My Faith, The Handrail In My Life

These days, it’s not easy being a Catholic. The hard and fast rules of the Church are sometimes difficult to accept in a culture that can best be described as “ whatever works”. If it isn’t the still rippling effects of the clergy sex abuse scandals, it’s opposing abortion and the death penalty that will not win you many friends and alienate those you have.

Growing up as a Catholic, I liked the black/white of behavior. Right and wrong. No gray areas. It’s been that way since Christ told Peter,” Upon this rock…” The simple unbreakable distinction between right and wrong has been the handrail which I have been grasping as I walk through my entire life.

Some Catholics are sometimes described as “ good Catholics” But, there is no such thing as a “good” Catholic. Well, it’s redundant. Surely there are good people and bad people who are Catholics. But a person baptized as a Catholic is a Catholic forever. It’s unnecessary to say a person is a “good” Catholic because being Catholic implies that person observes the faith. “Good” is not necessary. So also, when you say a person is a bad Catholic, you are saying that person is not living a Catholic life. In that case, that person is a Catholic who is living a sinful life. That is not being a “ bad ” Catholic, it is being bad and a Catholic. And not living the way a Catholic should. The way Christ commanded us to live. So, really, that person should not be honored with the description, “Catholic”.

Sure, there are cradle Catholics ( like me ) lapsed Catholics and I’ll even accept “devout” Catholics, although I sometimes feel that should be redundant.

But, the terms, “ liberal” and “conservative” should never be applied to Catholics. “Liberal” means or implies that these Catholics feel free ( liberal) to believe what they want. To justify that basically heretical attitude by allowing it to be described as “Catholic” is offensive to Catholics who adhere to the teachings of the Church without question. “Conservative” means preserving tradition. Here again, while “conservative” is not at all pejorative, it is unnecessary and implies that there are Catholics who are non-traditional. That’s ridiculous.

To be Catholic means to belong, through Baptism, to a church founded by Jesus Christ, Son of God, and to believe and obey all that Church’s doctrines based on Christ’s teachings. They carry with them the responsibility to preach these doctrines and transform the world.

Till next time.....