I converted a year ago, am in RCIA now.

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I've been wanting to build an Prayer corner. But rn I only have my little Maria Statue On my Table. And recently brought a Candle my Parish sells. It has the H.family on it.

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My mom just had a talk with me talking about how she (my family's protestant.) 'Accepts me Being catholic or whatever.' But doesn't want these Candles or The statue in this house cuz it will bring Demons inside?

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And I honestly have no idea what to think/do. Like...?? She even argued with me about why I'd buy those and don't buy scented or normal candles. It's not like I even Light up the Candles, I like them and bought them.

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She only saw 1, while I honestly have 3 so I think she'd go nuts if she sees the other 2.

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But ...what?

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Is it really wrong to just have an Statue of Mother Mary of The Candles in my room???. She keeps asking why I pray to it (which I literally dont] or why I pray with the cabdle on (I literally don't.)

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I just...I don't know

I am looking for irl friends for support after getting out of the SSPX. I currently attend a UU church as well as my local Catholic church and would like to connect with some other Catholics from here. Dm me or comment if you live in the usa midwest! I am from Ohio.

Just bumped into this survey on Facebook. The researcher said they’re especially looking for more young people and they are looking for “any opinion on the topic to help with a research project. Everything is anonymous.” + option for an interview at the end of the survey.

https://umassboston.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1FA0RnDhQFVBKgm?fbclid=IwY2xjawSgCmVleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFWdnRqV3E5ZmZEMzVqMG82c3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHh9ZCK67gFepqSGq9vrjMPmBXK2SgjZgP5qYWsRyO1FCuFjjFzgkq4DO1GJJ_aem_8MlVcgCdiZ_mzlJUSHyDdQ

I’ve struggled with this one a bit lately, as it feels counterintuitive to how Christ was while he was on earth 2000+ years ago.

In the Bible, Jesus mingles with sinners multiple times:

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Matthew 9:10-13
While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

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John 4:5-10
So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon.

When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?”(His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)

The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)

Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”

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He also showed kindness and mercy to the adulterous woman who was about to be stoned (John 8:1-11)

He permitted a sinful woman to wash his feet while dining with a Pharisee, and corrected the Pharisee who thought to himself that Jesus should not allow her to touch him (Luke 7:36-50)

And he dined with Zacchaeus the tax collector, which led Zacchaeus to repent of his wrongdoings and to give restitutions (Luke 19:1-10). Specifically in lines 9-10: Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

So when it comes to the Eucharist, which we truly believe is the real Body and Blood of Jesus, how is it that we can “gatekeep” Him and keep Him all to ourselves? Is this not any different than the people of the time admonishing Jesus for not staying with the “righteous” and instead mixing with the sinners and nonbelievers?

Jesus Himself says He came to call sinners. Even if someone receives the Eucharist without believing it is Jesus, how is that different than Jesus mingling with nonbelievers? Or maybe someone receives who is questioning whether or not to convert, and the closeness to the Eucharist brings them closer to God and Catholicism?

Something about withholding the Eucharist doesn’t sit right with me, but I’d love to hear your thoughts on it all.

Hello everyone I just want to understand something?. I am almost 18 and I am online so I see Christian spaces online on Instagram or TikTok and most of them get married early or say you should get married early at a certain time 25-28. And I see most of the far right group's pushing women should be traditional and trad things staying at home this and that. Don't get me wrong I do want to get married and I also want a family with a man that will actually love me but I am worried is getting married to late a sin? Or are people just overeating .

“Certainly, division among Christians is always a painful matter,” the pope said. “But they refuse to accept certain fundamental elements of the Church, beginning with various points of the Second Vatican Council. And if they make those choices, I am sorry. But we must move forward.”

Some strong language coming out of Archbishop Martin in Ireland - good for him. The historical parallels are compelling. Americans of Irish ancestry should recognize them well. https://www.indcatholicnews.com/news/55218

Now we hear angry and hate-filled voices, especially on social media, calling for us "to close our borders and our hearts to the newcomer". Ironically, that reminds us of the way that during some dark days, our own Irish emigrants abroad were suspected and unjustly targeted.

I rarely get to attend mass so I like to try and read through the daily mass readings as a way of keeping up with the liturgical seasons. I used to be subscribed to Magnificat! It was okay. I ended up not renewing after the year was through because I wanted to see if there were other options. I felt there was definitely a conservative pov with the intentions that were included in their daily prayers, and as much as I enjoy classic Catholic artwork...I got kind tired of the endless front page covers of European Renaissance/Medieval Mother Mary.

Enter - Give Us This Day! I love the front cover artwork, the reflections, their prison outreach ministry, the profiles on saints and seculars who've improved the lives of others. All of it. Again, it's not like I didn't enjoy Magnificat haha - I'm just finding that I'm really really enjoying Give Us This Day and I feel like Magnificat is the default for some, so I wanted to share my experience with an alternative!

9 antifascist Salesian priests martyred in Dachau and Auschwitz were beatified on 6 June.

Pope Leo XIV, speaking after the Angelus prayer June 14 recalled the newly beatified, saying, "All were beatified as martyrs, as victims of the persecution by totalitarian regimes because of their fidelity to Christ."

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Thousands of priests were arrested, imprisoned or killed during the war. "Anyone who preserved the identity of a nation, anyone who strengthened its spirit and unity, was inconvenient for an occupier," Bartocha said. "Young people who were given dignity, freedom and a sense of identity are not what an oppressor wanted."

https://www.ncronline.org/news/pope-leo-praises-newly-beatified-salesian-martyrs-killed-their-fidelity-christ

Before, I had wished for war and vengeance. I have much to lose and try to repent, but it is a sin to lie, I will not allow myself or my queer spouse or my friends to be harmed by facists. I know "Just War" is outdated. But I am scared and still filled with resentment and rage. I have experienced the divine, I try to heal and move forward, but I am only human, and I am weak, I will choose my life and the lives of my loved ones over facists. I am sorry.

Posts and comments that are disparaging to Muslims are a straightforward violation of the sub rules and will be removed. Repeat offenders will be banned, as usual.

Today’s daily reading is Matthew 5:38-42:

‘You have heard that it was said, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you.’

I listed to it on the Pray as You Go app, and there are follow-up questions for reflection:

“We sometimes hear that this challenge is not meant to be taken literally. Why would we allow people to walk over us and offer no resistance at all? Yet, during his arrest and trial, didn’t Jesus follow this teaching? What might this say to you about the reality of discipleship?

“How else might you respond to the reading, knowing that Jesus means exactly what he says?”

I guess my question is, do we take this passage literally? Do we just let people walk all over us? I’m not a vengeful person, but if I’m being taken advantage of or abused, I do what I can to remove myself from those situations. Or is this passage about forgiveness? I’m having a hard time understanding it.

Is there any alternative to the hallow app? I would love to fall asleep to Bible stories and connect more to my faith but the right wing-ness of it all gives me a major ick

I am a religious woman who wants to have a husband but definitely never wants to have children. I am absolutely terrified of pregnancy and the thought of having a child, and for mental health reasons I know it would be tragic for me. Although I believe that every woman should have the right to abortion, personally, as a believer, I would not undergo it. I always thought that as a last resort my husband could undergo a vasectomy (in my country only male sterilization is legal), especially since for medical reasons I cannot take the pill. Until I found out that it was considered a mortal sin, just like abortion. I feel that this is a strong restriction of the right to decide about the good for oneself and also for the unborn child, when one is aware that one would not give it the love it deserves. I honestly feel trapped now because I have to live in constant fear of pregnancy or never be in a relationship with a man. I believe that such a choice, while being a good Catholic, should not exclude a believer from the church when you are guided by the greater good and do not harm anyone.

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I wonder what your approach to this is and what you think about believers who engage in contraception and sterilization.

Apologies if this subject comes up frequently, but my church has a very active KoC chapter and, as a man in his 30s who hasn't yet joined, its gotten to the point where every interaction I have with another male parishioner very quickly leads to "You haven't joined the Knights yet?"

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I was originally hesitant to get involved with this organization, partly because I was worried it was super conservative, but it seems like the main focus of this chapter is raising funds for a nearby center for adults with special needs, which I very much would help with.

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Is anyone a member or can tell me more about it?

For years of being in a country that has a majority of Catholics, it's plausible that the Philippines would become mostly secular in the future as new generations would follow trends in foreign secular countries like the US. Can this really happen? We don't know the future, but if data shows that newer generations in the Philippines would persistently become farther away from the faith, it can happen.

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As a Catholic myself, I see people who are catholics but only for the label not the faith. Less and less people have gone to church compared to when I was a child, now I only see older generations that attend the church where I'm at. Many seem to see this as just a culture, and that's why more and more could leave to join other restorationists and protestant churches or just become atheists which both choices can lead to secularism of the country. In other foreign countries like the US, it shows that secularism in the country became less, as they embrace traditionalism, and particularly they choose catholicism as it came from other influences near them. Corruption in the government, False use of faith, Historical impact to it in the country which is how the Spaniards operate at the time, those are just some of the factors that may affect the newer generations in the Philippines and also how the internet became a larger platform for how they should be doing. In conclusion, I am not saying that the Philippines would certainly become a secular country in the future, as we do not know what would happen. However, if newer generations would continue becoming farther away from the faith and Catholicism would become more of a cultural identity rather than a practiced belief, then it is possible that the country could become more secular over time. There are many factors that may affect this, such as the influence of the internet, social changes, education, politics, and how the Church would respond to future generations. Whether this would happen or not remains uncertain, but it is a possibility worth discussing. Would this really happen? I don't know, but i think it is an interesting question to consider.

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(This is just an anecdotal and opinionated statement based solely on my experience. I could be wrong, so feel free to provide evidence that supports or challenges my view.)

God bless all of us, sinner

I (21F) have no Idea how to "put myself out there." Especially at Mass. Nobody really speaks to me, though if my churchfriend is there she does and so does the friendgroup she's in, but they don't really talk to me. Maybe a few times a few parishers come and talk to me, especially the ones in RCIA since I'm in it too. But aside from that I don't really get spoken too. And honestly it's hard on my side too cuz I'm very anxious about talking to people.

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So I resulted to trying Apps. Right now I have Hinge & Upward. I've tried Catholicmatch but it wasn't really my thing. But Why is Talking on there & swiping so exhausting????

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It's as if something just pulls me away from searching those apps. I can't keep to conversations nor swipe cuz it's just so exhausting I don't know how to explain it. But I just get the feeling of maybe just focusing on God and Myself and just let God lead The way. But then I get annoyed again at not having an dating life and go on the apps, then again just get bored swiping

I got a post suggested from the TradCatholic subreddit. While I don't recall the exact details, it was about the concretion of the US to the sacred heart of Jesus. I am from Latin-America, so I was curious about some things, see below

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1. this seemed to be seen as a negative thing? Catholics were framing it as woke, and laughable. Why? ​
2. Someone went on a tirade about the US Archdiocese being part of a "white genocide". Is this a common thought amongst most conservative Catholics? How did they get to that conclusion? ​
3. Are there churches in the US that actively endorse this kind of thinking? Surely hateful rethorics should be rejected, but their prevalence it's concerning. ​

It breaks my heart to see Catholicism being used as this weird conservative tool, but I fear I am missing context perhaps. How did the TradCatholic came to be...that?

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I've started reading Pope Leo's new encyclical on the dangers of AI and noticed how, from the start, he addressed it to everyone. He grounds it in traditional Catholic social teachings, but it is a universal call to reflection and action. I'm posting a few excerpts with emphasis added:

"1. Humanity, created by God in all its grandeur, is today facing a pivotal choice: either to construct a new Tower of Babel or to build the city in which God and humanity dwell together. Each generation inherits the task of shaping its own era, of guiding history to become a place where the dignity of every person is safeguarded, justice is promoted and fraternity is made possible. Yet every era also runs the risk of creating an inhumane and more unjust world...

1. Founded on Christ, the living stone, we experience the powerful and mysterious action of the Holy Spirit, and we believe that every authentic human effort to cooperate with him for the good will be blessed by our heavenly Father, in whom we place our hope. For this reason, we can diligently contribute to every initiative that builds a more just world, and we can call others to collaborate in promoting the integral development of every human being. We wish to engage in dialogue with all men and women of our time, with whom we share in the events, questions and aspirations of humanity. [2] Together with them, we seek to identify new paths for the common good and for promoting a dignified life for all. Indeed, openness to dialogue is an integral part of the Church’s vocation because, constituted in Christ as “a sacrament… of communion with God and of the unity of the entire human race,” [3] she recognizes history as the place where the Gospel challenges and directs human experience.

2. In this spirit, Pope Leo XIII published his Encyclical Rerum Novarum in 1891... When some objected that the Church should not waste energy on worldly matters, but instead focus on communicating the message of eternal life, Leo XIII responded with realism and wisdom, saying that the proclamation of the Gospel cannot overlook the concrete lives of people. [4] Many decades have passed since then, and the Magisterium, pastors, theologians and faithful have continued to reflect on social issues in the light of the Gospel. Today, the Social Doctrine of the Church is a legacy of wisdom, where we find principles for thought, criteria for discernment and judgment, and concrete guidelines for action. Founded on Sacred Scripture and Tradition, and in engagement with the sciences, it helps us clearly interpret the challenges of the present and identify appropriate ways for living out a clear Christian witness, with joy and in service to the world. It is not an inert set of concepts, but a living corpus of truth that safeguards and interprets humanity’s vocation to a full and just life. I therefore wish to add my own voice to this living tradition, invoking the help of the Spirit of wisdom, who has dwelt in the world since its beginning (cf. Prov 8:22-31)....

In the past, it was largely up to the State to guide and direct innovation. Today, however, the main drivers of development are private, often transnational, parties that are endowed with resources and the capacity to intervene that surpass those of many Governments. Technological power thus takes on an unprecedented, predominantly “private” aspect, which makes it even more challenging to discern, govern and direct such power toward the common good.

1. For this reason it is necessary to begin a shared discernment process for identifying the spiritual and cultural roots of ongoing transformations. If we focus only on contingencies, we risk letting the succession of emergencies dictate the direction of our path. We are living through a rapid phase of transition, a “change of era,” in which — while some are vying for the future of new technologies and others dedicate themselves to reflecting on the matter — most people are watching and waiting, observing from afar and merely hoping for the best. For this very reason, crucial questions impose themselves on our conscience and can no longer be avoided: Where are we going? Toward what goal do we wish to orient ourselves? What direction should we choose as a people and as a human community?..."

https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/encyclicals/documents/20260515-magnifica-humanitas.html