics about the Church and get them answered not for you to proclaim that the Church is wrong and that you know more about the Catholic Church than anyone else here could possibly know. I have already replied the answer, if you don't like it then go away.

You totally misunderstand Papal infallibility. Papal infallibility is something that must be explicitly invoked, usage of ex cathedra is very rare.

Not all teaching is in the Bible, I'm sure Jesus talked more than the maybe two hours of text by him. Sola Scriptura is flawed to the core especially since the apostles make numerous references to tradition. The Church hierarchy came out of necessity, it is decentralized as much as it can.

No, it gave that to the Apostles, and thus to those ordained by them. Catholic priests have a direct line of succession to the Apostles (as do the Orthodox).

I would choose my Lord and Savior.

This is not talking about priesthood at all.

So you picked the only viable solution, as did I.

 

[El_Machinae]

Reserved in case the thread needs some type of moderator action.

 

[Communisto]

The problem is you are making things that happened 1950s-1970s and acting like it is currently happening.

Thats just plain wrong. It is currently happening.

 

[Abaddon]

Is there a decline in numbers of "believe" why are less and less people believing as we move forwards in time?

 

[Dreadnought]

I'm a practicing Catholic, and would be honored if I were allowed to chip in on a few answers every now and then.

 

[El_Machinae]

Roughly how many of the Catholics you know believe that the Earth is ~6,000 years old or that Noah's Flood was a global event? And has your priest ever disabused people of that notion, that you noticed?

 

[GhostWriter16]

So you picked the only viable solution, as did I.

In this case, for once in a rare while, I can agree with you

 

[GhostWriter16]

Didn't Jesus tell the Apostles, "who sins you forgive are forgiven, and who's sins you retain are retained?"

Hmmm... That IS a valid argument.

That said, Christ never said they were priests, or that this ability would go to anyone.

But that's probably the best Pro-Catholicism argument I've heard yet, and its one worth researching. I'll get back to you on it.

 

[Takhisis]

Roughly how many of the Catholics you know believe that the Earth is ~6,000 years old or that Noah's Flood was a global event? And has your priest ever disabused people of that notion, that you noticed?

None ever on the Earth being 6000 years old, and on noah's Flood, I've never bothered to ask.

Hmmm... That IS a valid argument.

That said, Christ never said they were priests, or that this ability would go to anyone.

But that's probably the best Pro-Catholicism argument I've heard yet, and its one worth researching. I'll get back to you on it.

The pirests are supposed to be the successors of the Apostles. Otherwise, once all 12(13) of them died then there'd have been no one left to forgive your sins in God's name.

 

[GhostWriter16]

None ever on the Earth being 6000 years old, and on noah's Flood, I've never bothered to ask.

I don't know anyone who believes the Earth is 6,000 years old, but almost everyone I know is a YEC

The pirests are supposed to be the successors of the Apostles. Otherwise, once all 12(13) of them died then there'd have been no one left to forgive your sins in God's name.

I don't believe we need anyone to forgive our sins in God's name.

 

[Dreadnought]

Roughly how many of the Catholics you know believe that the Earth is ~6,000 years old or that Noah's Flood was a global event? And has your priest ever disabused people of that notion, that you noticed?

I don't believe that the world is 6,000 years old -- in my mind, that's a bit silly, considering all the evidence to the contrary.

As for Noah's Ark, well, who knows? I don't really have an opinion on it. Maybe it happened, maybe it didn't; but I think it's just another parable/story of Genesis.

I've gone to Catholic school up until university, and my teachers/priests have never really claimed that the world is 6,000 years old; then again, it's not really spoken about. It's just something people don't argue much .

 

[NBAfan]

Hmmm... That IS a valid argument.

That said, Christ never said they were priests, or that this ability would go to anyone.

But that's probably the best Pro-Catholicism argument I've heard yet, and its one worth researching. I'll get back to you on it.

Plus He told the Apostles at the Last Supper to do the Eucharist like He did.

Spoiler :

Matt. 10:1,40 - Jesus declares to His apostles, "he who receives you, receives Me, and he who rejects you, rejects Me and the One who sent Me." Jesus freely gives His authority to the apostles in order for them to effectively convert the world.

Matt. 16:19; 18:18 - the apostles are given Christ's authority to make visible decisions on earth that will be ratified in heaven. God raises up humanity in Christ by exalting his chosen leaders and endowing them with the authority and grace they need to bring about the conversion of all. Without a central authority in the Church, there would be chaos (as there is in Protestantism).

Luke 9:1; 10:19 - Jesus gives the apostles authority over the natural and the supernatural (diseases, demons, serpents, and scorpions).

Luke 10:16 - Jesus tells His apostles, "he who hears you, hears Me." When we hear the bishops' teaching on the faith, we hear Christ Himself.

Luke 22:29 - the Father gives the kingdom to the Son, and the Son gives the kingdom to the apostles. The gift is transferred from the Father to the Son to the apostles.

Num 16:28 - the Father's authority is transferred to Moses. Moses does not speak on his own. This is a real transfer of authority.

John 5:30 - similarly, Jesus as man does nothing of His own authority, but He acts under the authority of the Father.

John 7:16-17 - Jesus as man states that His authority is not His own, but from God. He will transfer this authority to other men.

John 8:28 - Jesus says He does nothing on His own authority. Similarly, the apostles will do nothing on their own authority. Their authority comes from God.

John 12:49 - The father's authority is transferred to the Son. The Son does not speak on his own. This is a transfer of divine authority.

John 13:20 - Jesus says, "he who receives anyone who I send, receives Me." He who receives the apostles, receives Christ Himself. He who rejects the apostles and their successors, rejects Christ.

John 14:10 - Jesus says the Word He speaks is not His own authority, but from the Father. The gift is from the Father to Jesus to the apostles.

John 16:14-15 - what the Father has, the Son has, and the Son gives it to the apostles. The authority is not lessened or mitigated.

John 17:18; 20:21 - as the Father sends the Son, the Son sends the apostles. The apostles have divinely appointed authority.

Acts 20:28 - the apostles are shepherds and guardians appointed by the Holy Spirit / 1 Peter 2:25 - Jesus is the Shepherd and Guardian. The apostles, by the power of the Spirit, share Christ's ministry and authority.

Jer. 23:1-8; Ezek. 34:1-10 - the shepherds must shepherd the sheep, or they will be held accountable by God.

Eph. 2:20 - the Christian faith is built upon the foundation of the apostles. The word "foundation" proves that it does not die with apostles, but carries on through succession.

Eph. 2:20; Rev. 21:9,14 - the words "household," "Bride of the Lamb," the "new Jerusalem" are all metaphors for the Church whose foundation is the apostles.

It's quite clear from this that the Apostles were supposed to be priests.

 

[civ_king]

Is there a decline in numbers of "believe" why are less and less people believing as we move forwards in time?

In the case of Catholics it is the spirit of VII

Roughly how many of the Catholics you know believe that the Earth is ~6,000 years old or that Noah's Flood was a global event? And has your priest ever disabused people of that notion, that you noticed?

Never met any Catholics like that.

Hmmm... That IS a valid argument.

That said, Christ never said they were priests, or that this ability would go to anyone.

But that's probably the best Pro-Catholicism argument I've heard yet, and its one worth researching. I'll get back to you on it.

A rose by any other name would smell just as sweet, priests are successors to the Apostles. What would the purpose of the Apostles ordaining priests if there was no purpose?

 

[timtofly]

Why is the vatican in Rome and not Jerusalem?

 

[civ_king]

Why is the vatican in Rome and not Jerusalem?

Rome was better as the centre of the Church due to it being capital of the Roman Empire, the all roads lead to Rome effect.

 

[Huayna Capac357]

Is there a Biblical basis for having a pope? What about the doctrine of infallibility?

 

[RoboPig]

Why is the vatican in Rome and not Jerusalem?

That's rather like asking why Manhattan is in New York and not Copenhagen
I suspect you meant to ask why the the Bishop of Rome, and not the Patriarch of Jerusalem, is the Pope. Its because St. Peter, the first Pope came to Rome and was martyred there, so all the Popes have been the Bishop of Rome since.

 

[civ_king]

That's rather like asking why Manhattan is in New York and not Copenhagen
I suspect you meant to ask why the the Bishop of Rome, and not the Patriarch of Jerusalem, is the Pope. Its because St. Peter, the first Pope came to Rome and was martyred there, so all the Popes have been the Bishop of Rome since.

This is a better way to put it

 

[timtofly]

This is a better way to put it

Actually yours made better sense to me. Try not to sell yourself too cheap??