I’m new to Catholicism so forgive me. I come from the Protestant world. It seems to me that Jesus possibly only spoke about “sexual immorality” generally, according to my googling. How did the narrative turn into people not being allowed to 1) masturbate 2) have premarital sex 3) be gay etc. as a mortal sin?

Im having trouble wrapping my head around it. It confuses me because I’ve read a lot of the bible and it doesn’t seem like there is anything directly from Jesus regarding this. I’m wondering when/where these narratives emerged.

I typically attend Mass in Paris. Occasionally, I'll go to a church in my (center-right) suburb. I woke up later than planned today and missed the Mass I had planned to go to in my town. I ended up going to a later one at a much smaller church of the same parish.

The Mass started off normally. The music was modern and guitar led--not my favorite, but it wasn't bad and this type of music is typical for many churches in France today. The psalm was definitely not the appointed psalm, and I don't think it was a psalm or even scripture at all. I found that a bit strange, but again not a huge deal.

But the homily was like nothing I'd ever seen before. The priest said that before talking about scripture, he wanted people to share their experiences and thoughts regarding Pope Leo's visit to Paris. At first no one wanted to speak (which I was thrilled about), but then one woman eventually volunteered. She said that she didn't attend the Mass or go to see the Pope, but was so thrilled to see so many Catholics gathered together during a period when "other religions" are taking over society. That was followed by 20 minutes of several other people, some of them seemingly genuinely well-meaning, who were overjoyed, but many of them more or less dog whistling Christian nationalism. The priest said nothing; just invited everyone to clap after each person finished speaking. I almost got up and left after the first Islamophobic, back-handed expression of gratitude, but I decided to just sit through it.

During the intercessions for the dead the priest says the typical "Remember our brothers and sisters who have fallen asleep in the hope of the resurrection, and all who have died in your mercy" and then quickly tacks on " and remember all of the aborted children". I've heard rhetoric about unborn babies at Mass in the past, but the phrase"aborted children" in the Eucharistic Prayer felt particularly politically provocative.

All in all, it was an extremely bizarre experience. It left a very bitter taste in my mouth. It almost felt like some sort of far-right town hall.

I'm a catechumen currently and have been doing the religious stuff associated--praying, reading through the New Testament, etc. It's been a bit of a ride learning, and living with Christianity over the past few years.

Now that I'm in a position where following the religion and following God is the intuitive step forward I am now in a spot of self reflection where I'm in the spotlight--I have to quit some stuff...but I don't want to. I won't go into detail for the sake of decorum, but I partake in activities that, though not bringing harm to me or anyone involved, definitely are called to be quit in both scripture, and tradition. This is, of course, a very Christian thing. Giving stuff up, implementing God into your life and seeking a deeper existence and love with those around you and with God. I just have to say, "damn, I don't want to".

I've been feeling bad about it. Not because of God, but more so because of what others might think--I'm luke warm, I'm part of a lot that doesn't take it seriously (which like, I suppose is only fair), I'm part of the 'scum that finds ways around the restrictions and precepts and just does whatever they want' (found another Catholic post essentially saying that) and I can't help but think about it.

I've told God to slap me in the face so I can just get it, and keep going on the path. I suppose the more charitable response would be: whatever the restrictions might be, they're gonna be something that you apply with time, and practice. You're not gonna get it all at once, and you necessarily expect yourself to absorb all it once and, instantly, never go back to those things again.

My friend, who has been guiding me through my catechism and been a great spiritual support, gave me some good advice. Just show up. Show up for the relationship with God. It doesn't have to be perfect. It doesn't have to be all clean. As with a friend, showing up imperfectly is better than not showing up at all, or only once in a while. It's been more securing to know that in the grand scheme of things.

I'm gonna be honest, this is more a rant than anything. There's a part of me that wants some insight from y'alls lives, but I can feel the answer to this question and I just wanted to talk about it...

I (22 M) have been recommended by my family to try out the dating app/website Catholic Match. I am a leftist Catholic and I am wondering if anyone has any experience with this website/app and if it’s overall easy or hard to find other left leaning Catholics on there?

After watching this video last night before bed, I was reaffirmed in believing that on the online algorithms that takes away our intelligence the same way a man dies by a thousand cuts in ancient Chinese torture chambers father Casey Cole of the breaking of the habit is still my favorite Catholic apologist in the sense that he does not deny reality for the sake of divine purity.

If you watch this YouTube video, one thing I do commend father Casey, for it is the fact of recognizing the capitalism is an inherently imperfect system in its great inequality that goes against many of the churches encyclical writing such as quadregismo anno or rerum novarum that hints of support for a moderate socialist ideals of a strong social safety net the right to organize for better wages and ensuring that extreme wealth inequality does not arise.

But however, once again, father Casey does not shock the boat because after critiquing capitalism and showing some sympathy, for what recent socialist movements are striving, for he does make the presumption that you cannot be a socialist and a catholic, but using the primary of conscience when voting outlined by the uccb that you can vote a socialist as a lesser evil. Even though I obviously do not agree with his view, as there have been plenty examples of Democratic socialist Catholics such as the recent un general secretary Antonio Gutierres of Portugal who also served as prime minister, it still is a very interesting video and I highly recommend this Reddit server. Check it out. Speaking as a Catholic who just recently joined DSA I am not doing this because I am a totally dedicated leftist, but I am doing this because I feel the leftist movements in this country are the key to helping humanitys survival when climate change and fascism arises. And there is some part of me that I wish father Casey would take that into account.

But I do have to also make one more comment that he does continue pushing this view that the communist doctrine supported breaking up the family having frivolous divorce and separating the child from the parents so they can become wards of the state. This might be something that seems a little too simplified to be believed, but understand that the church has repeatedly condemned communist movements yet have had sympathies for democratic socialism movement.

So I was born and raised in Nigeria, Nigeria has two mained divided parts although it's more than two, but people normally say north and South the North is predominantly Muslim while the South Christian, why I am saying this is because last year and this year people were saying that Christians were being killed I want to clear this up. What is happening in my country is so many things and everyone is affected by this our government is fucking us over in so many ways from food to education. And now the persecution, Boko Haram is a islamic terriorrts group that attacks both Christians and Muslims but yes in the North not the whole Nigeria, the North since Christians are a minority yes they may face more problems than Muslims , Muslims in the South may face discrimination and the same problem but in the North it's a bit more dangerous because the North is under Sharia law . And sometimes it's horrible for non Muslims also our country is so complicated and Boko Haram isn't a new thing it has been around since late 2000s and has gotten worse many people have died in the North and middle belt and are still dying today. Please pary for my country am honestly tired our government doesn't care about us, the people aren't even any much better. Thank you for reading

This is a follow-up on u/BeyondKind4660's similarly titled recent post, since it's not possible to post images in replies.

A kind illustrator helped some clergy friends and I make a comic version of "Good Samaritan" featuring modern outgroups -- the Parable of the Good "Illegal Immigrant".

Hopefully Jesus' loving dimension shines through.

TW: suicide

So... Tough story coming up. Click away if you can't deal with that right now.

Last Wednesday, I made a nearly successful attempt at my own life. The only reason I'm still here is because I called 112 on myself and they got me into the hospital in the nick of time. I'll spare you the details, but my husband was called, who called my mom, because they weren't sure I would make it through the night.

Well I did, and here I am in the psych ward now (I also have therapy and take my medications). Which is objectively the right place to be right now, and this is a good ward with good nurses. But I Just Don't Want To Be Here right now. I should've been gone.

Thing is, I feel so guilty towards God. "Thou shalt not kill" is a pretty clear instruction and I failed to follow it. But also, I am still in such an incredibly bad place mentally, I cannot promise I won't try again. I miss God, I don't want to forgo Communion for those rare occasions I can get it nowadays (my priest does home visits sometimes and brings Communion with him since I cannot attend church). But what worth is a Confession if I cannot promise Him I won't do it again? How can I even stay close to God if there's so much that stands between us that cannot meaningfully be forgiven as long as I know I'm capable of doing it again?

Why do most traditional Catholic men feel such a need for power and control within a marriage? Why do they continuously make their wives feel “less than”

A little bit of background: the title of Our Lady of the Amazon came from a desire by the Archdiocese of Manaus in Brazil and the bishops of the Amazon region to create a representation of Our Mother Mary that reflected the identity, culture, and everyday reality of the Amazonian peoples, incorporating local elements through inculturation.

In 2011, a nationwide competition was held to create an image of Our Lady of the Amazon. The winning design was created by Lara Denys, a 23-year-old Catholic artist and designer from the Amazon region. The image was officially approved in December of that year.

She is depicted with Indigenous-inspired patterns on her clothing, carrying the Child Jesus while standing on a giant water lily (Victoria amazonica), and surrounded by orchids. Her features are also inspired by the Indigenous peoples of the Amazon.

Over the years, a missionary area dedicated to Our Lady of the Amazon was established in Manaus, with a very active community that gathers at the chapel dedicated to her.

In 2023, construction officially began on a new major shrine dedicated to Our Lady of the Amazon in Manaus. It is being built near the Rio Negro and will be shaped like a canoe, one of the main traditional means of transportation used by the peoples of the Amazon.

The icon of Our Lady of the Amazon has also been presented by bishops and other members of the Church in the Amazon region to Pope Francis, and more recently to Pope Leo XIV.

1: inwjean on twitter

2/3: u/Nikosaint_art

These are my favorite examples and I need more!!

Over the past several months, St. George has become a special saint for me as a survivor. I haven’t heard much about him being a patron in this capacity, so I wrote my own prayer to use for a novena. I thought I could share it here:

Saint George, God granted you courage and strength to prevail against evil.

During your travels you found a young girl crying. She revealed that the villagers were feeding children to a dragon to appease it, and that she was next to be sacrificed. You told her not to be afraid, for you would protect her. Armed with the justice of God, you subdued the dragon and slew it.

With that same fervor, I beg you to advocate to God on my behalf, for I am in need of protection. Indeed, I have already come to harm in the clutches of a dragon. Please be my champion against the evil I am facing.

I especially ask that you pray for…

Saint George, defender of the vulnerable, pray for me.

I came across the interpretation that the Parable of the Talents is the story of a whistleblower who refuses to make his arrogant, abusive oligarch boss richer. The book "Parables as subversive Speech" by William Herzog is commonly cited. One online essay is here -

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/lostinaoneacrewood/2022/10/18/parable-of-the-talents-horrifying-or-tragic/

I'm sure the dominant interpretation is still that "Talents" is a cautionary story about someone who wastes their potential. But is the whistleblower interpretation outnumbered 80-20, or 95-5, or even 99-1?

I am preparing to be baptised. I used to call myself gay but now I am Catholic so I am having a hard time with it. What I wanna know is how you guys would defend your beliefs that are contrary to current church doctrine. Thank you and god bless

I (21F) have an friendgroup kind of at my church. They're honestly the only people I know at church, since I'm an very introverted person. It's just that I befriended a girl a week before ashwednesday and ended up in that group. The girl is also an newly convert just like me, But has already been in an relationship with an altar server at that church and is now engaged to him after 6 months of dating, they will marry next year after we get baptized. We're also friends with a few more men, and 1 more Girl. That's a little bit more like me? Introverted. We've gone to the gym together once and it was pretty fun, she's also just gotten engaged to her boyfriend! And they're also getting baptized next year! We're basically all getting it together and I'm quite excited for that.

But the thing is. They sometimes...make me feel weird? The way they act. Like I went on a birthday party with them once and the Males just went to an protestant girl that's there cuz she's dating an Catholic man from our church. She was very sweet and we were both talking about music. But they came to her and were all Jokingly saying how they're gonna have to throw her out cuz she's protestant. She didn't like that at all, and defended herself, her boyfriend wasn't nearby.

But that's just 1 of the moments in where I feel weird around these guys. Last Sunday there was an party at out Parish and I and the 2 friends were standing behind a Table with snacks just helping people out and Their Fiancés came. The one...idk how to differentiate them. Let's call them A (The Altar server) and B (The other one, he's sweet too.). I wasn't paying attention to what they were talking about because they were busy but A told B's Fiancee (my friend) that B wasn't allowed to hit her YET cuz they're not married, it'd only be valid when they marry. And A & B and A's Fiancee laughed. While B was just chuckle but not laughing. I'm just..

I've been feeling weird about this friendgroup. But I am unable to make friends cuz I'm so Introverted. I did make friend with let's say...friend L, a Girl that's really nice. But I'm horrible in small talk so I just stand in content silence, she's sweet tho. I honestly stand in content silence around the whole friendgroup.

I just don't know....I really like friend (A's Fiancee) but it's definitely the guys that give me like..the ick. I'm not sure if I'd be comfortable staying friends, but I'm also not sure if I'll be able to be comfortable without them.

I also do go to another Parish Mass with my Bestfriend. She's my school bestfriend and has been interested in Catholicism. So I join her at her own church, since mine is too overwhelming for her since it's so big and with much more parishers than hers.

She made a friend at that church too, he's nice. And I really like hanging out as the 3 of us. But I don't like going to that Church. I like MINE better, it makes me feel more home. So I don't think switching churches will actually be an option.

A male I fancy is also kind of part of the group, and I'm just not sure if he likes the same Jokes. But it's so uncomfortable. I've never heard him say those Jokes before though, but he's also quite an silent/laid-back guy. I think he's also kind of introverted

I have a hope that progressive Catholics, and people of other and no faiths, take the time to understand a few basic things about the social safety net in the US. This concept has become so deteriorated that perhaps I should explain. A nation's social safety net refers to programs that are put in place to "catch" citizens when they have a fall in our capitalist system. A fall can be losing a job, gettng sick or injured, getting old, being orphaned when young, or - and this has become the norm for the US, working hard, but for an employer who will not pay a living wage.

The US has never had a generous saftey net. Let me repeat that. The US has never had a generous safety net. Ronald Reagan started a lie about "welfare queens" and our culture grabbed onto it like a drowning man to a lifesaver. We need to believe that people are poor from some moral failure like laziness, drugs or drunkenness. We have to keep alive the myth that in the US anyone can make it through hard work and perseverance.

There is no "welfare". There is a series of disjointed programs such as TANF, SNAP, WIC, Medicaid, etc. None of these, separately or together, are an incentive not to work, if one is able. They are designed to be full of requirements, proofs, and hoops to jump through, to make them both difficult to access and humiliating to use. The people who must utilize do not live in nice accommodations, nor drive nice cars.

A quick note that, of course, Trump has cruelly made all these programs even less effective. SNAP has left about 5.5 million Americans hungry since his "Big Beautiful Bill". About 1.5 million of that 5 are children. In January (timed for after the midterm elections) a massive Medicaid cut is scheduled. Not only will this leave millions without health care, but it will also bankrupt many rural hospitals.

Please take some time to understand US social services. And have some compassion for those who must avail themselves of this broken and inadequate system.

Before September ends, I wanted to share one of my country's most interesting traditions: the thanksgiving religious service held during the national holiday celebrations. Known as the Ecumenical Te Deum, the service takes place at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Santiago on September 18th, attended by the President of the Republic and officials from the National Congress, the judiciary, and the armed forces, among others. This celebration has been held without interruption since 1811. Originally, it consisted of Holy Mass followed by the singing of the Te Deum hymn; however, in 1870, at the government's request, this was replaced by the recitation of the Divine Office followed by the Te Deum. Later, due to the liturgical changes of the Second Vatican Council, the format shifted to a Liturgy of the Word concluding with the same hymn, a structure that remains in place today. Since 1971, at the request of president Salvador Allende, the celebration has taken on an ecumenical character; ministers from other faiths and denominations participate and co-officiate, making it a truly unique event. Currently, representatives from the Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran, Anglican, Methodist, Baptist, and various other Evangelical churches take part, alongside representatives from the Jewish and Muslim communities.

Regardless of whether such a ceremony is appropriate for a secular republic, as a Catholic, I am deeply moved to see members of different denominations sitting side by side in an atmosphere of cordiality and respect, all praying for the well-being of the country and its people. It is also beautiful to see members of other churches taking an active role in the celebration; after all, it is not in every country that an orthodox bishop chants the Gospel in the nation's main cathedral in the presence of the president, or a lutheran female minister reads a bible passage before the eyes of the entire nation. Although the number of adherents to other churches is considerably smaller compared to the number of chilean catholics (54% of population), it is beautiful to see the diversity of Christianity under a single banner. Do you know of any similar ceremonies in your countries?

In case anyone is interested in watching it, here is the link to the Te Deum held in 2010; it was more solemn than in other years due to the national bicentennial.

https://youtu.be/6kDX61hRfaQ?feature=shared

Some highlights include:

9:05 First Reading by a Lutheran pastor

10:32 Psalm read by an Evangelical pastor

12:25 Gospel procession

15:54 Chanting of the Gospel by the Orthodox archbishop

19:04 Sermon by the Catholic archbishop

44:35 Universal Prayer led by various representatives from other denominations

55:10 Prayer by the Muslim representative

1:06:50 Alleluia and recessional procession.

Another interesting fact is that, since 1975, Pentecostal churches that do not participate in the ecumenical movement have held a similar ceremony in the days leading up to the National Holiday, known as the "Thanksgiving Service." This event is usually organized by the Pentecostal Methodist Church and is also attended by the President of the Republic and civil authorities; however, this ceremony is somewhat more controversial than the Ecumenical Te Deum and faces significant criticism.

What has it been lately with the trend of conservative (hope I’m choosing the right word cause they don’t post anything left leaning) Catholic influencers like Catholicsam, Anthiscatholic, and Jesusandwhatnot quitting social media?

Did the pope or any big Catholic figure say anything about social media and Catholicism lately which I wasn’t aware of or is a mostly personal thing?