WHY BE CATHOLIC?

There has been much discussion about Catholicism in recent days-rightly so with the conclave and Papal election yesterday which resulted in the election of Pope Francis I.

The Pope is certainly one of the most recognizable figures in the world, transcending race, creed or geography. Even still, there is a shroud of mystery surrounding the office of the pope, and how he and the Catholic Church believe. I'm a Catholic among a sea of protestants. Now, if you are reading this a protestant and haven't ever set foot in a Catholic Church and are only going off what you've seen on television and what you've been "told". I'd like to introduce you to the church--which is, in general, not anything like you see on EWTN or various other outlets. Guess what--we even sing modern "Praise Hymns", you better bet it. It's true!

I converted to Catholicism 13 years ago, coming out of different Protestant traditions, primarily those of the Southern Baptist and United Methodist Churches. So, do I believe everything the Holy Roman Catholic church teaches and believes? In short, No. Why be Catholic, then? Because, when I was on that journey to find a spiritual home, the Catholic Church was the best fit for me. I love the beauty of the liturgy, and the thing that truly drew me to the Catholic Church is that unlike the Protestant churches of which I've been a part, the Catholic Church seems to preach God's message of love and mercy. I've heard hundreds of homilies (sermons) over the years and can only think of maybe one or two that have been about anything other than love. They aren't resounding hell and damnation diatribes against human sexuality, abortion or any of a litany of sins. By and large, the message of the homilies is of mercy, love, forgiveness. That is what drew me in to the Catholic Church. That is, as I understand it, the message of God.

Here's my confession: I am an American Catholic. That means, in essence, that I'm a "cafeteria catholic." I pick and choose the doctrines I believe. I don't believe that Catholicism has cornered the market on morality, Christianity or ethics. Yet, I don't believe than any religious or philosophical sect has cornered the market, either. Spirituality is important to me. I find comfort in Christianity, but I also find comfort in the teaching of other traditions. I see wisdom in the teachings of the Buddha. There are extremists in Catholicism as there are in any tradition. There are some that follow what they have been taught all their life and never step out to examine their faith to develop their "own" faith, and instead live the faith of their parents, grandparents, etc, blindly following because they have been taught that is the way and they should not question it. There are also those who examine their faith to whatever degree they are comfortable, and pick and choose what they choose to belive, or what doctorines or dogmas are important to you.

For those who are looking for a pontiff who is going to be socially liberal, I am here to tell you, we aren't there yet. As long as the college of cardinals is controlled by a group of men ranging in age from their early 50s to 80, it is unrealistic to expect that the Shephard of the Flock will be anything less than dogmatic and conservative. I hope to see the day when a man of my generation rises to the college of cardinals and is elected to the papacy. I firmly believe today's hot-button issues such as homosexuality, same-sex marriage and birth control will in time become the norm and therefore accepted. The Church is often slow to adapt. But, I keep the faith that the church will right the wrongs of the past. The church's stance, for example, on homosexuality is that a homosexual person is to be valued in God's kingdom. While still far from perfect, it's a damn far cry better than other traditions who just outright ban the gays to death and tear down those who so desperately want to understand and live their faith. The church, if she is to survive, needs to wake up and embrace the people in pain. I've always thought of the church as refuge for liberated, not a place to oppress the liberated. After all, if we are looking at Jesus, he wasn't hanging out with the holy men and women. He was hanging out with the outcasts of society. Wanna tell me that Jesus wouldn't be hanging out with his gay friends on Saturday night? You aren't going to convince me. Until the day (and I hope I'm around to see it happen) when the church truly welcomes ALL the saints and sinners, I'll be in the Catholic Church, and possibly in the episocpal church. The bottom line is that God is love, nothing else really matters. If I've damned myself to hell, hopefully I'll get it figured out before it is too late, but I firmly believe that if we are following God to the best of our ability, in our own conscience, that you're ok. the truth is, none of us will know until the end. I'm going to err on the side of God's mercy, love and compsssion, for I don't believe that God will punish us for trying.