TW To be triggered by the Pope's death?

[ThisFluentBiscuit]

The nuns were horrible at my convent school. We had to watch a film of an abortion from the inside. Sex was seen as such a shameful, dirty thing - yet when you marry, you're supposed to suddenly be this sex machine ready to fill the word with children and raise them Catholic.

And the church simply will not get out of women's wombs. Not allowed contraception, not allowed abortion...the anti-choice, anti-woman nature of it a just makes me see red. The other Abrahamic religions allow contraception, including Islam.

Today reminds me how many people worship this institution and its misogyny.

As my husband said "on less bigot to worry about"

You really need to speak to someone more qualified than mumsnet
Old man from outdated institute dies
This has no effect on your life today, unless it's something you want to live by.

2/10

As a Christian I agree. Jesus would not recognise the Catholic church as the body of Christ. Just a load of self important misogynists who have completely lost sight of the gospel message.

People who haven't been raised Catholic don't understand how deeply the teachings penetrate. Easy to say it doesn't affect me today. I found it like a cult.

This is very comforting to read. I also think this, and it's nice to know it's not just me.

What does that mean?

The Pope dying made me sad as I would have rung my Nana to talk about it but she has died. I miss her. Need her so much right now. She converted to Catholicism after my Grandad died as she saw what a comfort religion was to him.

That's why you should seek professional help if you and struggling to move on.

I'm sorry for the way you were treated as a child. It's not hard to see why you might struggle with people celebrating the life of the head of a religion which has caused immense harm to so many people.

Maybe it's different if you came to it as an adult and no one forced you into it.

When you say converted, did she have a different religion? Or did she go from being non-religious to being Catholic?

Sure, but I just wondered if anyone here felt the same.

Some of the replies on here. 🙄

Sorry you had to go through that as a child op. I have no experience to share but completely understand why you feel that way.

I think she was probably Church of England.

I was raised Catholic (Irish Catholic family), went to Catholic schools and church, taught by nuns, confession with priests and all that but I don't really feel a lot about it. I've been non-practicing for a long time but still occasionally find it a source of comfort in times of need.

I have no Catholic guilt and I've had three children out of wedlock, been divorced and had an abortion. I'll spend a fair while in purgatory I suspect 😒

This is why I’m lapsed. I’ve seen so many posts on SM today about this “tragedy”. Of course it’s sad when people die but he was 88 years old for goodness sake.

Hi OP.
I'm thankful my mum was English and my dad was Irish, my dad's family is incredibly religious (catholic) and when I was younger I was forced into certain beliefs and things however it was lax and I grew up the way I wanted to because I find this cult like religion evil.
I said to my mum today I'm so glad she never forced me to grow up catholic because the things some people have had to go through is unbelievable.
Horrible horrible religion and very evil practices.

I was raised Catholic … taught by nuns… still go to church, and am a Governor at a Catholic School.

I believe in female bodily autonomy, have no issues with homosexuality, we have Pride weeks at school, I don’t worry about people divorcing, I have used contraception - as millions upon millions of Catholics do.

We all have free-will, we don’t have to blindly follow anything. We can question and critique.

As Pope Francis told us, our number 1 priority should be to spread love. If we are asked to do anything that does not spread love, we don’t do it, even if our religion wants us to.

He used his last address to talk about Refugess and Migrants (something that the church is very clear about. He ran a number of exercises during his pontificate to listen to the views of ordinary Catholics, and set out to make changes.

I think you will find Catholic Schools very different to how they were 40 years ago, ditto with churches.

I was raised a Catholic, went to a convent school, taught by (horrid) nuns. Now non-practicing. It means nothing to me.

Can’t say I’m remotely triggered.

I’m so sorry OP, my mum has spoken about how cruelly she was treated by the nuns at school (60+ years ago). Never in any great detail, but it sounded horrific and totally unforgivable

Indeed. If I hear one more report about the ‘shock’ death of an 88 year old I’m going to start shouting. How much of a shock is that, really?

The feelings the OP has are endemic amongst catholics. It wasn’t long ago our lives and society was governed by the church in every way; keeping us poor, in danger and guilty. And it’s generational trauma.

there isn’t enough professional help in the world to deal with it

I feel really sad for the millions of people that loved and worshipped him. Also feel for anyone that dies and it's sad.this man has passed away.

But today really did get me thinking about the role of pope. I mean, he's actually meant to be the human representation of god himself isn't he? Who could sincerely put themselves forward as that? Surely you'd have to be pretty narcissistic? And what on earth would compel you to try and convince other people you were that special? And to worship you? You must know in your heart that it's rubbish and you are just a normal bloke (or woman - can women be a pope too?) and not actually god!? so don't you feel a fraud getting millions of people to adore you and worship you as god on earth?

I find it all quite strange.

It’s no tragedy. Elderly man has died of natural causes. He was well taken care of.
The real tragedies are in the news daily. I was brought up Catholic but no longer associate.