AIBU to wonder what 'very Catholic' means?

[Graunaile2017]

I read a comment on another thread describing parents as 'very Catholic '. I'm not from the UK so sometimes miss the nuance or underlying cultural meaning of comments like this, but it seems to imply negativity. What exactly constitutes 'very Catholic' and why is it bad?

I married into a family that acted as if they were devout Catholics.
I’ve since found out my MIL was on the pill and one of her sisters married a Proddy !!!
It’s not always as it seems 😉

@fascintaed how do you know they don't use contraceptives? NFP is accepted. There is a difference between Catholics and he quiverful type movement which pushes for as many children as possible

So, lots of stereotypes and no one mentioned relationship with Christ, communion, belief in treating others as you would want to be treated, etc - these are at the core and the rules and traditions are only part of it even for the 'very Catholic'.

We can't leave the RC church anymore, btw. There was a process in place but it is has now stopped.

@Graunaile2017 that's certainly been the case with all of the people i know who would describe themselves as "very Catholic" - in my experience it's a religion that, if followed devoutly, generally leads to a huge amount of shame and guilt. The Mea Culpa stuff is just the tip of the iceberg.

I’m a pro-choice, pro-contraception, pro-sex before marriage, pro-divorce catholic. I go to Mass, believe in God, and have had an abortion and been on the Pill. So by rights I’m a really bad Catholic. My gran Was very Catholic - went to Mass every day, no meat on Fridays, went to confession and benediction every week, plus the stations of the Cross, said Novenas for people and was never without a rosary in her pocket. She was also a racist homophobic bigot.

I’m not perfect - far from it. I just try to be a good, kind person as much as I can.

To me being 'very Catholic' means that you completely follow all the doctrine, worship etc but for some reason you think that this means you can be as rude as Hell and totally judgemental of others, a massive hypocrite etc.

The hardcore Catholics in my parish are some of the rudist and most selfish people I have ever come across. And they are very cliquey

@hollywhiskey you probably havent heard of high church as we dont have high church in Catholicism, that's an Anglican church concept. The while basis of the Catholic church is that its universal.

Catholic with capital C pertains to the Catholic faith.
Small c catholic means all embracing.

As a catholic, going to mass every week and being involved in your parish is not “very” catholic it’s just being a practising catholic...(unlike me who is getting pretty damn close to lapsed).

I would say “very” catholic applied to those who are very traditional and old fashioned in their practice of the faith. I still know loads of properly practising catholics, and while I don’t know everyone stances on termination of pregnancy, I don’t know ANY who are homophobic for example. I do have friends who use NFP (and only have 3 kids!) but I wouldn’t even call them very catholic.

Thanks folks, I was just curious, I though it an odd phrase.
Is there much anti Catholic feeling in the UK, apart from the paedophile priest problem which I do think is abhorred by Catholics and loads of priests too,

@tinytemper66 .their stance on women priests, abortion, contraception and confession.

It sounds like you disagree with most things catholic! I am catholic and contraception and abortion go against the natural law. They are just wrong. Inconvenience for some maybe but wrong and no amount of reasoning can put that right.

Is there much anti Catholic feeling in the UK,

Yep. Just look at some of the views on this thread! Hatred of Catholics is very much socially accepted in the U.K.

I jest, as obviously I don’t know the ins and outs of every bedroom.

However, it’s telling that the vast majority have no more than two kids and references to not using contraception, following the church’s family teachings on pre marital sex etc are met with laughter on nights out etc. I can imagine many are pro life, not rabidly so but probably for themselves, although there has never really been cause to mention that.

Catholics who give their children "very Catholic" names. The family I'm thinking of have a Joseph, an Ursula and a Bernadette.

@Graunaile2017

Thanks folks, I was just curious, I though it an odd phrase. Is there much anti Catholic feeling in the UK, apart from the paedophile priest problem which I do think is abhorred by Catholics and loads of priests too,

Catholic doctrine, when strictly followed, is homophobic and misogynistic at its roots, which is why devout followers of the religion tend to be treated with suspicion.

Then there's also the huge culture of covering for and protecting paedophiles and abusers within the church, which had lead to a massive mistrust of the leadership and hierarchy within the general public, although this admittedly has nothing to do with doctrine.

So, two separate issues leading to "very Catholic" being a descriptor that would generally invoke a negative reaction.

@Hollywhiskey High church is a Protestant term - basically means those Anglicans who are still a bit Catholic (in vestments, liturgy etc). By definition cannot mean very Catholic.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_church

Yep. Just look at some of the views on this thread! Hatred of Catholics is very much socially accepted in the U.K

Hatred of Catholics or concern about some of the more traditional views and attitudes of some members of the Catholic church?

And I don’t know any Catholics who call themselves very Catholic - that would only be the Jacob Rees-Mogg types, who I don’t view as truly being Catholic at all as their way of conducting themselves is so far from actually following the teachings of Christ...

Things seem very different in other countries — I think we are pretty liberal in the UK, certainly any I know.

who I don’t view as truly being Catholic at all as their way of conducting themselves is so far from actually following the teachings of Christ

TBF - many people who call themselves Catholic or Church of England or who are followers of the teaching of Christ in some way seem to have forgotten the attitude that Christ tried to teach.

Looking at you, Katie Hopkins, Anne Widdecombe, Donald Trump etc

crosspost with mintich sorry.

@Graunaile2017 I would say that yes there is a strong undercurrent of anti Catholic sentiment in the UK, if asked. I wouldn't bring it up otherwise because it would be (and will now be in this thread) fiercely denied and what is the point, but yes, I think there is.

Of course there is anti catholic sentiment in the UK. And anti Irish sentiment!

@NameChange84. yeah I'm a bit surprised at the vitriol from some people tbh . Never seen 'very Jewish' or 'very Hindu' as a description on here.
@Sayitaginwhydon'tyou, that's really so sad for those people, I always thought that the shame Catholicism was just a stereotype. Surely one would only feel shame or guilt if one did something that one felt ones self was actually wrong, otherwise what would one feel guilty about. Weird .

@Starbuggy

I have friends who are “very catholic” and I don’t mean that in a bad way! I just use it to mean they’re devout, go to church weekly and are involved in the church (running first communion or confirmation classes, doing flowers, running coffee morning, church groups etc), etc.

As opposed to lapsed catholics or “catholic to get the children into the catholic school” type catholics!

This in my experience is the typical meaning in this country. I’ve never ever met a catholic that would meet the description of @Sayitagainwhydontyou.

I wouldn't bring it up otherwise because it would be (and will now be in this thread) fiercely denied and what is the point, but yes, I think there is

In what ways do you think it is manifested?