MIL and Catholic Church

[hiddenhome]

ds1 came home yesterday and told me that his nan said that Catholics worship Mary not Jesus

He told her that we'd started going to the Catholic Church and I don't think it's going down too well

I dunno whether to laugh or cry

I've met a few people who think that. Perhaps your DS can explain it to her :o

Is there a leaflet or something you could give to her that would explain? Sadly, I suspect that misconceptions like this are wider spread than we would like to think.

both dcs go to Catholic Schools and everyone in the family is happy with that and agree that they're receiving a Christian education. They also know that they attend Masses at school and they're happy with that too.

Is this why people are prejudiced against Catholics?

Nobody in the family, apart from me, has ever attended Catholic church

They eat babies too .

I - baptist with Lutheran and Anglican leanings [hm] - used to be part of a Catholic prayer group. The number of times I was asked by protestants how on earth I could worship with them, amazed and saddened me. There is much misinformation on both sides.

It's such a shame that people believe these things. From what I've seen the Catholic Masses are totally Christ centered.

at MaryBS

:o They most certainly are. I'm born and bred RC, but became an Anglican a few years back as I'm divorced/remarried, and couldn't accept the church's teaching on divorce. Not bitter about it, them's the rules...

There probably are RCs who DO pray to Mary, but essentially, its more that petitions are made to Mary to pray for us. For example, the Hail Mary is in two parts. The first part is biblical, and are the words that the Angel Gabriel said to Mary. The second part is about asking Mary to pray for us. Whilst its true that Christ is our advocate, we still ask others to pray for us, and in the same way you might ask a friend to pray, Catholics (Orthodox and some Anglicans) ask Mary to pray also.

I pray to Mary, but I don't worship her above the HT. And I pray to her for guidance and intercession, not as worship.

This is just ignorance. Is your MIL any sort of Christian at all?

The number of times I was asked by protestants how on earth I could worship with them, amazed and saddened me

It really doesn't have to be that way. The church I grew up in (nonconformist protestant) was part of an Ecumenical group which included the Catholic church. When a new Baptist pastor objected and said they'd withdraw unless the Catholics were excluded - all the others (Cof E, methodist, URC etc) weren't having it! The Youth Fellowship of our church learned a bit about the similarities and differences, and visited the RC church. The commonalities vastly outweighed the differences.

Of course, there are various issues with the catholic church at the moment which may cause it to be viewed awry, but they aren't down to theology.

MIL is a lifelong evangelical Christian

She's a really nice person, I just wish people wouldn't say things like this about the church. I told ds1 that what she had told him wasn't true and he said it was okay because they'd discussed the subject in school and he understood about Mary and praying to her etc.

He didn't seem worried about it, I did feel a bit offended though.

The house group I 'facilitate' consists of (on average) 4 Anglicans, 2 methodists, 1 baptist and 1 RC. I love the diversity that offers, and I love the respect each has for the others beliefs (and foibles).

That sounds like a good group MaryBS

I think it's a good thing for different denominations to mix and get to talk to each other. People often just stick to their own type and it breeds ignorance. I think this has happened with MIL.

Unfortunately, some evangelicals are more likely to have bias against Catholicism - like the Baptist pastor I mentioned - and can have a tendency to arrogance that they're right. Hope you can find a way to gently educate her!

My MIL told me that ' a lot of people are funny about catholics' for no apparent reason

I think there's a fair amount of superstition about them

I blame Henry VIII

Back in the 70's my cousin was taught in school that RC didn't believe Jesus rose from the dead whilst protestants did. Thankfully our family was able to right that one! [hsmile]

My Mum is convinced that the world British hierarchy and most old school English people has an anti-Catholic prejudice. She wouldn't let me write British and Irish as my nationality on UCAS form as people would guess that I was Catholic and not give me a place at their posh uni. [hhmm]

I have yet to find anyone who is genuinely anti-Catholic, but I have found plenty who have weird ideas about what Catholicism is. It reminds me of Archbishop Fulton Sheen 's words: "There are not 100 people in the United States who hate the Catholic Church, but there are millions who hate what they wrongly perceive the Catholic Church to be."

My MIL used to be quiet suspicious when I started dating DH, I didn't bother saying anything and she's got used to me over the years!

there are plenty of anti-Catholics just as there are plenty of bigots who are anti-anything that is not just like them.

well put it this way - I'd say the UK is definitely much more anti Catholic then it is anti Protestant. Probably growing up in the west of Scotland helped colour that though you just have to read some of the Catholic threads on Mn to see that their is still some bias.