WHY does the Catholic Church make things so damn difficult?

[Anonymous]

Op here: to 17:04, that is not all you have to do! Different parishes have different requirements!

[Anonymous]

Seriously. Had my son baptized at my parents' church by the deacon for that reason. Also, have been asked to be godmother to my sister's baby- her church is demanding a letter. I've been playing a musical instrument at a church in VA that won't let me join because I live in DC (meanwhile, pastor drones on about how the church is *bleeding* members)- so my parents' church is writing my stupid letter. Even though I haven't lived in that town in over 10 years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op here: to 17:04, that is not all you have to do! Different parishes have different requirements!

We have been members at parishes all over the country, and it is that simple when you are regular practicing members. Even here in the Arlington diocese, which I have found to be a bit more procedure driven to put it nicely.

OP, have you spoken directly with the priest, or are you going through the minions in the office? In my experience, I have found that the priests are generally more reasonable and understanding. The front staff does not have the final say, so I often find them to be more rigid with policy.

[Anonymous]

OP, I feel your pain... and just wait until you have to deal with the whole First Communion hoopla. I almost gave up.
I really don't understand why they insist on driving people away by making things so unbelievably and in my opinion unreasonably complicated.
And yes, as the PP pointed out, we ended up calling in favors with a friendly priest as it was the only way to avoid a bureaucratic hurdle we were facing as new parishioners.

[Anonymous]

I've been attend mass with my partner's family on holidays and special events for almost 20 years. I've watched the Catholic church become more and more closed to non-members. I was baptized Lutheran, and used to be welcome to take communion. Not anymore. And I've heard the Holiday Homily ("Why is it so crowded today? Oh, right. It's Easter. You should be ashamed.") several times over the past few years. I used to put $5 in the basket, but I don't anymore.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was baptized Lutheran, and used to be welcome to take communion. Not anymore.

You were, really? I'm shocked to hear that -- I'm Orthodox, which is a lot closer to Catholic than Lutheran is, and I'd never dream of taking communion in a Catholic church.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've been attend mass with my partner's family on holidays and special events for almost 20 years. I've watched the Catholic church become more and more closed to non-members. I was baptized Lutheran, and used to be welcome to take communion. Not anymore. And I've heard the Holiday Homily ("Why is it so crowded today? Oh, right. It's Easter. You should be ashamed.") several times over the past few years. I used to put $5 in the basket, but I don't anymore.

If you were baptized in the Lutheran church, then it was never ok for you to take communion in the Catholic Church.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've been attend mass with my partner's family on holidays and special events for almost 20 years. I've watched the Catholic church become more and more closed to non-members. I was baptized Lutheran, and used to be welcome to take communion. Not anymore. And I've heard the Holiday Homily ("Why is it so crowded today? Oh, right. It's Easter. You should be ashamed.") several times over the past few years. I used to put $5 in the basket, but I don't anymore.

If you were baptized in the Lutheran church, then it was never ok for you to take communion in the Catholic Church.

^^^PP here, back to add that unless you received the Sacrament of Communion in the Catholic Church (and no other church), it was never ok for you to take communion in the Catholic Church.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've been attend mass with my partner's family on holidays and special events for almost 20 years. I've watched the Catholic church become more and more closed to non-members. I was baptized Lutheran, and used to be welcome to take communion. Not anymore. And I've heard the Holiday Homily ("Why is it so crowded today? Oh, right. It's Easter. You should be ashamed.") several times over the past few years. I used to put $5 in the basket, but I don't anymore.

If you were baptized in the Lutheran church, then it was never ok for you to take communion in the Catholic Church.

^^^PP here, back to add that unless you received the Sacrament of Communion in the Catholic Church (and no other church), it was never ok for you to take communion in the Catholic Church.

Yeah. Because, you know, the Catholic church can afford to be picky.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yeah, that sounds annoying. I'm not Catholic but DH is and I will never forget going to Christmas Mass with him and the Priest going ON and ON about the churchgoers who only show up twice a year and how they should be ashamed of themselves. It didn't seem like a good way to encourage people to come more.

YES i had this experience too.

[Anonymous]

the Catholic Church needs to take itself to confession and confess it's terrible sins of inconvenience and various other (worse) crimes.

[Anonymous]

We adopted our special needs son at age 7. He was from Russia and did not speak English. The Church made him sit thru 2 years of Sunday School/SOR/CCD even when he couldn't read, write or speak English.
As we assumed, he understood nothing after the 2 years but He needed to "Qualify".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How are they making it difficult? If you mean they require the Godparents and you to go to a class about the importance of Baptism and what that means as you raise your child in the Catholic faith, that seems reasonable to me. If you mean they are asking if you go to church, again reasonable because by Baptising your baby in the faith you are making a promise to raise them in the faith.

If you mean that you have to stand on your head while reciting the creed with the new wording while your spouse has to say five Hail Marys, okay unreasonable.

For our Godparents, they had to PROVE they had been to church regularly within the past 3 months by giving tidings. We had to wait until they "qualified." It was absurd, really.

tithing, OP

We didn't have any issues with the godparents having to prove anything. We, however, had to attend a baptismal session with our first only. With the second, they didn't require anything of the kind.

I do think it depends on the church. Ours leans a bit to the left. So they're relaxed with the rules.

You must be at a conservative church. Switch!

[Anonymous]

OP have they changed the requirements 3 times for this one Baptism? Which requirements?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've been attend mass with my partner's family on holidays and special events for almost 20 years. I've watched the Catholic church become more and more closed to non-members. I was baptized Lutheran, and used to be welcome to take communion. Not anymore. And I've heard the Holiday Homily ("Why is it so crowded today? Oh, right. It's Easter. You should be ashamed.") several times over the past few years. I used to put $5 in the basket, but I don't anymore.

If you were baptized in the Lutheran church, then it was never ok for you to take communion in the Catholic Church.

^^^PP here, back to add that unless you received the Sacrament of Communion in the Catholic Church (and no other church), it was never ok for you to take communion in the Catholic Church.

Yeah. Because, you know, the Catholic church can afford to be picky.

Really, it is the faith. I don't understand why it is hard to fathom that if you don't believe that when you receive communion it is truly the Body and Blood of Christ, you shouldn't be receiving it. Why does someone want to participate in something they don't believe?