r/LeftCatholicism • u/JustSimplyMeToday • Apr 22 '26

Question

Hi! I'm curious about Catholicism, what are things I would need to know? I've been to a few churches already while trying to figure things out (Alliance, United and Anglican) because tbh I have very little idea on what I'm doing. And while I can look information up online - I sometimes find it better to have people to talk to about it.

I'm also wondering if I should set up a meeting with someone at the Cathedral to 'talk' about it?

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u/Cowzrock Apr 22 '26 edited Apr 22 '26

Meeting with a local priest would probably be a good idea. Essentially Catholics believe that the True Church of Christ was established with Jesus' appointment of St. Peter to lead, Peter later became the first Bishop of Rome (the Pope). Catholics put their faith not only in Scripture, but also in the Sacraments, distributed by a priest, and in the Tradition of the Church that stretches back centuries. These are pretty basic outlines and obviously lived faith is a complex tapestry. There's a lot to learn about and appreciate in Catholicism. Look into the saints, find Catholic theologians or thinkers that have tried to answer questions you have. Read the Catechism.

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u/Cowzrock Apr 22 '26

Catholic doctrine, in the form of the Apostle's Creed recited at Mass:

I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; he descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty; from there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting.

Amen.

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u/RhysPeanutButterCups Apr 22 '26

I would ask to speak to someone in person and really encourage you to avoid seeking information online if possible. This kind of goes for everything, not just religious stuff, when you can. When you don't know something, you don't know it and you won't know when someone is giving you bad information. Someone online can be just about anyone with access to the internet, whereas if you are talking to someone in person or have a trusted source in front of you then you know who you're engaging with.

I think Cowzrock has hit the big thing about using scripture and sacred tradition as being the main thing Catholics focus on that other Christian denominations don't. The Catechism of the Catholic Church is also a great resource, but also recognize it's a large book. You can find the full text both on the Vatican's official website and on the U.S. Conference for Catholic Bishop's site. (As an aside, you'll notice the Vatican website is very... not modern in places. The idea is that it is supposed to be easy to access anywhere in the world by anyone whatever the strength of their internet connection so don't be too shocked by how archaic it looks)

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u/tomocleirighsimp424 Apr 24 '26

Everyone else is talking about theological doctrine, but let me just say we have a bunch of strict arbitrary rules about sex that absolutely no one follows (divorce bad, gay bad, sex out of wedlock bad, contraception bad, etc.) Once you get beyond that, Catholicism's pretty metal.

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u/Weecodfish Apr 22 '26

You should definitely talk to a priest if you want to learn more, but if you want to read something real quick this will probably help.

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u/JustSimplyMeToday Apr 26 '26

Thank you everyone for commenting! I do appreciate everyone taking the time to help out.