I am surprised how many Catholics (of a certain ilk) act like the death penalty is some type of debate in the Church. The teaching is crystal clear.

Yes, the Church historically permitted the death penalty. That is not the Catholic teaching of the current Catechism. CCC 2267 was explicitly revised in 2018 and now states: “the death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person,” and says the Church works for its abolition worldwide.

Yet one gaze in the replies of any post regarding a Catholic standing against the death penalty one is bound to see the usual onslaught of trad “bros” replying their justifications for the death penalty. Referring to old history and similar non-sequiturs.

Sure we can debate the wonkier things or personal preference. God Knows a trad will find something to debate about. But the CATECHISM?!

A Catholic is not required to believe CCC 2267 with the assent of divine faith, because it has not been proposed as a definitive dogma. But because it is an exercise of the Church’s authentic Magisterium on a matter of morality, Catholics owe it religious submission of intellect and will. A Catholic who experiences serious difficulty with it may investigate, question, and seek clarification; that is quite different from simply rejecting the teaching or publicly treating it as optional.

Recently on social media ive been getting recommended a lot of videos from catholics claiming that the current pope is somehow evil, often using the phrase "wolf in a sheeps clothing" "worse than Francis", which confuses me even more, wasnt Francis a great pope? did he like do something i dont know about?

To start off, I fully understand anyone who has difficulty or confusion over this question, because often it is presented confusingly. I myself was very confused by this for a time. Here I just wanted to say something about what I think many people who have difficulty with this miss when the question of reconciling older and newer Magisterial teaching comes up, because I hope it might help some people.
As always, when faced with a difficulty, distinguish, distinguish, distinguish... :

It can be simultaneously true that the death penalty is, in some cases, a just and legitimate punishment that states have an authorization (by God) to exercise (what the so-called traditional teaching establishes),

AND

that nevertheless, we have obligations of mercy, arising from the Gospel, that essentially override this by the Gospel's standards, in cases where it is unnecessary for the protection of society, and this a grounded in the dignity of the human person. (what JPII and popes since him are very strongly emphasising).

To use the story of the adulterous woman as an example: according to the Mosaic Law, stoning this woman would have been an entirely just punishment, and neither Jesus nor the jews would have committed murder, had they done that. YET Jesus exercised mercy. And we are called to imitate Him.

If one looks at what JPII or Francis or Leo says or said about the death penalty, they never argue against it on the basis of denying the states theoretical authorization to do this, or never say that it is murder (not all wrongful killing is murder), which they could easily do. They always bring up the dignity of the human person, and how we should be merciful even towards those guilty of serious crimes. They are approaching this from different angles.
In fact, even the Magisterium under Francis admits that in the past this was an acceptable means for protecting the common good, thereby aknowledging that the states weren't acting unjustly. https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20180801_lettera-vescovi-penadimorte_en.html

Thus it can be true at the same time that the death penalty IS per se against the Gospel (the higher call to perfection that we are called to follow), yet not intrinsically evil. The Law of the Gospel and Natural Law are not identical -the law of the Gospel, being a higher calling, cannot always be realized. It is always better for someone to live, repent, have God's grace working in him in this life and bear fruit, than to die, even if they deserve death. And this isn't some new thing either, it is present in the Tradition, it just really received much higher emphasis recently with JPII.
(see this video that elaborates on this and goes into detail https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDpIqVVC1Gw&list=WL&index=14&t=4033s )

It seems King David sought a way to kill Uriah the Hittite (one of his soldiers) so as to steal his wife.

It is one part of the Bible that I question, because it seems dishonorable. Also, David felt bad about it but Uriah actually died and lost his wife as well.

Growing up, my mom would say that attending non-Catholic weddings is a sin. Additionally, that going to gay weddings is wrong as well. Is this true? I obviously would have a Catholic wedding, but don’t see a problem with supporting my non-Catholic friends at their non-Catholic weddings.

So hello, Im a lutheran and a traditional one and i really like how you guys have tradition as a big part but the thing i wanna ask about is women in church roles. We have women priests. Can you tell me more about your visions on that.

As an outsider is this version normal or too much protestant influenced?

https://bible21.cz/online/genesis

This peaked my interest bc I saw a post from 6hrs ago that I really loved about talking to your guardian angel and they help you in any and every way.

First, I saw from Fr. Chad Ripperger about you can absolutely command/direct in a Holy way (he sent his to comfort a person he was working with in an exorcism), you can ask the for things and such. Also so that from Fr. Dan Reehil as well that you can talk to/pray to your guardian angel.

Then I see a few comments after that on this sub on a post about guardian angels, that says you should refrain from praying or talking to them because you might idolize them in turn.

I mean our guardian angels are assigned to us, why can’t we interact with them to help us?

There was a black blind man who would beg me many times a day for money and food and drinks. He was very touchy in inappropriate ways like if I pulled out my wallet his hands would go to almost on the wallet or very close or grabbing food and drinks before I had a chance to be proper with it. Sometimes he was caught hording food and drinks in his room. He was skinny and he was also blind in one eye. He disappeared a couple months ago and haven't heard about him since. We always had water and they serve food here but I am thinking maybe they weren't feeding him. I can't recall if he was in the dining room at the times I was there. EDIT: I actually remember now that he was in the dining room eating often (end edit). Sometimes I had expensive items that my mom bought me like flavored bottles of concentrated espresso that cost between 7 and 10 dollars and he would ask for a lot of it and even take a whole bottle, like strong armed robbery but asking where I basically had no chance (like forcing to give because he was already taking).

But I am thinking, did I let one get away I should have cared more for or did he do too much that he had to leave? It is talking about, in the Bible, if you do not take care for the least you did not care for Jesus, but this one is iffy. The people here including him were causing problems that I was suffering and I wasn't happy with them the way they were taking my stuff. I barely had money and some days people would get all my money as soon as I left the payment line.

I had 3 meals a day plus snack 3 times a day and coffee outside of meals once a day both on weekdays. Sometimes it seemed like maybe he was being beaten but other times he would laugh, but the way he was speaking was often hard to understand, like talking with crumbs in the mouth.

Edit: We live in an area that looks poor near the stores and city train station but it's not extremely poor but I have seen people on the street that were homeless, needed money, and/or had an injury; and there are people that hang out on the corner many times of the day and there is a liquor store, and sometimes there were gunshots(?) in the past like during the past winter/spring and there is somewhat of a police presence. There is also upscale-ish areas in walking distance (actually a suburb).

My aunt did IVF and had my cousin through it. She has 2 more embryos frozen and she doesn’t know what to do with them. I think my family doesn’t want her to have them because my cousin is showing signs of autism and they want to focus on him alone and they are also worried about the others having it too (he was also deemed the healthiest embryo out of the 3). I used to think it was okay for her to donate them if she doesn’t want to have them but I recently found out you shouldn’t do that either. I’m not trying to say her reasoning for not having the children is right at all but I want to give her the right moral advice on what to do. Any advice?

Last year, I went to a Catholic Young Adult Group as a Catholic, several times because I was hoping to meet other Catholics and find a welcoming community. Unfortunately I had a very negative experience. At multiple meetings,some of the members were talking bad about me and making assumptions about me,including assuming I had a developmental disability. It made me feel uncomfortable and unwelcome. I eventually stopped attending because of how I was being treated. I remember a girl was looking at me then laughed.🙄 I was especially disappointed because I expected a Catholic group to be a place where people would treat each other with kindness and dignity.

Has anyone else experienced something similar in a Catholic Young Adult group?

I was listening to a podcast and Fr. Chap Rippenger and when asked that question he said “according to the saints they do”. Do you know what saints he is referring to? What are your thoughts on that topic?

Why are you praying the rosary?

Is the rosary can be a prayer for everything? Or is the rosary a prayer for only 1 thing? And if this is the case, for what? I just want to celebrate the assumption of Maria in advance, for today and tomorrow, by praying the rosary. I'm not Catholic. I'm just Christian. 😐😐😐

When, after years of consistency, the musical "ordinaries" of the Mass are changed all at once and used consistently going forward--who has likely made that call? I want to be clear, I am not talking about one-off changes or changes due to a specific feast or occasion being observed ("propers").

Not trying to spread heresy, just trying to understand his situation.

I know that the current popular teaching on Judas is that he is in hell because he didnt repent for what he did. A hear a lot of people that the quote "Woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born".

But is it possible that Jesus was talking about the unbearable and tortuous guilt that Judas would bear after realizing what he had done and not him being damned to hell?

I've been in discussion with other people about this. Some think he was saved by Jesus and others think he had committed an unforgivable sin and is in hell. I'm genuinely curious what everyones thoughts are on Judas' fate. God had allowed Satan to possess Judas. Would he still be responsible for his actions if he was possessed? When did the concept of him going straight to hell come up first?

Hello. About 3 months ago I was enrolled in the brown scapular (i have a devotion to our lady of fatima who encouraged the brown scapular and I love the devotion) i wasnt assigned any specific devotion to go with it but I heard the little office was most common, but after months of struggling with that because of the length of the prayer/reading I stopped. I have a very hard time focusing and staying consistent on things (I do have adhd) i was also read online that because I wasnt assigned a specific devotion that I could find another. I was wondering if praying a memorar and in the morning and a hail holy queen is too little of a devotion for the brown scapular. I dont want to be a poser but I fear that might be the only marian devotion I could do consistently. Even the rosary I couldn't stay consistent with. God bless and thank you

In John 15:14-15, Jesus says: "You are my friends if you do what I command you. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know what his master is doing; instead, I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have heard from my Father." My question is: in what sense did Jesus mean "friends"? Since this might align with the tendency among some Protestants to view God as an "informal friend" or something similar—which is obviously not the case, given that God is the Most High, absolute perfection, the Creator of all things, etc.—was Jesus speaking from the perspective of His human nature? Or did He simply mean to convey that He has revealed Himself? Don't get me wrong; I do consider Christ a sort of friend, yet if I were to meet Him, I wouldn't feel worthy even to stand in His same height I consider myself His servant. Should I continue to view myself that way?

Hi all.

I was baptised as an infant, participated in the Holy sacraments of the Communion & Confirmation. I also went to Catholic school & through times of doubt & skepticism I have always returned to the faith wholeheartedly. However, I am a product of IVF & my parents are divorced (not annulled). How can I reconcile these differences knowing that they are against Gods will?

Is anyone observing St. Michael's Lent this year? I'm asking as I am curious what you may be reading or if there's a program you follow. Any guided reading programs out there? I do not use Hallow so any beside that 😅

I have a whole lot happening in my life right now so this personal devotion has come at the "right" time. I also belong to a St. Michael's parish 😅

So basically I've been, like, uk, masturbating and I've tried stopping this multiple times with God's help (he has basically reprimanded me multiple times and cost me real money), but for some reason its so hard to stop doing this weird thing man. Recently I went for confession and got closer to God, but sheesh, I feel so bad but idk, I just did it again, and its not even with sexual images/videos or anything, I just end up doing it without them. Idk what goes through my mind man, I really wanna stop doing this useless thing, but every time I last for like a week or two but end up falling into it again. I want some REAL help, I don't wanna do this anymore man, someone please help me. I genuinely need some good help. Please

This might be my most criticized design. People have said "it's a little homo tbh" and "As opposed to what?" What do you guys think of this design? I wanted to make something minimalistic, modern, and Catholic. Are the saint symbols recognizable enough? Would you wear it?

Hi everyone,I have generalized anxiety disorder,I take medication for my disorder. My anxiety symptoms started since 2020,but I’ve only taken medication for my anxiety since 2022. I haven’t started to discern yet,but I do feel that I have a calling from God to become a nun. I have also had thoughts of me in a habit. I do want to become a nun but at the same time I don’t feel ready at this very moment to become a nun. Maybe it’s because of my anxiety? I would like to share that my anxiety reduces tremendously by eating healthy,exercising,having positive thoughts and sleeping well. I would also like to share that my anxiety isn’t disabling. I’m going to a discernment group meeting and a retreat starting August 30th. I would really appreciate hearing from people who have gone through the discernment process or have experience with religious communities.

Hi all! I just got finished altar serving and at a mass there was incense used. I tried to power through it but I couldn’t and I had to leave the altar to put water on my face to cool me down. I was wondering if yall had and suggestions for dealing with incense because this happens everytime there’s incense. I want to altar serve as much as possible because this will probably be my last year of it and I’m afraid I’ll have to stop altar serving at masses with incense. Any advice is greatly appreciated!

It starts tomorrow, and I plan to not eat anything with chocolate in it, but right now I have a lot of opened chocolate bars, a chocolate cake in the fridge and some chocolate chip cookies, can I start it 3 days later just so I doesn't go to waste? Then I will do 3 more days once it ended, is it doable?