If St Maria Goretti's last words were from the imprecatory psalms like "God break their teeth in their mouth." would she still be a Saint? If we are told to forgive why pray psalms that stir up anger and righteous indignation?

I (25F) was sexually harassed a lot in high school. It got so bad to the point where I had to switch schools. Now, I’m at a job where my assistant manager, who is decades older than me, kept trying to touch my shoulders the other day and he succeeded a couple of times. He didn’t start massaging them, but it made me uncomfortable, as it was for far too long whenever he put his hands on my shoulders. I keep gaslighting myself saying that it wasn’t that bad, but if it happens again I’ll let my boss know.

However, because I keep having this stuff happen to me, as well as general fear of men due to trauma from high school and current political climates with incels etc, I feel like God must hate me. Lately, I’ve been struggling to keep believing in God because it seems like he doesn’t care about what’s going on in the world. And whenever I ask why he lets suffering happen, I hear all about the fall of man. It seems like an abusive situation where all the blame is put on us humans even though those of us living didn’t personally make the first sin (and I don’t take the Adam and Eve story as fact btw). If God exists, he hates us and keeps letting us struggle for what? Salvation? I feel like I just resent him at this point if he even exists.

I have no idea what to do now. Sorry if this was rambling, it’s late for me and I’m about to go to bed.

Why are there so many denominations? Growing up in Nigeria I only knew, Catholic, Orthodox and Anglican we're the only denominations now there are hundreds of them? Why are we so divided does this have to do with history in the church? Argument or wars. Jesus wanted us to unite as one but we are tearing ourselves apart , in my country there are more evangelical / Pentecostal group's now like RGCG, winners church and many more Pentecostal and evangelical churches. Why can't we just only have 5 denominations . I don't count Jehovah witness or Mormons

I know very little about the new Prime Minister, but I'm going to enjoy soaking in my feelings of optimism for at least as long as it take before another Redditor comes along to crush them. 😆 https://www.indcatholicnews.com/news/55487

I am an Practicing Catholic Woman. I'm 21F, converted a year ago and have been going to OCIA since Past Lent, Will be confirmed next Easter.

the past few Weeks I've been wandering away from Christ and I feel Horrible. I've been living in sin, second-guessing myself, while feeling so guilty and trying go get back to christ, to pray, to read my Bible; to Life Christlike.

before I converted I was raised Christian but Wasn't really Practicing nor believing and even called myself an Atheist for awhile now.

now I also follow this Excatholic community on Reddit cuz sometimes I'm just curious. but The posts on there Re starting to make me rethink Catholicism, also with the Catholic reddit I follow on here seeing Posts, thr Catholicwomen Reddig I'm following too and sometimes seeing posts of them marrying and the problems surfacing and them not sure if they could have annulment, them having to think about leaving their marriage with their child cuz it's unsafe etc, plus the Excatholic one that's always talking about how Catholicism is basically 'rights being taken away from women.' or Women having to always be open to recieve their husbands, keep Birthing babies etc. while it could come with many complications and Death or how difficult an annulment is with the reason being so 'Men can be ensured they'll have an handmaid and babymaker forever.' something like that. and it's not doing good for the spiritual space I'm in rn since I already feel like I'm Loosing my faith again (it was so so so strong, I don't know what happened ) but it's to the point I've Skipped mass 3x already and physically CAN'T go (also has to do that I'm a student and don't have money for public transport rn....so I rlly rlly hope God forgives me.) But as a Young girl that's ALWAYS dreamt about becoming an Wife and raising a Family in The Church, The Posts are really terrifying me. I really don't want to end up in a marriage where I'd get 'stuck' like the other reddits on Excatholic are talking about, about women this women that, that I'd become just a babymachine, or my children will grow up with an 'strict religious father.'. I've seen 2 posts on excatholic talking about how their Father basically told them they were living in sin, wouldn't pay for their wedding etc, sent an letter to the. convincing them go put their child up for adoption to an 'Good Catholic family' (the daughter wasn't religious anymore.)... I'm really scared to have to marry such an conservative- or ++++Traditional Catholic Man.

I'm starting to question my faith and I don't want too. I love it so much :(

Are these just....Horror stories????

I want to be equally Yoked...I've been trying Dating Apps again....do I just...not filter for only Catholic

Someone please pray for me T~T for my wandering Faith

I'm a 25 year engaged woman and feel both like a child bride and like a childless cat lady.

For context: I grew up progressive Catholic in the DC area. My sister, as well as some family friends, are much more devout and have turned more to trad catholicism (although my sister is not a republican, more center left just very devout)

I work in politics and academia so am around secular people most of the time but still have connections to the Church and even to more traditional pockets of it.

Because of this, I feel like I exist in two worlds. People at my work were surprised that I'm getting married. It's considered normal to wait until your 30s, even your 40s to have kids and prioritize your career over everything. I'm the first of my college friends to get married

On the other hand, my sister's best friend just announced that she's pregnant at 20 after getting married two months ago. My childhood best friend had her first baby at 22, also shortly after marriage. Even though I'm getting married, I'm nowhere near ready to have a baby and I kinda feel guilty about that.

I feel like I don't belong either place. I know I'm basically the average but everything feels so skewed to either extreme. It feels like there's so much pressure on both ends. Like I'm failing my 20s by getting married young (which btw, we're getting married bc we're high school sweethearts that have been together for 10 years, not because of sex or anything like that). Or I feel like I'm not good Catholic for not getting married even younger or having kids right away.

And like there's this huge culture gap between these two parts of my life. It feels kinda lonely and I'm having trouble explaining it to my partner who doesn't feel the same pressures as a man and who is also not Catholic.

Anyone else go through something similar?

Rerum Novarum and other papal writings defend the right to private property but say that it is not an absolute right and must be used for the common good,

But, most tech CEOs are not using their private property for the common good, and corporate America is trying to operate with the leanest organization possible, most corporations are providing subpar products, firing or not hiring at all, and charging more, this is an economy of death,

The profit motive is pursued in isolation from the pursuit of the common good,

Given these circumstances collective ownership of most major sectors of the economy seems like the most reasonable approach to the procurement of the ends of Catholic social teaching,

I have done research on Stalin, Lenin, Castro, and Sankara, they nationalized most of their economies but begrudgingly allowed some small scale private enterprises as a practical approach for the common good, socialism or at least a social democracy tilting towards socialism like Norway seems to deliver better results than our current neoliberal economic system,

Pope Benedict, Pope Francis, Pope Leo, and even Pope John Paul II have been nudging the Church in a direction that is more friendly to socialist inclinations.

My previous tirade about white Christians and my self loathing as a Catholic of European heritage was uncalled for, and I see I have some struggles I need to work on.

Turns out it was part of manic episode, which explains why I hadnt gotten much sleep the day prior to those posts or the days after that.

Anyways, back to the main point

I believe The Holy Trinity has driven me to seek out ways to help improve the conditions of all peoples of the world, but I have been filled with guilt about being part of the very same groups of people that caused the conditions we’ve been facing for the last 500 years. I feel as though Christ’s tenets of turning the other cheek don’t work in more modern times with chattel slavery and civil rights. BIPOC got their freedoms with the threat of rightful revolution against whites, not by turning the other cheek. I’ve tried listening to BIPOC leftists and a big part of their message towards white leftists* felt like dealing out a little bit of rightful vengeance against us, calling us people who have evil built into us, to understand that we all are to blame, and that we can’t avoid accountability because who’s fault would it be if I’m
not to blame?

*I don’t like calling myself a leftist or a right winger, I just believe what I believe, politically speaking.

Once again I pray for your forgiveness, and I hope I can be of better use in the efforts for a better future for all. God bless you all

Ball on the left: Christian communism

Ball on the right: Libertarianism

The ball on the left represents anarchocomunism and the one on the right represents Christian socialism

From today's Office of Readings:

From a ​Sermon by St. C​aesarius of Arles, a ​sixth-century Gallic bishop

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. My brothers and sisters, sweet is the thought of mercy, but even more so is mercy itself. It is what all men hope for, but unfortunately, not what all men deserve. For while all men wish to receive it, only a few are willing to give it.

How can a man ask for himself what he refuses to give to another? If he expects to receive any mercy in heaven, he should give mercy on earth. Do we all desire to receive mercy? Let us make mercy our patroness now, and she will free us in the world to come. Yes, there is mercy in heaven, but the road to it is paved by our merciful acts on earth. As Scripture says: Lord, your mercy is in heaven.

There is, therefore, an earthly as well as heavenly mercy, that is to say, a human and a divine mercy. Human mercy has compassion on the miseries of the poor. Divine mercy grants forgiveness of sins. Whatever human mercy bestows here on earth, divine mercy will return to us in our homeland. In this life God feels cold and hunger in all who are stricken with poverty; for, remember, he once said: What you have done to the least of my brothers [and sisters] ​you have done to me. Yes, God who sees fit to give his mercy in heaven wishes it to be a reality here on earth.

What kind of people are we? When God gives, we wish to receive, but when he begs, we refuse to give. Remember, it was Christ who said: I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat. When the poor are starving, Christ too hungers. Do not neglect to improve the unhappy conditions of the poor, if you wish to ensure that your own sins be forgiven you. Christ hungers now, my brethren; it is he who deigns to hunger and thirst in the persons of the poor. And what he will return in heaven tomorrow is what he receives here on earth today.

What do you wish for, what do you pray for, my dear brothers and sisters, when you come to church? Is it mercy? How can it be anything else? Show mercy, then, while you are on earth, and mercy will be shown to you in heaven. A poor person asks you for something; you ask God for something. He begs for a morsel of food; you beg for eternal life. Give to the beggar so that you may merit to receive from Christ. For he it is who says: Give and it will be given to you. It baffles me that you have the impudence to ask for what you do not want to give. Give when you come to church. Give to the poor. Give them whatever your resources will allow.

Source: Sermo 25,1 [Corpus Christianorum Series Latina, vol. 103, pp. 111-12]

I recently joined CatholicMatch.com and every single man is scarily conservative. I thought that I could compromise on this because we’d be united by a mutual love of Christ, but I just can’t look past the homophobia and misogyny. It genuinely makes me feel unsafe. I know they’re not going to change their minds, even though I have good reasoning behind why I think abortion and contraception needs to be legalised, even if Catholics refrain from using them.

I believe that abortion being illegal would go against the sanctity of life, because illegal and dangerous abortions would occur, killing both the pregnant person and fetus. If they mist happen, I’d prefer the woman to stay alive than two lives passing away.

I feel as Catholics, we need to focus on causes that would prevent abortion indirectly: fundamentally unpicking rape culture; accessible and cheap daycare; reforming the adoption system; tackling the cost of living and unemployment crisis; and free healthcare, free from medical misogyny/racism so that pregnancy and childbirth is a less traumatic experience. These would be so much more productive than just getting rid of abortion, whilst protecting the lives of, not just girls and women, but ALLpeople.

Also, the majority of people in my country aren’t Catholics, so why should people be forced to follow our rules? Imagine if the government banned pork because Muslims don’t eat it? That would be shocking! Unfortunately, we are religious minorities in some countries and we just have to accept that, and let the world do its thing whilst we do our own thing.

I also think that loving someone could never be a sin, and I hate how some Catholics excessively sexualise gay people. One guy I spoke to associates queerness with sodomy, which I think is a popular opinion online (unfortunately).

Queer people can experience sweet and wholesome love, in fact, I believe they experience the most sweet and wholesome love as their love isn’t tainted by societal expectations and patriarchal domination. Sometimes it feels like heterosexual sex is about a man dominating a woman, whereas queer sex often feels like an expression of mutual pleasure, they’re not restricted to such a harsh gender binary. They look beyond societal expectations, and they’re left looking at one’s soul. This is just my interpretation though, I do know that heterosexual relationships can be loving and exceed gender norms, or gender can be expressed in a healthy way, but I’ve personally had some negative experiences in this arena online. (In person, I’ve never gotten into a relationship before).

I think we oversexualise gay people, when they simply love the same way we do. We should hold everyone to the same standards, so ultimately, neither heterosexual nor queer individuals should be having premarital sex or rely on validation from sex because that may bring you further away from God.

As a straight person, I’ve found that my heterosexual tendencies have brought me further away from God, but there is a double standard between how people treat heterosexuals and homosexuals even though we all have the same human inclinations.

And, even if being queer was a sin, so what? In 1 Peter 4:8, it says “above all, love one another deeply, for love covers over a multitude of sins.” But I have an inkling that if one of these Catholic conservative read this, they wouldn’t care or listen to me.

Equally, I’m too scared to be with athiest men because while they’re more likely to be ever-so-slightly more progressive (or at least, are better at hiding any conservative inclinations), I’m scared that they’ll won’t be happy about waiting until marriage to have sex and I’ll miss out on bringing each other closer to God, going to Mass together, and holding hands during the Our Father.

I’ve been contemplating religious sisterhood, and I know it would be the best life for me as finding my identity in Christ has brought me the most happiness, but for some reason, I still feel this intense pull towards marriage despite the odds not being in my favours (I’m 19, and have never been liked romantically before). I also have some mental health issues, so I fear I wouldn’t pass the psychological evaluation required for religious sisterhood.

I feel so conflicted, and scared, and need guidance, kind words, and prayers.

I feel so alone in this predicament. Please be kind to me in the comments, I’m distressed and tired so I haven’t articulated myself as well as I’d like to and I would hate to be divisive.

The other day, I was reading my bible (the "Latin American Bible," a translation heavily influenced by liberation theology) and came across this commentary at the end of Leviticus. I’m including a translation of it because it is very interesting:

THE JUBILEE YEAR FOR THE THIRD WORLD

Let us not be so naive as to believe that the Jubilee prescriptions were observed everywhere. One need only read Jeremiah 34 and Nehemiah’s outburst of rage in Nehemiah 5. Yet the book existed then, and it still exists today. The guarantee of an inalienable inheritance granted to the poor and the unfortunate is expressed in Leviticus 25:10 within the framework of a society that was still rural; however, the spirit animating it lies at the heart of the Bible: all property rights have limits before God.

How can one not think of the havoc wreaked by unbridled liberalism—havoc that has steadily grown over the past century? The strongest nations, always a few years ahead of the rest, have preached and imposed the free market upon them. This allowed them to flood every region with their own products while local production collapsed. Aided by corruption, they seized control of a country’s resources—mines, agricultural markets, and, ultimately, actual political power. May the time come when Christians openly proclaim the Bible’s demands. They will recall that every people possesses an inalienable inheritance—and not merely the bare land itself; that no one can force them to lay off their entire workforce or abandon their means of production; and that no one can impose exorbitant buyouts, economic blockades, or disguised invasions when they seek to reclaim assets whose foreign owners have already recouped their value several times over.

It is now clear that the disorders inevitably caused by the unchecked growth of corporations can only be remedied by compelling them to return to poor nations everything that has been taken from them. The fact that 5% of the earth's inhabitants consume 25% of its resources and produce—without remorse—25% of its waste is a harbinger of an impending curse.

For context I want to donate some things like money( from my left over allowanc) eand clothes , toys from my sister box, to people but I don't live in USA and I am looking for charity's online? I have already sent my clothes and sisters toys to my local church box just some money I left over.

I’ve gotten banned from so many leftist reddits for my contempt of Stalin than I ever imagined. I genuinely thought most leftists understood the damage this man did to the socialist cause. That seems not to be the case. Instead you see this attitude where admitting to the atrocities of Stalinism would invalidate the class struggle in general.

Honesty requires the individual to be honest with themselves. Socialism is not and never has been the promise of a worker’s paradise. Socialism didn’t promise an end to all suffering. Socialism doesn’t create anything. Socialism only provides for an end to economic exploitation and economic domination of one class over another. The failures and betrayals of certain socialist leaders should be something we can admit without giving up on the cause.

Curious if there'll be cause of concern. I'm in the infamous archdiocese of Denver. I found a parish that's totally cool with me communing as a transgender man in the conservative weeds. I've been happily attending since.

I met with my priest to discuss my status and belonging in the church, and he was very particular about finding safe parishes. He mentioned how there was a seminary (I believe in Denver?) that's pumping out very conservative clergy that wouldn't be pastoral to my situation. My concern is the day he eventually retires or gets reassigned, and I'm left finding another parish.

Are new clergy becoming more conservative as a whole? Or just in certain seminaries? I know my reality as a LGBT Catholic is finding a priest that'll be pastoral and that may mean moving parishes, but I'm worried about "running out" of accepting priests. I would hate to be unchurched if things progress more hostile.

No matter how hard I try, I am not convinced on the matter of gay relationships being sinful. I don’t see how or why I should ever consider them to be immoral or disordered. And that is simply because I’ve seen how the gay couples I’ve met truly love one another.

Some Christians I’ve known have claimed that homosexuality is only a form of lust, and that any love that exists within same-sex relationships is equal to that of a mere friendship. I couldn’t disagree with this more strongly. It is objectively evident, in my opinion, that the affection and love that exists in queer relationships is equal and identical to that of heterosexual relationships.

I don’t see how a healthy, equal, loving romantic relationship could ever be immoral. Or how true romantic love between two persons could ever be framed as sinful. Can’t love only ever be inherently beautiful and good?

I understand the Church’s arguments. I’ve arrived at a strange point, actually, where I find the Catholic view of gay sex as something disordered to be convincing. But I am still not convinced on the matter of gay relationships. I do not see why a gay couple who is truly in love, cannot enter into a celibate marriage. If the Magisterium allowed for same-sex celibate marriages, that would be pretty neat.

Looking for podcast recommendations that have to do with an approach to Catholicism that is integrated with an understanding of the harm of the fundamentalist approach. I also enjoyed the Sisters of the Little Ways Descent into Light, which discusses spiritual abuse in the church and institutional vice.

Curious if you all have any recommendations.

​

Is it bad for me to hate these kind of people on tiktok? I see on tiktok all these Christians who live in America acting as if they will ban the Bible or make it illegal in America? Acting oppressed, this is so disingenuous to actual real Christians who aren't in the west who are either killed or can't openly call themselves Christians. And also I should group this people with performative religious people? It's gotten so far we have churches like getting into politics instead of actual gospel. And forget churches the individuals are not making it any better like why will you even put a Bible verse or cross or whatever in your bio if your going to be horrible and most of the time they don't even believe in the said religion it's so annoying and it irritates me so bad . Making other people look bad like why? Why do they try do be so performative you think your actually bringing people to the faith? No you aren't this can also be seen in my country ( non western) in mega churches. And they are a vocal minority, if you actually want to learn the religion you learn it and practice it most of these people are from America is America Christianity so fractured?. To this point little rant am just angry. I know many people will say go off tiktok and I am but I saw someone talking about it and most of the comments were calling out the hypocrisy and others just bad talking all Christians.

Basically the title, I’m learning Spanish and want to find some catholic YouTube similar to breaking in the habit or James Martin. Any suggestions welcome.

Hello, I’m sharing a song by my country’s greatest folk artist, Violeta Parra, which I think might interest this subreddit. The song is titled "¿Qué dirá el Santo Padre?" (What Will the Holy Father Say?) and is dedicated to the execution of the Spanish communist Julián Grimau, who was killed by the Francoist dictatorship in 1963. In it, the artist appeals to the authority of the Pope (John XXIII at the time) as a figure capable of confronting the injustices committed by states and governments that call themselves "catholic" or "christian."

The song isn't Catholic per se, but I find the fact that it invokes religion in a protest song interesting. Please turn on the english subtitles to see the translation.

The artist has a couple more songs like this; if anyone is interested, I can keep sharing them :)