Yay - my husband finally left the Catholic Church!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And there is no Catholic doctrine on a separate room for Catholics in heaven. We do need to go to purgatory which is more like a waiting room before heaven. Not for Protestants though since it is only a Catholic thing. I don't think you want to go there anyways.

Any specifics on what happens in purgatory now that the flames are gone. Are you still dependent on people's prayers to get you out? What if no one prays for you, because, let's say, all your catholic family and friends are already dead (and still in purgatory themselves)

Anyone can pray "for the souls in purgatory". It is my understanding that prayers can speed the process but eventually all souls will move on to heaven when ready. But I'd have to verify that.

Anyone can pray for the souls in purgatory, but if all your catholic friends and family are also in purgatory, there's no one left on earth to pray. And it's my understanding that only living Catholics' prayers count, is that right? Maybe some monks who pray all day for indiscriminate souls could chime in, but that could take forever. So it seems like the best way to get out of Purgatory fast is to have a lot of living catholic friends who can speed the process. Even in purgatory, it pays to have friends in the right places.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And there is no Catholic doctrine on a separate room for Catholics in heaven. We do need to go to purgatory which is more like a waiting room before heaven. Not for Protestants though since it is only a Catholic thing. I don't think you want to go there anyways.

Any specifics on what happens in purgatory now that the flames are gone. Are you still dependent on people's prayers to get you out? What if no one prays for you, because, let's say, all your catholic family and friends are already dead (and still in purgatory themselves)

Anyone can pray "for the souls in purgatory". It is my understanding that prayers can speed the process but eventually all souls will move on to heaven when ready. But I'd have to verify that.

Anyone can pray for the souls in purgatory, but if all your catholic friends and family are also in purgatory, there's no one left on earth to pray. And it's my understanding that only living Catholics' prayers count, is that right? Maybe some monks who pray all day for indiscriminate souls could chime in, but that could take forever. So it seems like the best way to get out of Purgatory fast is to have a lot of living catholic friends who can speed the process. Even in purgatory, it pays to have friends in the right places.

Well we make a habit, and I'm sure other Catholics do too, of praying "for those in purgatory." Who knows who they are, but my prayers are with them. So even those without specific folks praying for them have prayers of countless others. I don't know if only Catholic prayers would count, I wouldn't think so, if the prayer is sincere.

[Anonymous]

I pray for souls in purgatory and we believe that our loved ones in heaven also advocate for us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I pray for souls in purgatory and we believe that our loved ones in heaven also advocate for us.

Wow - friends in heaven too! I suppose they have a lot of clout. Thing is, you don't really know which of your friends or family members are in heaven. You can guess, but it's not like God provides a list of people who have made it out of purgatory into heaven.

I guess if some innocent children died, you could count on them being in heaven and advocating for you, so families who have lost children have a better chance of getting out of purgatory sooner.

[Anonymous]

OP here, loving my Protestant church more with every post on this thread.

It's even easier to see why my husband left his church, and embraces the new one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

OP here, loving my Protestant church more with every post on this thread.

It's even easier to see why my husband left his church, and embraces the new one.

Please don't let a thread on an anonymous board ingrain a hatred for an entire religion, that would be unfortunate and small-minded.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

OP here, loving my Protestant church more with every post on this thread.

It's even easier to see why my husband left his church, and embraces the new one.

Please don't let a thread on an anonymous board ingrain a hatred for an entire religion, that would be unfortunate and small-minded.

I don't see evidence of OP's "hatred" for Catholicism -- but happiness that DH has left it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

OP here, loving my Protestant church more with every post on this thread.

It's even easier to see why my husband left his church, and embraces the new one.

Please don't let a thread on an anonymous board ingrain a hatred for an entire religion, that would be unfortunate and small-minded.

I don't see evidence of OP's "hatred" for Catholicism -- but happiness that DH has left it.

Right, she's voiced that it's more clear to her why her husband left Catholicism. Her increasing clarity is based on this thread. So what other conclusion is there to draw than she is even more down on Catholicism. I'm sure she's happy that DH joined her church but it's unfortunate that his former religion has an increasingly sour taste for her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I pray for souls in purgatory and we believe that our loved ones in heaven also advocate for us.

Wow - friends in heaven too! I suppose they have a lot of clout. Thing is, you don't really know which of your friends or family members are in heaven. You can guess, but it's not like God provides a list of people who have made it out of purgatory into heaven.

I guess if some innocent children died, you could count on them being in heaven and advocating for you, so families who have lost children have a better chance of getting out of purgatory sooner.

Maybe your God makes it harder to get into Heaven than mine does. Or maybe you think your loved ones deserve Hell more than than I think mine do. Either way, I expect to go to Heaven and enjoy the company of my loved ones and many more people since I was taught in Catholicism very few people go to Hell. It's for inveterate mortal sinners.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have never heard that there was a separate room in heaven for Protestants or that Protestants were going to hell simply for being Protestant.

Any Catholic who believes that needs to buy a Catechism and read it. Any Protestant who believes that's the official Church position should do the same thing.

The separate room is for catholics, not protestants. It's because Catholics think they're the only ones there.

Official church position changes, so it can be hard keeping up with who is where in the afterlife I've heard there's no limbo now. What about purgatory?

OK, if my MIL is wrong - and she knows her catholicism - where do I (prot.) go? Limbo doesn't exist anymore. I don't go to purgatory to work out my sins. My Catholic friends have jokingly said I'm going to hell. I have to have the last rites, the proper funeral mass where my soul leaves the coffin at the precise moment and be buried in a catholic cemetery, blah blah blah. So where does a good prot. go? MY MIL actually cried in front of me when I said I had become an Episcopalian. I'm a lost soul.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have never heard that there was a separate room in heaven for Protestants or that Protestants were going to hell simply for being Protestant.

Any Catholic who believes that needs to buy a Catechism and read it. Any Protestant who believes that's the official Church position should do the same thing.

The separate room is for catholics, not protestants. It's because Catholics think they're the only ones there.

Official church position changes, so it can be hard keeping up with who is where in the afterlife I've heard there's no limbo now. What about purgatory?

OK, if my MIL is wrong - and she knows her catholicism - where do I (prot.) go? Limbo doesn't exist anymore. I don't go to purgatory to work out my sins. My Catholic friends have jokingly said I'm going to hell. I have to have the last rites, the proper funeral mass where my soul leaves the coffin at the precise moment and be buried in a catholic cemetery, blah blah blah. So where does a good prot. go? MY MIL actually cried in front of me when I said I had become an Episcopalian. I'm a lost soul.

You are not a lost soul. MIL and your friends do not know Catholicism if they say you are predestined to hell because you are protestant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have never heard that there was a separate room in heaven for Protestants or that Protestants were going to hell simply for being Protestant.

Any Catholic who believes that needs to buy a Catechism and read it. Any Protestant who believes that's the official Church position should do the same thing.

The separate room is for catholics, not protestants. It's because Catholics think they're the only ones there.

Official church position changes, so it can be hard keeping up with who is where in the afterlife I've heard there's no limbo now. What about purgatory?

OK, if my MIL is wrong - and she knows her catholicism - where do I (prot.) go? Limbo doesn't exist anymore. I don't go to purgatory to work out my sins. My Catholic friends have jokingly said I'm going to hell. I have to have the last rites, the proper funeral mass where my soul leaves the coffin at the precise moment and be buried in a catholic cemetery, blah blah blah. So where does a good prot. go? MY MIL actually cried in front of me when I said I had become an Episcopalian. I'm a lost soul.

You are not a lost soul. MIL and your friends do not know Catholicism if they say you are predestined to hell because you are protestant.

Not predestined to hell, perhaps, but passing up the chance for heaven by having the choice to become Catholic and turning it down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I pray for souls in purgatory and we believe that our loved ones in heaven also advocate for us.

Wow - friends in heaven too! I suppose they have a lot of clout. Thing is, you don't really know which of your friends or family members are in heaven. You can guess, but it's not like God provides a list of people who have made it out of purgatory into heaven.

I guess if some innocent children died, you could count on them being in heaven and advocating for you, so families who have lost children have a better chance of getting out of purgatory sooner.

Maybe your God makes it harder to get into Heaven than mine does. Or maybe you think your loved ones deserve Hell more than than I think mine do. Either way, I expect to go to Heaven and enjoy the company of my loved ones and many more people since I was taught in Catholicism very few people go to Hell. It's for inveterate mortal sinners.

I was taught that one mortal sin on your soul - for instance, missing Mass one Sunday, without absolution, and you go to hell.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I pray for souls in purgatory and we believe that our loved ones in heaven also advocate for us.

Wow - friends in heaven too! I suppose they have a lot of clout. Thing is, you don't really know which of your friends or family members are in heaven. You can guess, but it's not like God provides a list of people who have made it out of purgatory into heaven.

I guess if some innocent children died, you could count on them being in heaven and advocating for you, so families who have lost children have a better chance of getting out of purgatory sooner.

Maybe your God makes it harder to get into Heaven than mine does. Or maybe you think your loved ones deserve Hell more than than I think mine do. Either way, I expect to go to Heaven and enjoy the company of my loved ones and many more people since I was taught in Catholicism very few people go to Hell. It's for inveterate mortal sinners.

I was taught that one mortal sin on your soul - for instance, missing Mass one Sunday, without absolution, and you go to hell.

Missing one Mass is not a mortal sin. It's a venial one.

[Anonymous]

Read this for a clear explanation of why missing Mass in occasion for little or no good reason isn't a mortal sin:

http://ronconte.wordpress.com/2011/06/17/is-it-always-a-mortal-sin-to-miss-mass/