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Hello!   here.  A few weeks ago someone commented to me that I ought to update the blog addressing issues specific to Catholicism.  I was and am happy to oblige.  I have answered 5 common question here (asked to me) and am working on giving concise answers with proper citations for the other 10-15 I have sitting on the list.

I will update with these Catholic Q&A blogs on a semi-frequent basis.  I am a full time student and part time worker, so I won't be able to update any sooner than every two weeks or so.  I know its not the most inventive or desirable name for a blog, but  I call it Catholic Q&A because if I called it Catholicism 101, I'd be tempted to drink in excess or shoot myself.

I am also looking to solicit questions for the blog.  If you have any, please post them as comments and I will put them on the list.  This particular entry answers a couple big questions, so it is rather lengthy.  I don't anticipate the following entries to be as lengthy, but if they have to be they will be.

I only ask that if you have questions, let them be honest ones.  No strawman questions and the like.  God bless you, and I hope these answers, in my limited capacity to give them, have sufficed.  Laus Tibi Christi.

How do you "become" a Catholic? As in, if a person wanted to join a Catholic church as an adult, how would they do that?

To answer this question, one must have a very good understanding of the etymology of “Catholic” and what “being” Catholic means.  www.etymonline.com/index.php?t… is derived from the Greek katholikos which literally means “on the whole” or “universal.”  The Catholic Church is the Universal Church, not simply “another Christian denomination.”  Catholics are the first Christians.  Why?  Because Christ founded His church, not “churches.”  Here is the relevant passage, highlighted.  Verse 18 from Matthew, Chapter 16: drbo.org/x/d?b=drb&bk=47&ch=16… that the Catholic Church is the one founded by Christ, and the Catholic Church is the Church, not simply a Church, we must take exception to the notion “Christians and Catholics” because it implies a difference.  There aren't Christians and Catholics, there are Catholics and non-Catholic Christians.  This guiltily brief history lesson ends here, and now that we understand what the word “Catholic” itself means, I will address the matter of “being” Catholic.

“Being” Catholic is an interesting concept.  One might say that its the sacraments that makes a person Catholic www.newadvent.org/cathen/13295… or going to mass every sunday.  These are important parts of “being” Catholic and one cannot “be” Catholic without the sacraments or the Grace of God.  But part of being Catholic is living Catholic, and a person is only nominally Catholic (Catholic in name only)  if they don't live life in accordance to Christ.  Obeying Church teaching and testifying to the Truth, the Light and the Way- Jesus Christ is part of being Catholic.  In Chapter 15, verse 14 of John, Christ says “If you love Me, keep My commandments.  drbo.org/x/d?b=drb&bk=50&ch=14… other words, there's being Catholic and being Catholic.  A person who was baptized Catholic and raised in the Catholic faith who represents patently anti-catholic sentiments and rejects the teachings of the Church is being no more Catholic than a person who was never baptized or raised in the faith.  He (the former) is nominally Catholic, but that means little to nothing.

So, how does a person “become” Catholic as an adult?  Well, first they need to be baptized.  The Trinitarian rite of baptism is the only way a person can be baptized validly.  Many protestant sects, although not all, use this form.  This baptism, however, doesn't need to be administered by a priest.  In fact, the person baptizing doesn't even need to be baptized.  The Catechism of the Catholic Church on who can baptise: www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p2s2c1a…

1256 The ordinary ministers of Baptism are the bishop and priest and, in the Latin Church, also the deacon.57 In case of necessity, anyone, even a non-baptized person, with the required intention, can baptize58 , by using the Trinitarian baptismal formula. The intention required is to will to do what the Church does when she baptizes. The Church finds the reason for this possibility in the universal saving will of God and the necessity of Baptism for salvation.59
The required intention is the correct form, the correct matter, and the correct intention. With baptism, the correct intention is to do what the Church does, the correct matter is water, and the correct form is the baptizing "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Matt. 28:19). www.catholic.com/library/Trini…

So what of those baptized Lutheran?  Or those baptized in other protestant sects?  If baptism makes a person Catholic, are those who were baptized Lutheran then Catholics?

I will explain.  First, there is no such thing as being baptized as a Lutheran or as an Episcopalian or any other protestant sect.  Baptism was instituted by Jesus Christ who gave his followers the command to baptize the world and to “observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you (Matthew 28 20 www.newadvent.org/bible/mat028… ) which includes following the instruction of the (Catholic) Church which he established (Mat 28 v 16-20 drbo.org/chapter/47028.htm Mat 10 v 40-42 drbo.org/chapter/47010.htm Mat 16 v 18-19 drbo.org/chapter/47016.htm Lu 10, 16-20 drbo.org/chapter/49010.htm Jo 20, v 20-23 drbo.org/chapter/50020.htm ) and gave to His disciples in order to shepherd souls!  Protestant sects are objectively heretical for this reason, that they denied the institution set forth by Christ.  So, first we must understand (also remembering that Catholic is universal- it is the Church, not “a” Church) that there is no such thing as being baptized “Lutheran” but there is baptism or there isn't baptism.  If there is a valid baptism (which is determined by the three aforementioned requierments: intent, matter and form) it is into the Catholic faith.

Anyone is welcome to attend mass at a Catholic church (attend: to be present in the church and watch and listen to the liturgy), although some Churches have dress codes.  You are not likely to ever be told to leave as long as you aren't being distracting, but it is wise to use prudence in dress.  We don't go to mass to show people how beautiful we are or to attract attention to our new shoes or haircut, we are there to worship God and commemorate the sacrifice of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.  It is good Christian charity to be modest in dress so that you are not distracting to others.

But being present at mass doesn't make you Catholic, so what, specifically does an adult have to do in order to be received as a formal member into the Roman Catholic Church?  Well, when the time comes to be fully communicated with the Catholic Church the prospective Catholic must say “I believe and profess all that the Catholic Church believes, teaches, and proclaims to be revealed by God.”  You cannot say this unless you know what the Church believes, proclaims and teaches.  Thus, an instruction period is necessary before the administration of these sacraments.

For those adults who were validly baptized, they are called candidates.  These adults won't be baptized again.  Upon completion of instruction they will receive the sacrament of confession, confirmation (this is when you “officially become” catholic) and then Holy Communion, in that order.  For those who have not been baptized, they are called catechumens (from the latin “to be instructed” www.newadvent.org/cathen/03430… ) and upon completion of instruction will first be baptized, and then receive the aforementioned sacraments in their aforementioned order.

The first place to start is by calling your local parish.  Believe it or not, people are converting or at least thinking about converting all the time, so whoever picks up will know exactly what to tell you.  Usually the first thing that happens during the instructionary period is that the candidate or catechumen will meet privately with the priest and be interviewed.  This isn't a job interview, there are no right or wrong answers.  This is for the purpose of (literally) knowing your life's story (or at least as much as you want to tell) and what brought you to God.  From here, the process becomes very parish specficic.

Wherever you go, you will be required to learn about the faith accoding to the catechism (www.scborromeo.org/ccc/ccc_toc… www.cin.org/users/james/ebooks… www.cin.org/users/james/ebooks… ) Scripture (www.newadvent.org/bible/ drbo.org/ haydock1859.tripod.com/index.h… ) and Church teaching (www.theworkofgod.org/dogmas.ht… jloughnan.tripod.com/dogma.htm www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104… ).  Don't worry, you aren't studying to get a doctorate in theology.  It is important that you know the basics of the Catholic faith (speaking from experience, once a person starts to learn about Catholicism they don't want to stop anyways) because they are the foundation of why we are here, what our relationship with God is, and what He expects from us, as well as what is required of us to merit Life Everlasting.

Depending on how many people are interested in becoming incorporated in the faith when you are, you may have a class with ten other people interested in converting, a class with five, with two or maybe even just private sessions.  The one thing you can count on is that this will be a time of great spiritual progress, as well as self discovery and most importantly, discovery of God.  This may also be (as was the case for many people I know who have converted) a time of distress.  The devil does not take kindly to those who no longer wish his gifts, and will do anything in his power to stop them.  I know many a conversion “horror” story of a person's temporal life being in disarray around their conversion.  Remember that the closer you lean towards God, the harder the devil will pull.  A wise person once said to me “If the devil can't get you by making sin fun, he'll try to get you by making prayer miserable.”

Thankfully, our hope is in God, and Satan cannot withstand Him.  drbo.org/x/d?b=drb&bk=21&ch=38… ut Deus? (Who is like unto God?)

Different parishes handle instruction differently, so for specifics a person would have to contact the parish they would be attending if they were Catholic.  Here I have provided a link to a website that provides a beginning catechism class.  The priest who does this is at my local parish, he is a good man.  These audio files are free and I highly recommend them.  There are 23 (24?) hours of audio, and they go in a succession.  They are not just for “beginners.”  I still listen to them.  www.fatheraltier.excerptsofinr…

What is a first communion and why is it so special?

Ay yi yi, a good question with a very long answer.  To understand the Eucharist www.newadvent.org/cathen/05572… in a greater dynamic, one must understand the Divine Liturgy, that is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass www.newadvent.org/cathen/10006… those who aren't familiar with Catholicism you can think of the mass, for the time being, as where Catholics “go” when they “go to Church.”  It is, of course, so much more than simply going to Church.  Condensed, the Sacrifice of the Mass is a commemoration and “re-enactment” of Christ's sacrifice on the Cross.  The priest, the representative of the people, offers common bread and wine which is consecrated and literally becomes the body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ.  The process by which this happens is called transubstantiation www.newadvent.org/cathen/05573… is nothing figurative about Holy Communion, it is literally the body, blood, soul and divinity of God.  Why do Catholics do this?  John chapter 6 Verse 51-60

[51] I am the living bread which came down from heaven. [52] If any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever; and the bread that I will give, is my flesh, for the life of the world. [53] The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying: How can this man give us his flesh to eat? [54] Then Jesus said to them: Amen, amen I say unto you: Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, you shall not have life in you. [55] He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath everlasting life: and I will raise him up in the last day.  [56] For my flesh is meat indeed: and my blood is drink indeed. [57] He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, abideth in me, and I in him. [58] As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father; so he that eateth me, the same also shall live by me. [59] This is the bread that came down from heaven. Not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead. He that eateth this bread, shall live for ever. [60] These things he said, teaching in the synagogue, in Capharnaum.

Now, many non-Catholic Christians like to contend that Jesus didn't literally mean “eat my flesh and drink my blood” but it was a metaphor, an allegory for eating “at the same table” with Him or being “in communion” (loyal) to Him.  But lets examine the Greek word from the Septuagint, the word from where the vulgate is translated to eat: τρώγων (trogo) literally means “to chew” or “to gnaw.”  www.scribd.com/doc/36903542/Tr… is not allegory, it is literal.  Now perhaps you are getting an idea of why First Communion is so special.  It is a personal invitation from God to eat at His table and fulfill his commandments.

So are Catholics cannibals?  Its ok, you can ask the question.  It would seem that if one of the cornerstones of our faith is to eat flesh and blood that we are cannibals.  We are not, for several reasons.  One, when we consume the Host (another word for the Eucharist.  Also known as the Blessed Sacrament) we are consuming Christ's entirety- both His human and divine nature.  Cannibalism is one entirely human person eating another entirely human person.  Holy Communion, while involving Christ entirely (His human and divine nature) does not involve a person who is only human.  Two, Christ is not dead when we eat the Host, nor will He “become” dead by our subsequent eating of it.  Three, and this is probably the biggest point.  Holy Communion has absolutely no adverse affects on Christ, it is for our spiritual sustenance and He does not become less of anything by our doing so.  Cannibalism is when a human eats another, and the human who is the victim becomes less.  Christ does not.

I would recommend again these audio files, particularly the ones on the Eucharist (they are labeled as such) because they are able to go into more detail than I have here.  These are really just the basics, the proverbial tip of the iceberg.  www.fatheraltier.excerptsofinr…

Also, here is a link that is relevant.  Currently, there is an investigation underway regarding a suspected Eucharistic miracle at my local parish.  A Host which had been dropped took the physical appearance of bloody flesh.  The Chancery is currently investigating.  There is a picture and article here eponymousflower.blogspot.com/2…

Why all the Latin?

Finally, a question with a simple(er) answer.  Because its bad-ass and sexy!

A couple reasons.  First, I should point out that not all lay Catholics use latin with the frequency that I do.  And part of the reason that I use it so much is because I have a heavy devotion to Tradition, and the Tridentine mass, which is said entirely in latin.  The reasons are not many, but they are important.  www.catholicapologetics.info/l…

Latin was the language of many of the early Church Doctors and fathers.  They were within the Roman Empire so that is what they spoke.  Latin is the official language of the Catholic Church.  Out of concern for dogmatic unity, documents are written in latin.  This way there is far less room for error.  Another reason is for stability.  Modern languages are constantly changing, adding and removing colloquials- God's word is ever-present and living, so the language in which we interpret it in cannot be of a weak foundation.  Another reason, and I'm serious, is that its beautiful.  Listen to this:  www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxyETH…

Whats the difference between a priest and a monk?

A monk www.newadvent.org/cathen/10487… is a man who lives in a communal setting (monestary www.newadvent.org/cathen/10459… ) with other monks (or brothers) who has taken vows of obedience, chastity and poverty.  It is not an ordained order.  In other words, he doesn't have the “powers” or faculties of a priest.  A monks life is one of solitude, meditation, contemplation and prayer.  Some monks even take vows of silence.  They live for God alone.  Monks of a community own the property they live on, farm it and are self-sustaining communities.  The word monk is a popular term, not actually a Church term.  I am assuming that by monk you are referring to someone that looks/dresses like this kbpipes.files.wordpress.com/20… themselves, they are referred to as brothers, and may be addressed as “brother.”  Of course, monk is a common colloquial and there is nothing wrong with the term, its just simply very vague.  Different monks will belong to different orders (Including, but definitely not exclusive to Franciscan www.newadvent.org/cathen/06217… ) and the community life differs from order to order.  A monk may or may not be studying for the priesthood.  A monk may be a priest, and if he is, he is referred to as a Friar www.newadvent.org/cathen/06280…

A priest www.newadvent.org/cathen/12406… is ordained to administer the sacraments.  While a monk may go through some initial screening before being accepted to a monastery, the road to the priesthood is long and arduous with many years of study.  A priest study at a seminary www.newadvent.org/cathen/13694… like med school except the medicine he is learning to administer is that of Jesus Christ.  He may be the subordinate of a particular order (Jesuits www.newadvent.org/cathen/14081… Redemptorists www.newadvent.org/cathen/12683… or others) but he is usually given his position (that is, the locality where he is a priest) by the local bishop.  A priest's main vocation is to celebrate Holy Mass (which a monk cannot) and administer spiritually to his congregation.  His office is a true imitation of Christ.

Can a woman become a priest?  Why or why not?

No.  This is a very sensitive topic and the answer is not difficult, but involved.  Because of this, instead of relying on my own far from perfect oration skills, I will post an exerpt from a very concise article on the issue, providing a link to the article itself and relevant links within the text.  From Jason Evert:

Why doesn’t the Church allow women to be priests? I know plenty of women who could give a more moving homily and be more understanding in the confessional.

“There aren’t many issues within apologetics that require as much sensitivity as this one. In a culture where opening the door for a woman can be seen as an act of misogyny, it’s no surprise that male-only ordination strikes some as sexist on the Church’s behalf.

It can’t be denied that there are women who could be more moving orators than some priests and provide more consolation within the confessional. But the debate over ordination is not over who could be a better priest but over who could be a priest at all.

So, if a woman’s abilities are not in question, what’s keeping the Church from ordaining her? For one, it should be noted that Jesus did not ordain any women. He selected all of his apostles, and none were women.

Some say that he was bound by the cultural norms of his era to suppress the roles of women, but no one has been able to prove that this was his motive. Furthermore, this accuses Jesus of sexism and it paints an inaccurate portrait of Christ, who had no qualms about shattering the cultural norms regarding interaction with women (Matt. 9:20 drbo.org/x/d?b=drb&bk=47&ch=9&… Luke 7:37 drbo.org/x/d?b=drb&bk=49&ch=7&… John 4:27 drbo.org/x/d?b=drb&bk=50&ch=4&… ). The idea of priestesses was not unknown to him, since it was a common practice in religions of his time and culture, though not Judaism. (If Jesus had wanted women as priestesses, he would have had the ideal candidate in Mary. Here was a woman who could have spoken the words of consecration literally: "This is my body. This is my blood.")

There were other roles that Christ had in mind for women. For example, they played a key role in the spread of the Gospel, being the first to spread the news of the risen Christ. They were also allowed to pray and prophecy in church (1 Cor. 11:1–16 drbo.org/chapter/53001.htm ), but they were not to assume the function of teaching in the Christian assembly (1Cor. 14:34–38 drbo.org/chapter/53014.htm 1 Tim. 2:1–14 drbo.org/chapter/61002.htm ), which was restricted to the clergy.

Two thousand years later, no one—including the pope—has the authority to change the designs of the Church that Christ instituted. Specifically, the Church is unable to change the substance of a sacrament. For example, a person cannot be baptized in wine, nor may a substance other than bread be used for the consecration at Mass. If invalid matter is used, then the sacrament does not take place. Likewise, since the priest acts in the person of Christ, the Church has no authority to confer the sacrament on those who are unable to represent the male Jesus Christ.”

To the article itself: www.catholic.com/thisrock/2002…

Thanks for reading, and remember to ask your questions!