Ask me anything about Catholicism
@whatevertrevor (13)
United States
7 responses
@whatevertrevor (13)
• United States
1 Nov 06
Some Priests are. In the Byzantine rite, if your married before you enter seminary you can still become a Priest.
It is tradition that a Priest in the Roman rite must remain single.
There are many arguments of Church Fathers as to why it is better for a Priest to remain single.
1. It prevents nepotism
2. Christ did not marry
3. They are able to devote there whole lives to the Curch
4. They are able to be the spiritual bridegroom of the Church as Christ was.
5. They are able to practice celibacy, which leads them to a higher sanctity of life.
6. It weeds out the un-devout
7. etc etc etc
@kokopelli (4842)
• United States
31 Oct 06
on the sacrament of confession, why do we have to confess to a priest who's just a sinner like all of us? why can't we just confess it directly to God thru our prayers of penitence?
@whatevertrevor (13)
• United States
31 Oct 06
Many reasons.
1. It is the tradition of the true Church. Tradition is important. If for no other reason than the Church says we must, we must.
2. God endows Priests alone with the power to forgive sins.
3. It keeps people responsible.
4. Also, its important to understand, when your confessing your sins, the Priest is only standing in the for Christ. It is Christ that hears all of your sins and gives the Priest power to absolve you.
You can make a spiritual confession, but to sacrament of reconcilliation may only be administered by a Priest.
@kokopelli (4842)
• United States
5 Nov 06
have you stumbled unto the catholic-forbidden comic magazines "The Crusaders"? they talk about the dark ages of the catholic church. the church heads made these politically-motivated traditions, and one of them is the sacrament of confession. this was created during that era to get information from the laymen, sort of an intel-arm. if you're familiar with the "Noli Me Tangere" and "El Filibusterismo", famous books of the philippine hero Dr. Jose Rizal, they said the same.
don't get me wrong, i'm a catholic myself, and my faith is deeply rooted. but i'm a liberal one, and i tend to deviate from a few inexplicit traditions.
@claudia413 (4280)
• United States
5 Nov 06
Why do so many Catholics insist that their kids be raised Catholic when they marry a non-Catholic? My kids were raised going to church every week...it was a big part of their lives. My daughter married a Catholic, was told in order to be married in the Catholic church, she had to take instruction in the Catholic faith and she had to agree to raise any children as Catholic. My son-in-law refused to be married anywhere but in HIS church. So, they married in the Catholic church, and their kids have only been to church 3 or 4 times in their life (they are now teenagers). He refused to let them attend church with my daughter, a Baptist. Isn't it better to go to church, any church, than not to attend at all?
@megainfobites (630)
• United States
1 Nov 06
Here's a tough one for you. Please explain to us the specific bibilical explanation and origin of the concept of limbo. When I say 'biblical', I mean to include only the new and old testament, since no other texts are valid to site as sources for this kind of question.
@whatevertrevor (13)
• United States
2 Nov 06
There is no reference of limbo in the Bible. The theology of the Bible makes limbo probable. Limbo is not a tenet of the Catholic faith. It is a popular theory held by Catholics due mainly to the influence of St. Thomas Aquinas. It is not nessecary to believe in limbo to be Catholic.
Also of note, the current pontif is most likely about to say that he doesnt believe in limbo.
@rhane2005 (174)
• United States
31 Oct 06
Why do they make priests refrain from marriage and pleasure?
@whatevertrevor (13)
• United States
1 Nov 06
See above, and the Church does not force Priests to refrain from pleasure. They do not allow unnatural or sinfull pleasure, if that is what you are referring to.
Many Religous also voluntarilly abstain from the simple pleasures of life so that they do not get distracted from what is really important. They believe that fasting and such helps them control there desires and leads them on a path to sanctity.
Is there something more specific to which you were referring?
@SimplyMe (373)
• United States
4 Nov 06
Why does the Catholic church turn non-Catholics away from Christ's table? The whole idea of communion is to be washed clean of your sins through the body and blood of Christ. I am United Methodist, but am not welcome to participate in communion at my husband's Catholic church, but I am no less a follower, no less Christian, no more or less devout than he or anyone else is. Please do not say that it is tradition, that always seems like a weak, unsupportable argument to me.
