February 7, 2012
What stereotypes or misinformed
views about Catholicism might we need to let go of?
by Kelli B. Trujillo
I made the mistake of visiting a new
church on Sunday, April 3, 2005. The day before, Pope John Paul II had died.
And the young pastor of the small church we visited decided to include John
Paul’s death in his sermon, which went something like this...
“Today, all those people in
that big, fancy church over there [pointing west toward the local Catholic
parish] are all mourning the death of a man they worshiped. They’re sure he’s
in heaven ...[imagine, now, a very smug tone of voice] but is he really? I
don’t presume to know God’s judgment—I don’t presume to say if he is in heaven
or in hell—but those people over there have their focus on the wrong
thing. On a man, not on God...”
Let’s just say that was our only
visit to that little congregation. (The sermon got it wrong on so many levels!)
Yet his beliefs about Catholicism, though perhaps not so insensitively
expressed, are quite common among evangelicals. His disdain for a fancy or
ostentatious church building, the misinformed idea that Catholics worship the
pope, the strongly implied suggestion that John Paul was not actually a
Christian (and was likely in hell), and further the insinuation that Catholics
in general are not Christians.
I’ve heard similar sentiments among
evangelical friends. Some evangelical ideas about Catholicism come directly
from former Catholics who are speaking honestly about their own experience of
Catholicism and what they understood it to be about. But often times, sadly,
Protestants perpetuate ideas about Catholicism that are simply ill-founded and
misinformed.
Now before you stop reading, hear me
say this: there are key, essential, and significant differences between
Catholicism and evangelical Protestantism. I definitely recognize these crucial
differences, and I believe that these differences ought not be ignored or
overlooked—as a matter of fact, recently Kyria.com put together a download resource discussing the
Catholic-Protestant Divide. And of equal importance, I believe these
differences ought to be fairly and accurately understood.
I’ve come to this belief through a
habit I’ve formed over the past few years of periodically listening to Catholic
radio. The shows I like are call-in shows in which Catholics, Protestants,
agnostics, and atheists call in with questions and chat on-air with a priest,
theologian, or lay leader. The value I’ve found in these shows is that I’ve
gotten to hear informed, committed Catholics explain what they believe
and why—rather than getting the evangelical version of what Catholics believe.
I’ve discovered that some of our
differences are more a matter of semantics than true disagreement. For example,
though Catholics may not gravitate toward phrases like “born again” or having a
“personal relationship with Jesus,” that does not mean that they are not born
again or that they don’t have a devoted relationship with Jesus infused with
prayer, worship, Scripture reading, and more.
I’ve also discovered that some of my
ideas about what Catholics believe were simply wrong. These ideas about
Catholicism often come from nominal Catholics—people who are Catholic in name
but who do not follow (or may not even know) the actual, official doctrines of
the Catholic church. Just like I wouldn’t want a lapsed evangelical with no
active faith and no commitment to Jesus claiming to represent what I believe, I
think we ought to be careful not to base our understanding of Catholicism on
the actions or words of people who are Catholic in name only.
And I’ve discovered that in the
remaining key areas of disagreement, there is a great value in aiming to
understand why Catholics believe as they do. I’ve had conversations with
devout Catholic friends asking questions like, “Why do you pray to Mary?” and “Do
you really believe that the bread and wine transform into actual flesh
and blood?” In a dialogue of mutual respect, empathy, and a sincere desire to
understand, I’ve learned a great deal from these Catholic friends.
While I still hold firmly to my own
conclusions on these matters as an evangelical Protestant, I’ve found a deep
and meaningful sense of spiritual sisterhood with these friends whose profound
love of Jesus inspires my own walk with him.
I’ve personally been blessed by my
fellowship with Catholics and by engaging in thought-provoking discussion with
them over theological matters. How about you? What stereotypes or misinformed
views about Catholicism might you need to let go of? How might intentional and
honest dialogue with a Catholic strengthen your own convictions and nurture
your faith in Christ?
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