Another part of a video series from Wordonfire.org. Bishop Barron will be commenting on subjects from modern day culture. For more visit www.wordonfire.org/
I left the Church for 10 years. I came back when I began working with a non-profit hospice. I witnessed the power of Jesus in the sacrament given to a dying man. The patient did not want to take any opiates or pain relievers for his cancer pain. Instead, he requested a priest hear his confession, anoint him and give him the Eucharist. His pain left him immediately. After about a week his physical pain would return and so we asked the priest to return to anoint him. His pain left. So, every week, this was the way his physical pain was managed. He died in peace. I have many stories to share about the reality of Jesus' presence in the sacraments and His healing power. I was invited back to a local parish. As I walked in, I immediately felt the presence of Jesus in the tabernacle of the parish. However, the pastor's preaching was awful; the choir was weak; and the parishioners were not particularly welcoming or friendly. But, Jesus was there! Eventually, i met Catholics there who welcomed me and i am grateful. Years later, i entered religious life and became a Dominican priest. I love being a priest and i love welcoming others back to the Church.
Fr Barron: my parents have been life-long Catholics - and very involved in the church. Now, at age 83 and 82 - very ill - and unable to make it to Mass, the church has left them abandoned. No calls. No visits. No concern. I once called to see if the priest would come over to visit with Communion and was told that my parents needed to go to confession prior to that happening! Very disappointing. The only calls we ever get from the church is when it's the annual festival time - to solicit donations. Do you know who visit my parents? People who we have always kept the door closed to - Jehovah Witnesses. We let them in now. Not to convert because they are strong in their Catholic roots - but because they are the only ones who care enough to visit. They even visit my folks at the hospital. We are Catholic - and it hurts to say all this - but it's the truth.
Gosh, your poor parents must belong to a bad parish. Every Catholic parish I know has an extensive outreach program to the sick and the homebound. Keep trying to reach the pastoral team at their parish--or speak to their bishop.
Did not Somebody once say “By their fruits ye shall know them”!? Throughout my life I have often found that help has not come from those I expected to give it. Indeed, often help - but which made ALL the difference - has come from the least likely of people. Your JWs almost certainly have a hidden religious agenda, but in this they are the same as the Catholic Church! Insofar as these people are good human beings, you would be stupid to rebuff their kindness. To my mind, your priest ought to have made it his business to follow up your parents’ exceptional absence from church. After all, he must have been the one ultimately responsible for you being solicited for money! A priest is supposed to be an “alter Christus” i.e. “another Christ”. Your parents, and not forgetting yourself(!), have been treated with appalling pastoral insensitivity in a most unChristlike way. Actions speak louder than words, don’t they? So question your priest’s priorities!
wow! that is horrible to hear! My parish has people that every sunday bring the Eucharist to the sick home bound parishioners... wow! please call another parish and ask them to bring them communion. if they need confession then have the priest come over and do that before distributing jeeze
Xavier why don't you or someone in your family bring the Eucharist to your parents? The church is you and me not Father and/or any other staff at the parish. We are called to care for our family including spiritual care for our family. We are called to be Christ's hands and feet.
actually that is VERY true! The Eucharistic Ministers are the ones bringing the host to the sick in my parish. Father of course does but he cannot make it to every house. There is a short training and then you can get a host each sunday for them and bring it to them.
When I was 12yrs old I was a bad kid. Getting kicked out of school and the whole thing. I ended up being a high school drop out. I remember Fr. Anthony one day saying at church, “as long as you say your daily prayers with sincerity, you will be Catholic.” I heard that when I was 12. I took it to heart. Now I’m 60 and I still attend mass and confession and say my daily prayers.
@MissX W yes. And u can win the lotto without going to work. But the normal way to know God or get rich is thru hard work. As the Bible Says “Work out your salvation in trembling and fear
Bishop Barron: You raise great points about hospitality and how people may leave the Church when they feel it's profoundly lacking. One thing that strikes me is a lost opportunity that is unique to the Catholic Church. There's a priest on site, available to meet with people who walk in from the street essentially throughout the week. He's available to listen, to be present, to respond to the pain and brokenness of the stranger at his door. But most strangers, especially if they are lapsed Catholics, aren't going to be confident to just knock on the rectory or parish office door and ask to chat with the priest. They may, however, be confident enough to attend a weekday Noon Mass and perhaps encounter the priest there. Yet what do I see most often at weekday Masses? The priest shows up to celebrate the Eucharist sometimes in a pretty perfunctory way, he stays in the sanctuary and vanishes as soon as Mass is over. There are so many opportunities for outreach if the priest welcomed visitors, sat with the congregation in the pews for a few minutes and showed that he cared about more than going through the motions in a transactional sense and then washing his hands of it. I wonder if people might stay in the Church or come back to it, if they did not arrive as a stranger and leave as one too.
Why did I leave the Church? Let me count the ways: 1) When my father died (I was 10) and left me, my sister, and mother broke, our Parish still demanded a payment for funeral services. I remember my mother going in two weeks after the service to make payment and mentioned how difficult it was financially in the aftermath of my father's death and how she was having a hard time making ends meet, especially with groceries. The Sister's response, as she took the cheque my mother was handing her, was that hopefully things could pick up and that maybe she could work some more (she was already putting in over 40 hours a week to pay for the funeral costs and settle my father's debts). I remember how delicious the smell of food in the Church office/house as the sister spoke with my mom and how hungry we were. No offer to sit down or prepare a plate to take home. No forgiving of the funeral services fee to instead be used on groceries. 2) My sister has cerebral palsy which has left her physically crippled. How many times did the Church ask about her well being or offer spiritual services for her? NEVER. My mother even asked for them to visit her. Their response was that my sister was not a member of the parish. Even when the parish installed a ramp for wheel chairs, never did they extend an invitation to our family to bring her to mass. We did not have the money or means to do so. There were other families with disabled family members who were financially unable to bring their loved ones to mass but why was there no effort to arrange travel accommodations even for important dates in the Church calendar? 3) It always appeared that the most successful members of our parish were closest to the priests and sisters and received some sort of divine credit from them - they must be successful because of their "devotion" while many of us who were poor kids always were ignored by the parish. I always got the impression that we were the runts of the litter. 4) When my mother fell ill with vertigo, which destroyed her life - up until that point she was working, staying active by walking a lot, and went to mass at least five times per week - no one from the parish has come by, or even called, to see how she is doing and whether anything could be done for her. It has been six years! Once she stopped giving money on account of her condition and the costs associated in helping her recovery, the parish forgot about us. 5) The straw that broke my back happened years earlier. I was about 13/14 years old and was very devout and attended mass every single day. I was an alter boy and our change room was attached to the priest's sacristy. After mass one evening a man walked into the sacristy and he asked our priest if he could spare change for food. The man, I should note, attended mass and took communion. The priest said "No." The man asked again. The priest replied, "How do I know that if I give you money that you will not used it for alcohol or drugs?" The man said that he understood the priest's concern and instead asked for a sandwich or any food scraps. The priest looked him in the face and said "No," and demanded that the man leave immediately. My faith and belief in God died instantly in that moment. I could not explain this "death" I felt inside of me. I fought hard to reignite the flame of my faith but it was gone. I continued to be an alter boy and went to mass out of duty to my mother and hoping that I was going through a phase. By the time I was 16 I had left the Church entirely. Dear Bishop Barron, I found out about you while watching your interview on the Rubin Report. My goodness was I impressed by you - a candid, honest, and intellectual discussion. I have since watched many more of you videos and I admire your faith and devotion. Please continue to do the good work that you are doing - you are undoubtedly changing the lives of many people only for the better. However, the Church must fully embrace the whole life of Christ. How can I believe in a Church, whose clergy, continually ignore the teachings of Jesus? Thank you for your RUclips page.
Thanks for your honesty. I do indeed understand. I would just humbly ask that you don't write off Christ because of the behavior of some bad Christians.
lesktube it is terrible to hear your story. Seems like a case of a bad priest. It is sad to me because it damages not only you but tbe entire church. I would have called him out on it. I hope you can one day come back. Jesus loves you and so do we. God bless you.
OP my father has a similar story. I am converting to the Orthodox Faith. I can't stand the "Francis" as he is contradictory to The Lord's teachings. A church that will not oust him is no True Church of Christ. The "Francis" was nothing like his last 2 predecessors. I am pretty firm in my belief that the "Francis" is indeed the false prophet. He even sits on a white throne as the false prophet is said to. He does nothing as his own flock is slaughtered and ignores the cries of the Italian people who are against the Islamic incursion that he welcomes. I know who his puppet masters are but if I say i'll probably get attacked because they are so powerful.
As one who hasn't been attending Mass regularly, I will say I make all the excuses mentioned, but you know what? It's no ones fault but my own! Everything doesn't revolve around and is not centered on me. I'm lazy, indifferent and apathetic in many ways and it's no ones fault but my own. If I loved God as I ought to, I would be at Mass as often as possible. We must stop trying to blame everyone but ourselves for our shortcomings, sins, faults and failures.
Other reasons include: 1) A lack of forgiveness shown toward divorced persons, especially from the clergy. 2) A lack of financial accountability - my local parish does not publish collections or financials. is little programming 3) A lack of hospitality. 4) It used to be difficult to be a good Catholic. There were a lot of expectations that have fallen out of favor with "reforms." 5) Once you complete Catholic high school, there is little to connect young singles to the Church unlike most other denominations. 6) Catholic schools have gone from being a missionary outreach to all Catholics and the poor to private schools for the wealthy. My last few presentations in Catholic schools were depressing as it seemed that the students were more into materialism than Catholic social norms. Since COVID, we have been homebound and watching daily Mass from the Archdiocese of Singapore. We found the liturgies have been excellent and Archbishop Goh has developed a mission for the diocese to build a more vibrant, missionary, and evangelizing church. It is an exciting and inspiring message.
Correct, one can find themselves in a Church that is poorly organized and may not uphold the church as it should be. When confronted by this obvious violation the idea is to leave that specific church, but not leave the Faith!
As a Catholic and a Singaporean, I am SO happy that you say this about our Archdiocese! :) We really do cherish him and I am affirmed by this that we, in the small church of Singapore, are growing deeply in our faith. As a young man as well, I can attest to our young people being on fire for the faith. We are truly in good hands. I shall keep the wider church in my intentions. God bless!
I think the divorce part is BIG. As someone who grew up with divorced parents, both Catholics, it was uncommon for us to attend church regularly after they divorced when I was 6. We stopped being very religious on Sundays. What kept me and my sister afloat was my School which was Catholic.
@@mauriciorv228 auh, our enemy in spirit can sure cause a rift in happy families however thats not the time to give up the faith but rather fight for love and family! Prayer Warriors can move mountains! May you always be blessed!
Jo Chan You can’t leave the church; it’s spiritual. Attending a man made denominational church does not make you a member of Christ’s church. You must be born again.
@@globaloutreach7523 Blessed evening, Authority is not just man made where in every church, a flock or spiritual community, there is someone who is spiritually equipped, to guide us in our spiritual journey. Authority for me is also what comprises my faith which I can strongly hold on to. The teachings and works of Christ that lead the church to unite and act as one with God. I hope I was able to convey my message. God bless.
Well I left because I felt forced by my parents, but It never really left me...20 years later I'm back...now I understand the reason for the church, the reason my parents took us to church...it was a wise move...even If I didn't understand it then
I feel so blessed to be in a very excellent parish and live in an area where the vast majority of Catholics truly reflect Christ in their dealings with others.
@Delon Duvenage James 2:14-17 says: 14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
@Delon Duvenage Some Protestants who preach faith-only salvation seem to think that gives them a blank check to do no good works at all. I don't think the RCC or Orthodox Churches preach works-based salvation. Regarding abuses of power in the priesthood, I would point to Jesus' passage about doing what the teachers tell you but not what they DO.
I was catholic. In 1982 in my second marriage, I had a son who I attempted to have baptized. But was told by a priest “ this child can’t be baptized. When you remarried you condemned him.” So I became Episcopalian.
I am a Catholic, and either this story of yours is bogus or you had a really bad and ignorant priest. Believe in Catholic teaching, not what every priest says. Catholic teaching is that ALL babies (and all believing people) should be baptized. You changed from being in the Church Christ founded to a protestant sect, which may look outwardly very Catholic, but really isn't. It's a protestant sect that started from 1500s. Think about it: Christ said to Apostle Peter, that He builds His Church, and the gates of hades will not prevail against it. Has the gates of hades then suddenly prevailed until 1500s? Also it is not the Church alone, which says, that remarriage is wrong. Jesus and Paul told that already in the Bible.
Come on this should not be a reason for leaving Catholic faith ....If you have any concerns regarding parish priest you can contact higher authorities to get a clarity on this issue.... Catholic Church doesn't allow second marriage unless there is real serious problem ....so please consult with Bishop's office ...
I left after 38 years because I got saved and was shown the truth and my eyes were opened. today I'm a Christian because I follow the teachings of Jesus and no longer follow man made traditions or ideologies. be blessed and believe in christ Jesus Alone for salvation, my church and my pastor know me by name, we dont do the hail Mary, we do bible study in church and in homes so that we can grow in the knowledge of christ Jesus our lord, it's never ever boring when you are being deified by the word of God, if you are sitting in pews unsaved as I was the bible is a confusing boring book. the bible becomes a living and breathing Devine book when you have been saved and BAPTIZED by the holy spirit into the body of christ.
What you mean to say is you got swallowed up in anti-Catholic propaganda because you were weak in your faith from the start. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make them drink. Don't ever blame the Church for you leaving, if you want to know the reason, just look in the mirror.
read the passage in the Bible where Jesus talks about heavenly bread, the Catholic church is the only church that can offer this to its members, Jesus said you must eat this bread or you cannot enter heaven
Fr Barron, I think that you are spot on... I was raised a Roman Catholic and through a series of events found myself becoming “born again” at the age of 18. The church where I made this profession never asked me to leave the Catholic Church for them. Rather they encouraged me to remain in the Catholic Church and welcomed me to visit them whenever time permitted. I found the sermons more practical and less political than the homilies so I attended both churches for about six months. During that time I approached the senior priest to inform him of my spiritual growth. Before I could complete my first sentence, he poked me in the stomach with his finger stating that I was too young for a beer belly. At the same time, the senior pastor of the other church would occasionally call me to visit him in his office to see how I was doing.... I eventually made the decision to inly attend the evangelical church so I came as a surprise that the senior priest would call me at home one December. I had been an altar boy for about 7 years so he knew me personally. He wanted to know if my brother and i would sing the Ave Maria for the upcoming midnight mass. He seemed shocked when I told him that i suppose that i would be happy to do it but did he realize that i hadn’t been attending his church for over 2 years? He cut short the conversion at that point. Ironically, at that point I was studying for the ministry with that other denomination! Although I don’t agree with the entirety of Catholic doctrine, I am by no means anti-Catholic. As my children were growing I would take them to midnight mass as a way of honoring my father and my heritage. I can’t help but wonder how my life would’ve been different had my priest shown me the simple interest that the pastor did. Thank you for presenting your message with the love and grace of Jesus!
Your Pastor’s point about the importance of the secretary’s properly answering the phone is a brilliant one. From 1967-1969, I was a Protestant Chaplain’s Assistant in the Army serving as the clerk (secretary, driver and body guard for a Chaplain). While in Vietnam, I discovered that Officers were getting 2 R&Rs (vacations) while Enlisted personnel only were getting one. After my first R&R, I applied for another one to Japan in June. Weeks or months later, I got a call at work. I answered, “DISCOM 214th Chapel, Specialist Elmore speaking, how can I help you?” The response was, “Elmore, this is Sgt Hayes.” I responded, “Yes Sgt Hayes, what can I do for you?” He said, “You know your R&R in June?” “Yes, Sgt. Hayes.” “YOU’VE ALREADY HAD AN R&R!”, he yelled. “Yes, Sgt Hayes.” “WELL YOU KNOW YOUR R&R IN MAY? YOU’RE NOT GOING TO GET IT!” My response was, “Very well Sgt. Hayes, is there anything else you need?” He hung up. Some days later, I went to my Chaplain’s tent to consult on another matter and he said, “You’ve got your R&R in June.” But I told him that Sgt.Hayes had taken it away. He said, “I know. I was on the line when he called and you’ve got it back.” My take away was that, because I professionally and respectfully represented the Chaplaincy, my Chaplain and the Chapel even though I was being screamed at, my Chaplain thought it was appropriate to “go to bat” for me. I never forgot that lesson.
However, I ran across your channel and already feel that many questions have been answered from watching your videos alone. I'm halfway done with your video "Evangelizing the Culture" and it's been enlightening. I attempted to contact my Priest so we could talk about my decline in spirituality, but had no luck. I'm lucky to have found your channel! I appreciate you reaching out to us Catholics who are struggling with their faith (or leaving the Church). I'll keep watching! thanks, Father!
I left because I didn’t feel accepted or wanted by my Priest and he was always preaching about politics which is unethical. I agree, with what you said people said, he was arrogant. Also very uncristlike, very judgmental.
My Mom left for a similar reason as a child. But it’s never too late to find a community, a group within the church that knows your name and treats you as a friend. I found that.
Lol you funny as hell boyo Church and state shouldn't be separate Christ is the ruler of the world Hence forth Your politics should be centered in Christ
Thanks for the informative video. MSGR.Richard Rusconi (,retired but still working the vineyard) always provides us with heart hitting questions and answers. He received his PHD in biblical studies and it sure shows at every liturgy. Big Thanks to YHVH.
I am not catholic, but what the priest said is true. I left my church after or stopped attending so much becuz my spiritual needs were not being met and no one picked up a phone or talked to why I left. And this not whining or trying to get attention. But I still pray everyday and believe God and that Christ is my saviourm
If your serving faith is empty and continue serve God is it worth anything? Living and growing in faith and having a personal relationship with God is most important. But if the true teachings are not there, then that place is not good. And connect with people in the congregation is important with to help with spiritual growth. Perseverance is thru the trials and tribulations we go thru and still keep our faith and makes us stronger and willing to depend on God and Jesus even more.
God wants us to come to repentance first and put our faith in his Son first before we can be used and useful to him. We are made righteous for the work Christ did and is still doing. What you are suggesting is that you just want to do good works and thinking it is serving the Lord. Without being saved, putting in our faith. we will not be close to God.
i agree with the issue of parish priests and personnel being distant. i have gotten to a point that i don't even try to get to know my pastor. i just go to mass and leave.
That's not a bad thing that you do. I go to a very large Catholic Church that has over 1000 members. There are hundreds of people at every Mass. The good thing about that is that during the Mass I focus on the Mass instead of socializing with others.
Hello Bishop Barron, i find Fr. John A Hardon, S.J., a delight to see and listen to on a daily basis. He has helped strengthen my faith, and knowledge of the catechism.
I "left" the Catholic church when I was about 18 because I didn't feel heard and the priest was too deadpan, no feelings or love. I converted to a small Baptist congregation at 22 and quickly noticed how kind and loving the pastor was here and I can talk with him and he genuinely listens to my problems. Until Catholic priests take the time to sit down and really listen to parishioners then the church will continue to lose people. People want a religious figure they can talk to and confide their problems to. I never felt that in the Catholic church
Greetings, brother. I'm a current 'pissed off' Catholic from a Latin American diocese. I've recently been to a Reformed service, and the community was very warm, intellectualy informed, and hospitable. The biggest trouble our diocese faces is its bishop, an arrogant rich old man with a chofeur who loves to be invited to dinner with influential people. Being a Catholic means feeling like a hypocrite. Adding to this, there aren't a lot of works of mercy to help with, but we'll find out how to bring Christ to others, in time.
Fr. Barron, although I agree that everything you mentioned above would have a pretty big impact, I do not believe it to be the source of the problem. from what I have observed, the greatest threat to the church and therefore to society is, ignorance in the Catholic faith. if the church made in effort to educate her people, on a very simple level, the truth about her history as well as the history of all of the non Catholic Christian churches. simple facts such as how and when we got the Bible and most of all what the key differences are between the church and all the rest. Sir the bottom line is, if most Catholics understood these facts, even on a simple level, they would understand that there are no other alternatives. this could be something as simple as posting a one-sentence eye-catching fact on the Sunday bulletin. these things should also be taught in religious education at all levels. anyway that is my opinion and I hope you will take it into consideration. God bless you and thank you for what you do.
Absolutely true! Lack of education leads to other pastors from different denominations get the attention of catholics who do not really know where our faith comes from...
You kidding the church is drunk on its history and itself. They don't give a whip of truth or people or anything. They whether pray to mary than love thy neighbor. Get real. I had a friend who left the church because they couldn't sign their child up for first communion or confirmation. The area was in the basementand she had Multiple sclerosis. No exceptions. Love not here that's for sure Jesus must be elsewhere.
"No alternatives"? I'd say Orthodoxy is a great alternative to the general abuses incurred by the "One True Church" that decided to go its own way. Regardless, the whole situation in Christianity is sad. As long as the churches are divided, they are all right and all wrong, in different ways.
One they a guy started talking to me about GOD. We had a long talk and he asked me. Would you have a personal relationship with GOD? I say, why not I'm not really doing anything. So that night I went into the place I was staying and prayed the Lord's prayer and say. Well GOD here I'm and went to sleep. The next day, to me, was different. I fell peace in me. Started my day and did my thing. As I was driving through some road. GOD fill all of the space around me and my space within me with HIS presence. That day was a total transformation for me. From that day on I started to feel a hunger to know about GOD. So from that day on I wanted to know everything about GOD. So I started reading my Bible and later on bought an audio Bible to listen to while I drove. I am a truck driver, so I have a lot of time to listen to my audio Bible. So during this period going to mass is was wonderful. The priest at the church we were attending, to me, is the best priest I have ever knew since childhood. Then I keep reading my Bible and listen to my audio Bible. By reading the Bible and letting CHRIST guide me through it, through the HOLY SPIRIT. I could see the difference in between religion and CHRIST. So, it was necessary for me to leave religion to follow CHRIST. In religion as men, we tend to try to make GOD to our image. But is the other way around. GOD made us to HIS image according to HIS likeness. And HE wants us to come home. The home that GOD provides is wonderful. It is true that CHRIST gives peace not like the world does. But, that's only me, why I left religion and fell in love with GOD. GOD bless
My pastor a Monsignor refused the Image of Divine Mercy which we had bought with approval from his associate priest who was a very devoted young Polish priest. I was the first to bring to the Monsignor the devotion of Divine Mercy. We had celebrated the festivity with many years even with opposition and non-support by the pastor. We had to take the very beautiful large Image to another church. Actually to our young priest who now had his own parish. It was devastating to me and many of the parishioners. I left the parish after 30 years. But I come back and help celebrate DM every year. It is joyful and painful. At the parish I still donate every week. I will be buried in a columbarium there-But my soul has had a difficult and long healing which is wound opens up every year. That insensitivity and lack of support didn’t cause the end of the devotion of DM at my old parish. It continues and it is growing. The new priests, both are devotees of DM. And Monsignor has had to allow us to celebrate. Painful as it is for me it is a joy as well. Because God is in control not any of us. Not even the pastor
Currently wanting to leave the church because of their stance on being childfree. I plan to get married one day, but I should not be forced to have children that i do not want just because I have to be "open to life." When I heard about the church's teachings on being childfree, it saddened me greatly because I love the church and continue to pray everyday. I have several valid reasons not to have children and I am currently looking at doctors who will be willing to perform the sterilization surgery on me.
The reason the Church teaches against contraception, other than that it is Biblical, is that love is life giving. When you contracept you deliberately block life giving love and reduce the marital embrace to the using of another person just for pleasure. The teaching of the Church on marital love and against contraception is very beautiful and I hope that you will read more about it.
@@bseaingu You could say the same for NFP. You are deliberately having sex while trying to prevent pregnancy as much as possible with methods such as obsessively checking your temperature every morning or using ovulation strips to track your ovulation. Hormonal birth control is just slightly more effective than NFP and simply uses hormones that women already have in them to avoid pregnancy (while also getting many benefits such as lighter periods, less acne, and lighter cramps). Also quite the strawman you created here. You are not "reducing the marital embrace to the using of another person just for pleasure" if you use birth control. People on birth control may want the emotional connection that comes with sex and by your heavily flawed logic, people who use NFP to avoid pregnancy are also using their spouse just for pleasure. I have already read up on church teachings on contraceptions and I do not find it "beautiful" in the least bit. It's incredibly hypocritical if anything
I have been to some Masses and 90% of the people in attendance are over 50. Very few youth. The beautiful Mass needs to be brought to life. The Mass is something very beautiful and wonderful ..
I would like to offer my somewhat unique experience & perspective to this conversation. Let me start by saying I have been a catholic my entire life and i can never leave the church any more than i could change my blood type. I don’t come for the entertainment or the glamour or the rubbing of elbows for business associations. I come for the tradition and symbolisms as well as my love for Jesus, Mary, all the saints and God. Here though is my unique perspective: I have been in a business for more than 30 years that has a very strong service to the faith organizations (church, synagogue, schools, non profit groups, etc etc.). I have literally worked with thousands of churches over three decades in several states. I can tell you as I have told my wife many times, the Catholic Church, my own church, treats me the worst & are much more closed minded of any churches when I make initials contacts, present proposals, conduct meetings, share new concepts and methods that would help them reduce costs, provided training and more. How many times i have felt so much more kindness and acceptance working with Protestant churches than my own faith. I have been hung up on, treated like so much dirt on their shoes, given the bums rush and generally disheartened hundreds of times this way. But my faith doesn’t waiver. My faith in my church organization has though. So i can understand why so many people feel this way and might leave.
Please, ask Jesus Christ about what is pleasing to Him and Him alone. God listents to prayers and sees in one's heart if said prayer is honest or if a person wants to be fed what he/she wants to hear. Test if what you follow is on the narrow path of salvation(check the bible, just the text, no synopsis/comments)-don't assume that you know already, please, this can cost you your soul. May Jesus Christ bless you and help you all the time.
I'm touched by the final reason why people leave the Catholic Church. I have always been Eastern Orthodox. But there was a time when I used to go to daily Mass in the Catholic Church, had Catholic friends from university and would go on Catholic retreats. I even studied Catholic theology at Notre Dame (Australia). Therefore, I was thinking about converting to Catholicism. However, after finishing my degree, none of my Catholic friends spoke to me except for one person. But even that one person stopped responding to my emails after about 6 months. A few others stopped responding to my emails and text messages too. No one invited me to events either. So, I went back to the Orthodox parish that I grew up in since I had lost my identity. The priest there insisted that I make friends in this parish and attend things like bible studies. On my first night of Bible Studies, two people introduced themselves to me and tried getting to know me. I got to know more people as the months went by but then I became depressed because I lost my Catholic friends and didn't trust my new Orthodox parishioners. One night, I was contemplating going to an interesting Catholic event or Bible Studies. I was so depressed that I wen to neither. But on that very night, someone from my Orthodox parish texted me that he hadn't seen me in Bible Studies for a few weeks and was checking up on me. I was over the moon! I returned to Bible Studies the following week and I no longer wish to be Catholic. (This was in 2017). Also, over a month ago (2018), one of my Orthodox parishioners hurt me and I stayed away from that parish for a month. But then she kept texting me that she and everyone misses me. My deacon also texted me since he was worried about me. When I returned, the very person who hurt me was so happy and she apologised for what she did and I forgave her. My deacon and many others were so happy about my return.
Bishop I was lapsed for from late teens to mid-30's. A friend taking an RCIA course helped me return to the Churrch. I took an RCIA course and learned more here than in all my school years. I am truly sorry for this time and pray to worship God for the rest of my day.
I think the Lord is re-ordering things. He is letting the lukewarm leave (He did say that he will vomit them out) and he is replacing them with the hungry ones who are on fire for him. There are many catholics leaving but there are many being led into the church. I was raised by my mom without any relationship with my father. My mom is protestant who was very anti-catholic. She was not one to ever go to church though and she still doesn't nor has she been baptized but she says she believes in God and loves him. When I was about 7 yrs old some ladies from the local baptist church knocked on our door and invited us. My mom declined but said I could go if I wanted to. I don't remember anyone teaching me about God but I have always known and loved him from my earliest memory and would walk around talking to my invisible friend and I would read in my bible and ask God for understanding. So I was eager to go to church. In college I wrote for the school newspaper and had to interview students from the Newman society. We were discussing religion and beliefs and I was agreeing with them. One of the guys told me that I was catholic that I just didn't know it yet. It turns out he was right. Throughout those years of my life I found that the protestant church was not full enough for me as I tried out different denominations. I was hungry. One day I attended an episcopal church and it felt more reverent than anything I had ever witnessed. So I joined it. But then I found that I disagreed with them on issues, especially gay marriage. They were ordaining openly gay priests who were engaging in practices that the bible forbids. I could not accept that. So that made me look at the Catholic church. I was hesitant until one day I was in a bookstore and was praying to God to lead me to a book that I should read. My eyes fixed on Divine Mercy. I read it and it affected me deeply. So I went and bought a rosary and I began trying out the prayer and praying for people. The prayers were being answered. I also reached out and connected with my father and discovered that he was raised Catholic. Though after 3 divorces he did not attend church. Still I thought it was interesting that I was being drawn to the faith of my father. I prayed for one of his friends who had cancer of the esophagus and who doctors gave 6 months to live. I was praying for him and he was healed. The doctors later found no sign of cancer. So then I bought a book catholicism for dummies. I wanted to know what the church taught ..what it believed and why. I decided that I would either be able to accept all of it or have none of it. I wanted to be able to jump in with both feet and not halfway. I had my thinking on many issues corrected. I realized that I had been wrong about many things and why. I accepted the church teachings as truth. I could feel the truth in it. So I enrolled in RCIA at my local parish to learn more and to make sure it was right for me. It's now been about 10 years and I am constantly discovering how full the faith really is to those who keep diving deeper within it. Those who get nothing out of it are not really putting anything into it. They are going through the motions but they are not seeking with their hearts and they are not putting the required effort into it. I enjoy and appreciate your videos and I have learned from them. Thank you.
Most all the protestant churches I went to didn't protest Catholicism, but there was this one led by a man who started out as a Catholic Priest who had nothing good to say about Catholicism. It just kind of makes me wonder about people. Y'know how atheists don't really have any identity apart from Christians. It's like their moral worth is tied into what this other group of people are doing. I've known a lot of Catholics who are open minded to Christians and a lot of Christians who are open minded to Catholicism. I for one like all the movies, all the good religious ones on demonic possession are nearly entirely made about the Catholic faith.
Catholics are Christians.. the first Christians. The word Catholic means Universal because the Christian faith that is taught in it is universal and reaches all nations and peoples. If you go into any Catholic church the lithurgy (bible readings) are the same. All of the churches have mass daily in which we can receive Holy Communion / Holy Eucharist and thus receive our daily bread (Our Spiritual Food which is the True Body and Blood of Jesus for he says his flesh is true food and his blood true drink). The early apostles knew this to be so and preserved this truth and others who have departed over the years from the church have lost their faith in the truth. It's sad that Jesus is so close and yet they do not see him.
fuzzydog pa That explains a lot, thanks. I didn't know the Catholic church holds daily mass. I probably did see it in the movies, but it never clicked until now. I'd become a Catholic if there was a church nearby.
www.masstimes.com and search by zip code. I always refer to this when traveling out of town or looking for a mass time that fits into my work schedule.
There's a St. Andrew's Orthodox Church nearby where I live. It's close to Catholicism. I'm just lazy, I get my fellowship here online from nice Christians like you!
The Catholic church makes Billions in my country (schools, hospitals, retirement homes, they have a tax exception, yet take taxpayers subsidies) yet it is suddenly up the parishioners to fix the local church when there are repairs. My point is when I go to Macdonalds, do I have to pay for the ceiling if it is damaged?
Interesting..... similar thing happening in Michigan - damaged elementary school. They are fundraising too- didn't they have insurance on the school? Enough ! The church owns lake front property in the same town. And surely lots more ..... Something is really wrong . Question everything folks.
You a bishop? You to human. To real. Love your bold audacious approach. You confidence impress.. For someone abused with Catholic Church. I found God when I left. But. You pretty good
the church is not kid friendly ....families of small children have a hard time feeling comfortable mean stares and unwelcome feeling due to the strict environment and old catholics with thier superior attitudes ....instead forgetting how blessed our lord jesus considers them how he always loved children and protected them.....perhaps its time that the catholic church becomes more FAMILY FRIENDLY
I left the catholic church because the "mass" didn't apply to my everyday life and how to handle the outside world. Nothing the priest said, for over 15 years could apply to what I was encountering in school, at home, at a job, on the street. I now attend a Calvary church and the sermons apply to everyday life and how to conduct yourself in an out of control world. Has helped so much. I've gotten more out of 5 years at a Calvary church then I ever did 15-20 years in a catholic church.
You hit it right on Bishop Barron. It would be very beneficial to us parishioners if your suggestions are implemented. I am grateful that currently in our parish we have an excellent homilist, who is our own parish priest.
Learning the difference between Catholic dogmas and THE Gospel was the first reason I pulled away. Now I study my Catechism in contrast with the Bible and it further solidifies my decision to never go back.
I see poor religious education as one of the biggest reasons for young people to leave the church. In middle school I had really boring religious education and in high school it's terrible. We learn less of our own religion than the students who attend ethics and our teacher is a rather unnice person. NOBODY likes rel ed in my class. What does your list say about this, is it in the US as bad as here? Secondly I wanna say that my local priest always cared for the people who left the church. He wrote a letter to every single one of all those too many people. He begged everyone to talk with him about problems and why they left the church but not a single person took his offer so he stopped all of this 2 or 3 years ago because it made him so sad.
Christianity is a false religion because Jesus never taught christianity.That's the reason why many priests ,pastor,cardhinals,Revs are converted to Islam.You can see one day,the priests or pastors only speak to the emphty chairs.Only emphty chairs remain in churches and listen to them,tq
@@Hasbi-cj1dp Nobody in the right mind converts to Islamism. It is like in Judaism to get married you have to convert. And if they convert believe me they weren't great Christians and they will not be great Islamists either.
@@sterianburghelea6567 Nobody wants to convert into christianity ? ...Do you know why ?..because christianity is a false religion because Jesus never taught christianity and the word christianity is not found in any version of the bible...Jesus himself is not a christian...Is jesus a Roman catholic or is he a protestant ?...Please,quote verses of the bible to prove your answer and don't just ranting...tq
David No one can LEAVE the church. You obviously don’t know what the church is biblically. Unless you are born again Jesus said. So only those born of the SPIRIT (there’s a big clue for you SPIRIT) belong to the “Church”. The real issue is folks don’t study the Bible for themselves which is exactly how the Catholics have always liked it.
I am sorry for what you and your family went through. I never put all Christians or all members of any church into one basket, but it seems that many Christians and Churches have forgotten the teachings of Jesus, our Lord, our Master and the Christ... shower of The Way... Jesus said when you do things to help the least of these, you do them to me. The Way of life that pleases God our Father in heaven and the Way that leads us to eternal life with our Lord Jesus, our Heavenly Father, and our family and friends who are also there. Sometimes people turn Christianity into a business, and not the faith and life Jesus taught us. May God bless you and your family and may God forgive all of us who fall short of the Way Jesus wants us to live.
After hearing all of the reasons for leaving the church, I realize that the focus is placed on ourselves and our own needs. After returning to the church after an 11 year absence, for a lot of the same reasons mentioned here, I realize now how I hadn't placed the focus on God when I did so. A lot of it had to do with a lack of understanding on my part. The catholic church is the church establishment by Christ himself as evidenced in scripture and with the apostolic succession of popes, stemming from the apostles themselves. It's also the only faith who not just believe but know the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Christ is the bridegroom and the church is his bride and has been so for 2,000 years. I understand now that I shouldn't allow the actions of others to keep me from following the truth. I thank God for his mercy and for bringing me back to the church and with a clearer and fuller understanding. I see now that I have to humble myself and take it upon myself to actively engage in the church. I learn something new (new to me) all the time. Attending mass on Sundays and other holy days of obligation isn't enough and I could feel that before I had left that it wasn't enough. I have to read the Bible, pray the Rosary, attend confession regularly, receive communion regularly, read the catechism, study the lives of the saints, actively engage in my vocation of parenthood, live my life with the liturgical calendar and constantly learn more about Catholicism, to participate in the fullness of my faith. I've never felt so grounded and secure before in my life despite anything that might be going on. I believe that if one has a firm foundation in the complete understanding and loyal practice of the faith, then anything that may come to threaten that, won't stand a chance.
When mans traditions are elevated...even 1% elevation to that of Jesus Christ as our LORD and Savior....people need to reexamine how GOD felt about manns traditions and also how Jesus felt about the Pharisees of His day and their adherence to anything but Jesus Himself.
@Charles Charles 6 months ago That's interesting. I was raised as a Fundamentalist Baptist, and so I grew up reading and believing the Bible and I accepted Jesus into my heart at the age of 4 years old. It was my Bible reading, prayer, and learning about actual Church history (not the distorted version I got from the Fundamental Baptists) that led me into the Catholic Church, although I have ultimately ended up in the Eastern Orthodox Church. The Bible makes so much more sense from a Catholic perspective than it did from my Baptist perspective, although I have found that it is within the Orthodox Church that the Bible makes the fullest sense.
@Charles, You say the bible makes most sense within the Orthodox church! Do they have priests? Do they have confession of sins? Do they adhere to Matthew 6? Matthew 6:14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 15 but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. And Matthew 25 Matthew 25:31-33 31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: 32 and before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 33 and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. I could give You dozen more examples, if You answer one or more with Yes, I tell You, they don't (orthodox Church) understand the Gospel of grace! If You would like my reason for that, I will gladly present it to You! God bless You!
Lack of follow-up has been a consistent problem in my experience. Whenever I've left a church, not once has anyone even bothered to call or email to ask where I am or if everything's OK. Even the smallest sense from the church that someone notices and cares would go a long way.
I go to church every week. I find it depressing. So many broken families but never a word on the family. Its like being at an airport where every other plane crashes but no one wants to talk about it....
That's the way most churches are. For all we know the Protestants are like that too. I want to be a Lutheran, in a religion that is just like the church but retaining the original spirit that Jesus instilled in His people. It really does look like a purified Church to me, the Church as God intended it.
I am Catholic, and that is one reason that I have huge respect for Mormons. They put almost all the religious emphasis upon family, and they take the time to communally scold you if you do not follow the rules. Catholics need to do that, if someone has sex outside of marriage, cheats on their spouse, or gets a divorce, we should shun them and scold them like the Mormons do. Catholics are weak, they take no moral stands on anything and it is disgusting. I understand what the bible says about judgement and free will, but it is unrealistic. If you lived in mainstream society before the mid-1960's, and you misbehaved, your entire community would personally scold you, if you were a kid and doorbell ditched your neighbor, your neighbor would find you, whip you with a belt several times, then physically drag you to your parent's house and your parents would gratefully whip you with a belt. If you were a man back then, and you got a woman pregnant out of wedlock, your community, church, and family would ostracize you. People who did not follow the rules of religion, society or government back then had ZERO rights. That is how society should be nowadays and how Catholics should act. I guarantee you that people would behave a lot better, not have broken families, and would not leave the church. I may be biased because I come from Orthodox Judaism and that religion is almost solely based upon following of rules and that following of rules is of equal weight to your spiritual journey. The Catholic church also needs to improve its education and educate people on the importance of faith, family, community, and rule-following.
If you really want to know the Truth, then you have to study. Don't let anyone tell you what to believe, what not to believe. Use your God given faculties and reason and Desire to know the Truth - then God will guide you. God is one, His religion is one.
@@garrettstephens91 You seem like a lot of fun. Mormons are actually kind of repulsive. They are extremely boastful. Go to Salt Lake City and you will see what I mean. There seems to be very little talk about Jesus and more talk about everything they have accomplished, and everything they have accomplished is "THE BEST." They even took credit for having the best snow in the world for the Olympics. No joke. Maybe their teachings on Sundays don't do that, but they seem to be very preoccupied with growing their church more than anything else. My maternal grandmother is also Mormon so I do have some experience with them.
I'm 62 and have heard lots of reasons for leaving. Some went to Episcopal and just didn't leave religion. Some couldn't come to grips with teaching of gay human beings, some were divorced from bad spouses and felt annulments weren't in reach and wanted to remarry. Some felt how the church handled suicide back in the day they demonized it, pushed them away. Some didn't like the way they handled and hid the abuse and tried to blame it on "gay" priests and not pedophiles they hid. Some just felt invisible and couldn't feel God when going through rote prayers and cold parishioners and priests. Others had wonderful experiences but you can't discount the reasons other encountered.
We at St. Joe's in Somers Point are blessed to have Lisa Weiss on the Parish Staff. While it is difficult at very busy times in the Parish office she truly strives to help people with deep concern for the person and their needs. But, like most Parishes I have been involved with, if a person doesn't strive on his or her own to be involved and form relationship ... and continue to strive; unless you have been there for decades doing this; you will be ignored. I've been there, at first as a visitor from another parish due to friends at the time attending morning Mass there since 2012. Now, please understand, I'm not citing the following as a personal complaint; I know the nature of the current situation and the onus is on me. But last Autumn and through at least half of winter I became ill with extreme fatigue and vertigo. And on top of this, I was healing from a necessary major life change. With exception of periodic Knights of Columbus form letter email alerts; no one ever contacted me as to the status of what happened to me. When I returned to being more visible and stove to be more involved, I just laughed it off when someone joked that I hibernated during the winter; but conveyed what some where a little aware of, that I was going through. Now, I must stress, that The Lord Jesus, did bring me through this and lifted me out of the pain which had me focus way too much on myself; when, of course, the remedy is focusing on the needs of others with a confident grace filled concern and love of neighbor. But, what if this Grace, needed someone to reach out to me? So, my real concern is others who could be helped by being reached. And my work with The Gospel of Life as my main witness, certainly is not very conducive to reaching out to reticent parishioners with our local climate in regards to Evangelium Vitae, which I get many reports this is commonplace across the land. I certainly will pray to form relationships with others, where I will have the contact information to reach out to them should something similar happen to them. Sometimes all someone needs is a friendly voice of concern. Recently, I became reacquainted someone who is now a widow, but has very serious health problems. She was visited by a Chaplain Priest in the hospital; and she is from a Christian background. She does get help from her sister and nephew. But, even though it would be possible for her to overcome the difficulties with her health to attend Mass; I don't over push this with her. But, I can tell that there is mutual godly concern and appreciation with us. And I make sure to reach out to her if days go by without some communication. I'm quite sure she would be O.K. if I didn't; but I'm sure that my concern for her, helps with spreading the Kingdom of God. If we only learned to do this in The Church more. How many would rise to help with the vitality of Parish outreach?
Praise Almighty GOD in The Name of JESUS CHRIST, in 1996 i read the holy bible n was astounded by many unbiblical teachings of the 💒 of rome n i left to Worship GOD in Protestant Holy Bible Based Churches!!!👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
Fr Barron is fantastic to listen to he inspires and evokes a great interest in the Catholic faith , we need more Priests like him , other Priests should listen to him for guidance on how to embellish their Priesthood. God Bless you FR Barron and your vocation...
Several years ago the Pastor at my parish (just a few minutes away from St. Paul of The Cross in P.R.) openly asked for suggestions from the parishoners on improving the methods of evangelizing. He specifically asked us to lend our expertise from our professional backgrounds. I approached him and suggested that there were many methods used in the business world and in marketing in particular that could be of use in effective evangilization. He shut me me down immediately and made it very clear that he considered the business world to be totally incompatible with the Church and its mission. He abruptly ended our conversation right then and there. One of the suggestions that I had in mind was your point of first contact. That short conversation has bothered me ever since. I think there are many people like myself who would like to help; if only someone were willing to hear us out.
This is a good presentation to me. My neighbor, a family friend invited me to adoration. I had rarely even been inside a Catholic church. My neighbor had been mentoring me. My initial visit the leader there complained that a woman can not mentor a married man herself. She was told to have nothing to do with me outside of church or our family. Falsely accused of tempting immoral behavior. We would walk our dogs outside our homes in a public place. When I returned few weeks later, a sister there told me I was not welcome because "God takes away" There are other people to help you, somewhere else. I was not allowed to sit nearby my only friend there. I told the priest; the guy was fired; and now several people there are shunning me. They tell me I committed calumny. Ruined a reputation. I can see why nothing is done about abuse in churches. The priest tells me I am courageous, but I am broken and lost my faith. I am innocent, did nothing wrong.
I left because I wasn’t pressured by my parents as I was getting older and they let me make my own mind on if I wanted to go. I feel like I was forced to go when I was little so when I got older I didn’t want to go because I was no longer pressured. But eventually things in my life have gone on and I started going back to church. Though I don’t go regularly I go every once and a while. And by going to church again when I push myself to go I feel that’s it’s better than when I was little because it’s my choice.
as long as the political ideological statement are truly in line with the bible, the priest should be saying them. i expect a priest to comment on current day politics and its relation to the bible. not make false claims like the current Pope who said same sex couples should be together in a union. False teachings! Which is why many leave.
I'm delighted to hear this! Friend, no good Catholic teacher should ever have told you, "here's the truth; don't question it." I mean, Thomas Aquinas asked tens of thousands of questions, including, "does God exist?" Keep reading Aquinas, Newman, Chesterton, Lewis, and Augustine--and God will show you the path. And never be afraid to ask questions!
Well Christianity has been stuck in a rut father Barron. and its basically blind obedience. As Hindus we dont have the same problems because where open to any idea the Athiests the gay marriage. Abortion. There is no a book of dues and donts. No lack of evloution.
You are right, I asked Questions and this allowed me to make a decision to leave the RCC! Not ones have You suggested to read and study the Bible, You constantly refer to the "Earl fathers", 2 Timothy 1:15 This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes. This people, who turned away from Paul's Gospel (yes Paul's Gospel, he called it MY GOSPEL 3 times), believed in Jesus, but not in Paul's Gospel! This all happened within Paul's lifetime! A Catholic was thinking for month about leaving the RCC, he went to a bishop with his questions, the bishop encouraged him, just like You to read all these books, persistent the catholic asked the bishop about specific passages in the Bible, so the Bishop looked around in his office for a bible in midst hundred of books , but couldn't find one! The catholic left disappointed and left the office & church!
Took less than 9 months to Writ down what I am sharing. So I guess I found my treasure. Because of someone that I could not see loved me so much. This is relationship.❤️
A Catholic who may kneel in front of a statue while praying isn’t worshipping the statue or even praying to it, any more than the Protestant who kneels with a Bible in his hands when praying is worshipping the Bible or praying to it. The images of saints (whether it be in statue form or painting) serves as a reminder of the holiness of the person depicted.
Unfortunately many are ignorant of the real meaning of statue for catholics.. . But why do these statues have to wear in expensive clothes including gold threads.. and why are there so many types of Jesus statue? And tbh, protestants do not hold the bible during praise and worship.. another misconception on protestants
“Do not make an idol for yourself-no form whatsoever-of anything in the sky above or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth.” Exodus 20:4
If u went to mass u heard the gospel. And yes you are correct... There is no good reason to leave the Catholic Church. Jesus said "go to the church" Jesus said "blessed is he who finds no stumbling block in me" Jesus said "I will build my church"
My belief for people leaving is that for hundreds of years priests and nuns have abused children and the weak. And you have this bishops and cardinals cover up the sins of the priests. Some victims become suicidal and depressed or addicted. No jail time for these child molesters, and they get to keep their jobs. Vengeance is mine says the Lord. These evil priests can’t hide from God. PRAISE JESUS!!!
I left because I was insulted by elderly church members many times. The last one to insult me when I was a Eucharistic Minister. One said I can't sit with the elderly when they are lonely which happened. I listened to a lonely 84 year old for 20 minutes. I'm a talker. I listened to her 90% of that 20 minutes. I got a tongue lashing for doing that. I left that ministry and came back 2 years later. This time the leader of the Eucharistic Ministers at the hospital said I had very foul body odor. I had taken a shower and had freshly washed clothes on. I called him and told him I was leaving the church because he was the straw that broke the camels back!! I've been Methodist for almost 5 years now!! Always loved the clergy there. Much happier being Methodist.
Your Excellency Most Reverend Robert Brown, D.D be blessed. I am 75 and my late spouse was 82. In the Philippines we have I called sermont in Mount Olive practised in a form of prayer meeting FEAST by Brother Bo Sanchez , lay. meetings are in big malls theater and grand plenary halls in hotels and on every Sunday at PICC halls or our Philippine International Convention Center. Simultaneously in three halls and three sessions for the day. This is transparochial but many youths , students , already are employed gather in thousands making the sign of the cross singing dancing and worshipping to God after the Holy Eucharist celebration. the sermon in Mount Olive is alive. Brother Bo Sanchez is in the 10: 00 AM session . His feast builders here in Cebu City are equally good at duplicating his charism. Good day Your Excellency.
I am a practicing Roman Catholics, I love God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit I believe entirely in the teaching of the Church and yearn to participate weekly or daily in the Mass and receive Christ in Holy Communion. I do all this in-spite of all the negatives that Bishop Barron outlines here, I know them. After-all, the priests do call themselves ''unworthy servant'' when offering Mass. In my life I really don't expect the best from people, but when it happens, I am very appreciative. I will always be a practicing Roman Catholic regardless of the pitfalls, I do understand why they happen. A Catholic sitting in the pew on a Sunday is a non entity, unless you are a regular participant in your Parish work, like Bazzars and such money making ventures, you are not known. You may get a nod from the Priest as you walk by leaving Mass, but he really doesn't know you and doesn't want to persue anything further. When I first joined my present Parish, I got a welcoming letter from the Pastor that said ''come and introduce yourself to me''. I did this after Mass and got the ''bums rush'' he hardly spoke to me and rushed off to the other side of the vestibule, to nothing. I thought why, because I'm an older person, I'm single, he's really busy, I'm a woman, what a puzzle. He's very friendly to all, but I guess it's plastic. I notice there are cliques in the parish, and with the Priest. That is very disappointing, and I'm not imagining it. I'm a single older person. If I smile at people, I'll get a smile back, if I try to pursue a friendship with the same people, they're not interested, even in my age group, 60's, they have their family and existing friends. I just want to have some friendly parishioners to know, but it's not happening. I know I am up to snuff in every way as a decent and respectable person, there's nothing visibly wrong with me that would make people not be friends. The lay Pastoral Assistant doesn't even look up to meet the eye of parishioners. She has her own agenda to work on for the day, she does have her little group of people she knows. I even tried to catch her eye once, but there was no way she was going to acknowledge my presence, and she doesn't want to. The Sacristan, a Sister is the same, she never smiles or says hello, just walks by doing her thing, but does have her clique of friends. What is this, a Catholic sickness. I happen to live near a non Catholic Christian Church. The parishioners and pastor have gone out of their way to be friendly to me and have invited me to their Church on more than one occasion. Of course I would not go their functions because I am a Catholic. I can't tell you how genuinely nice and honest these people are in really wanting to give me Christian love. So I go to my Catholic Church not expecting much from the priest or parishioners - I go in-spite of all the trapping of being a parishioner. It does get me down, I feel very lonely and it makes me depressed, but that's how it is. I am so happy to receive the sacraments, this is everything to me, it's my lifes' fullfillment. We have to remember and face the facts that there is a lack of Priests, therefore, the present problems. I do really appreciate and care for my Pastor for the good he does and his efforts. He is a very good Holomolist and offers a beautiful Mass, our priests strive to be holy men of God, I love them for their effort and their sacrifice, they are special people. I will never leave the Catholic Church, it is the true and real way of life and the way to be with Our Lord Jesus Christ to eternity. I love every minute of being a Catholic, and know that I am on the correct path to Our Lord. I wish the many wayward and tardy Catholics would come to terms with these facts and return to their beloved faith as true practicing Roman Catholics. To have that yearning fire within for God is a glorious gift Thank you Bishop Barron for being our wonderful Guide and Teacher. RoseMarie
Baby girl if you were truly following Christ Jesus you would not be lonely, you would know why you have pitfalls and you understand why these "christian folks," are trying to love you to Jesus himself. You're practicing something that is empty, no fullfillness, no inner peace, no joy there. I say that because I was raised Catholic. Get in the word God and allow himself to reveal himself to you by allowing him to teach you. When he fills you with his holy spirit, you lack nothing. You have joy, peace, love, wisdom, knowledge, hope, piety, etc. I have these, I live a life worthy of the call. I am am living witness that through sacraments (false man made teachings) will not give you salvation. Grace and faith through Jesus is the only way. God bless you, I say this because I love you and I hope that you have the wisdom of the LORD to understand these things.
Fr. Barron do more than offer these videos: answer peoples questions, and emails. Or leave someone genuinely concern who are capable of doing so for you.
Though it is important for some people to be part of a community and be social, only reason for me to attend mass is to celebrate and praise God. I am one that is returning.
Very insightful, Bishop. Yes, I've had that experience at the phone: the parishes downtown are quick and answer nicely, whereas in my parish... it can take 2 hours of constant calling until someone picks the phone up. It also happened with my Diocese (Queretaro, Mexico) : no one knew about Pope Francis' "24 hours for the Lord", about the church that would be open 24 hours for the sacrament of confession; they kept mixing it up with other events. I found the info myself on the internet 2 days before the event. So, it doesn't inspire much trust that your Diocese has no idea about the projects the Pope himself wants for the Church. But I think we as parishioners have to work harder too. Yes, there's one Priest at my parish who gives lukewarm homilies... and then there's another one who's just on fire and moves everyone deeply. The solution? Looking for mass times with the second priest instead. Another solution for my husband and me has been going with a Priest from another parish, even if it means a trip downtown instead of walking 2 blocks; he cares for us, always answers calls, is very attentive to making appointments asap as he treats any question as if it were urgent. He even has time to text us light-hearted jokes on festivities. And it is not as if he were not busy: he runs a house for the elderly, and tends to the hospital next door. So one has to have interest and look around too.
I had left the Church way back when because of the obvious reason that were pointed out by Fr. Barron. Looking forward (not backward) my soul yearns for the Church and it is MY Duty as a Catholic to be and to search for Christ in my everyday. Topics covered in this video in regards to wrong doing is simply that, WE must stay on our path and do our absolute best. Show up everyday (or every chance) and be proactive. We should not walk away; if we walked away from things when we felt we weren't comfortable where would we be? God has put many others through worse and they stood strong. I'll do my best to do the same. I won't even ask who's with me. The Lord is All I NEED! Bless you all during Advent as we patiently wait for the Greatest Celebration!
I left the church because Catholic Canon laws made me feel unworthy of God. I can't go to church due to anxiety, but not going is a sin. I don't want children because I know I'd be a bad parent and they would inherit my illnesses, but any marriage I'd have would be invalid because of this. I'm also against telling my sins to a middleman instead of God Himself, especially when so many priests have arguably done worse things than I (i.e. molesting altar boys). I want so much to hold onto my family tradition of being Catholic, but I don't think I can. May God have mercy on my soul
Lean on Jesus, *read the bible as truth* and pray prayers to him from your own heart! He wants a personal relationship where you rely on him. I hope things are going better for you.
@L for goodness sake, come out of that system for your sake and God's....it is not the true church....I was catholic for 60 yrs and am so free now, free from all those lies and fear....you are in a false faith.
We follow the church for Jesus Christ, not the pope or bishop, or priest ,but when he ascended into heaven he gave authority to His apostles and it descend into the priesthood
It doesn’t help that the Pope says he takes it as a compliment that many Americans are critical of him. The fact that the Church has gone off the rails doesn’t help either.
I had a poor childhood religious training and became burned out during my youth as my Catholic upbringing embodied pain, duty, pressure, expectations. I rarely believed that God loved me.
you have no love for truth? Mary was not a virgin upon her death, Jesus had at least 4 brothers and 2 sisters(Matt 13:55) Mary did not ascend (RCC paintings prior from 1500s clearly demonstrate the doctrine change). Mary is not a mediator between you and God, only Jesus is (1 Tim 2:5). Jesus has been sacrificed ONCE on the cross for the remission of sins (1 COR 15:1-5, Romans 10:9). The mass is done IN REMEMBRANCE OF HIM (Luke 22:19) not as a RESACRIFICE with power over sin. Call no one FATHER, for we are all brothers (Matt 23:8). The baptism was never done to infants in the time of Jesus, only grown ups who could accept Jesus AND THEN be baptized, because an infant cannot accept consciously God (1 Peter 3:21). Your conversion to catholicism is a huge regression in your spiritual life. It's accepting lies and holding on to traditions instead of the word of God (Mark 7, Colossians 2:8). what's a meaty message? Don't you want truth?
I’ve been listening to you, and I think what you say is fantastic, and very interesting. I am a practicing catholic, I lived in London, I do agree with what some people say. I contacted my parish priest to talk to him, when my father was dying in hospital. I have a mother with mental health issues, my parish priest said he was busy when I wanted to speak never offered another date or time. I stayed on st my church but have now moved outside if London. I still go to church, but I can see why people would leave. You and other priests are people we turn to for advice, to be turned away, can be quite a tough pull to swallow. I was fortunate that I found a priest in that day from the Church of England to speak with, I can only imagine how others feel after being treated in this manner and why they feel so empty and alone.
I am an ex-Protestant turned Catholic, but also was raised Catholic as a little boy. And with this perspective, I would say the most ignorant, hateful anti-Catholics are not cradle Protestants, but actually the ex-Catholics. I have found fewer biblically, historically, and theologically illiterate people than them.
I left the Catholic Church because I was treated like dirt, I suffer from severe mental illness which got to the point of a suicide attempt and admittance to a phsyciatric hospital, my illness has been a problem for a long time and I constantly reached out to the church for some help, for some guidance and spiritual/emotional support and I got nothing, I was left to fend for myself. At one point I was asked to leave a parish and young adults group because my illness made others uncomfortable. I found the community to be very unwelcoming and exclusive, I attended many youth events and always felt like I didn't belong, because everyone is very clicky and uninviting, I was even bullied by members of a young adults group I joined after the first one, I was treated like crap. I've found Catholics to be completely hypocritical and judgmental. And it's not just Catholics, it's all Christians, just look at some of the comments here from other Christians, judgmental and nasty.
+slimyish I'm so sorry you went through what you did and am glad you can voice how you feel on this forum. I can understand how you might feel the way you do about the church. Especially with the experiences you have had concerning your treatment. I have a condition, Hashimotos, that has caused some emotional issues with me that have on occasion been difficult to deal with. And you are correct. It can leave you feeling alone as people tend to reject you rather than support you and help you with the struggles of your condition. And when it's your own local church; one that you are taught is supposed to be there for you, it can be especially difficult. But I'd like to ask you some questions. Did you ever think to be an advocate for others like you in the Church? And especially for the Church who treated you like that? Because I am sure there are many others like you & that you aren't alone. Have you thought about writing the parish priest, the bishop, or even the Cardinal about what happened to you? The Pope? Have you ever looked as yourself as a warrior for the cause of Christ? Do you realize that Christ was also rejected by those in the temple, as well as the apostles when He was arrested and then was hung on the Cross? In asking you that, I hope you will be able to see that you have the empathy of Christ, but also can empathize with Christ. You have been given a special gift that can be shared. That's what I finally realized with myself. Christ calls to you, from the cross, to be there for others who suffer like you have. And it does take courage and an understanding that no matter who rejects you, that Christ never will. Please think about returning as there are so many others in the Church that would not do to you what these few did. Come back and be there for others who are like you. You could start here in finding support for your cause: www.ncpd.org God Bless You and know you are not alone.
I am not a catholic but a convert to christianity and I believe that you can be healed today from your mental illness or any issue you may have.Draw near to the Lord. There are hypocrites in every church but the Lord know who belong to him and healing will manifest in you. God bless you and the Lord reveal himself fully to you as you are already known to him in Jesus name.
Well I certainly don't call myself a Catholic because thats no one where in the bible and the bible strictly speaks about conversion to christianity not Catholicism or any other religion man has made. Catholic people don't follow the Holy Bible alone but others teachings and false theologies that are leading you astray. I boast about this because what Jesus did for me and saved me from the pit of hell that I was heading too. Every scripture for many in catholic church is taken out of context is is twisted and mis understood. Why? because the people don't read their bible but trust in the father or pope for all instruction. Yes they are teachers, but the sheep follow the Shepard. So in the direction the teacher sends them is the direction they will go. Don't be deceived brother.
@L what did you mean by "allow Him to unburden you from your sin". Many ppl suffering mental illness are sick due to the sins of other ppl. I felt great compassion & forgiveness towards my abuser but that did not stop the effects it had on my psyche. I was so traumatised that I lost touch with reality for a while, despite me giving my life for God every day. No one is sinless of course, but mental or physical illness is not because that person sinned (there are a lot of bad ppl around too who live in excellent health with no depression, anxiety or other illnesses).
What you saw about parish secretaries is so true-- I've dealt with some who seemed to have no concept that they represent their faith. If a particular secretary is crotchety all the time and won't change, she really needs to be moved out of any position that has her dealing with vulnerable people trying to approach the Catholic church.
Very true and wise counsel that applies not just to catholics leaving the church but to ANY person leaving the church or feeling uncared for or whose quest does not find the answer in the pulpit sermons.
Good point about the first contact person being very important. I'm first contact via a website presence and we get lots of different kinds of questions and requests, from help finding records of ancestors for genealogy research to people wanting confession to non-Catholic or non-religious people taking the first step toward becoming Catholic. People always say how amazed they were by a quick response and plenty of time and help devoted to 'a total stranger'. In some cases, that contact leads to a person coming into the Church, eventually (i God's time). In most cases, it just creates a good impression, often in someone who is in another country. Every contact with you as a representative of the Catholic Church (and in the mind of the world, the 'Catholic guy in my office' IS a 'representative of the Catholic Church') can be a small or large impact on someone's impression of the Catholic Church.
Thank you Bishop for all you do. I’m a convert to The Church and I take my conversion seriously. My reason for not attending the Catholic Church has nothing to do with the Church at all. In fact I miss the Catholic Church so much! I was the only one in my family to become Catholic and not even my wife wanted to attend church with me. I went by myself for several years and it was a lonely time but it was also a wonderful spiritual experience as well. Then my wife and daughter started attending the same church and my wife’s brother became one of the ministers of that church , so I began attending that church to be with family. I do enjoy the worship music and the enthusiastic messages, but in the quiet times, when it’s just me and God, I miss the Catholic Church so much! I never felt as close to God as when I was a practicing Catholic. Each time I received the Eucharist it was such a spiritual blessing like no other. The Blessed Mother and Communion of Saints along with the history of the Church made the Catholic Church feel like home. So you see, leaving the Church was nothing to do with what was wrong with the Church, it was a stupid idea I felt I needed to do because of family. I hope one day I can make my way back home! Thanks again!
Your comment made me so emotional brother in christ...keep loving the catholic faith....our church is in need of farmers now we r having a tuff time...with much love and appreciation ❤...from India 🇮🇳 ❤
I'm approaching my seventieth year and, aside from a short period when I was young, I've tried to be a good Catholic. What sustained me was connection to a faith community and knowing the many good people (lay and religious) throughout the world who lived inspiring lives. This I've come to understand is the upper layer of the church and where the analogy of 'weeds and good grain' applies. What I've also come to understand, however, is that there's a layer below this. This is where the decisions are made and, in truth we know very little about it. It is unaccountable, secretive, defensive and out of reach of the regular 'pew sitter'. It is a culture perfectly suited to scandal and, until relatively recently (in terms of church history) has been able to 'control the narrative'. It is a 'place' where 'weeds' are deep rooted. Like the layer above, it's not all bad but its structure is, by its nature, inclined towards wretched evil. It was at this layer that perpetrators of abuse were allowed to get on with their soul destroying business knowing that the system would do very little to stop them. In so many cases they kept getting move to 'fresh fields' of victims. It was also the layer that allowed -- sometime encouraged -- taking children (often indigenious) away from parents and housing them in places where they died in their hundreds and, again, with the knowlege that they would never face the consequences of their actions. It was the layer that 'looked after' young women who became pregnant out of wedlock with various forms of, effectively, slave labour and further abuse. And most recently in Australia we've found out about the hundreds of children who were the sons and daughters of priests. In most cases the woman was also a victim but, even now, the church puts up all sorts of barriers to those children seeking answers to their story. There are many thousands of these children world wide. When you listen -- really listen -- to these stories it is devastating, soul crushing and, all to often, condemns the victims to a life of misery and longing. Again, I understand that there is much good in the upper layer. I hope I was one of them. But, no more. I can no longer be complicit in the layer of the church I cannot change. I'd rather be a spiritual orphan. PS: I guess I should add, from and internal perspective, that the ultimate test of the power of this 'caste' is access to the eucharist. It is said to be the summit of what it is to be Catholic: soul food if you will. But the 'caste' would prefer the souls of Catholics to 'starve' rather than open up to married priests and, shudder to think, women.
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I left the Church for 10 years. I came back when I began working with a non-profit hospice. I witnessed the power of Jesus in the sacrament given to a dying man. The patient did not want to take any opiates or pain relievers for his cancer pain. Instead, he requested a priest hear his confession, anoint him and give him the Eucharist. His pain left him immediately. After about a week his physical pain would return and so we asked the priest to return to anoint him. His pain left. So, every week, this was the way his physical pain was managed. He died in peace. I have many stories to share about the reality of Jesus' presence in the sacraments and His healing power. I was invited back to a local parish. As I walked in, I immediately felt the presence of Jesus in the tabernacle of the parish. However, the pastor's preaching was awful; the choir was weak; and the parishioners were not particularly welcoming or friendly. But, Jesus was there! Eventually, i met Catholics there who welcomed me and i am grateful. Years later, i entered religious life and became a Dominican priest. I love being a priest and i love welcoming others back to the Church.
Awesome story. God Bless
By getting involved, it brought you back to the church.
Fr Barron: my parents have been life-long Catholics - and very involved in the church. Now, at age 83 and 82 - very ill - and unable to make it to Mass, the church has left them abandoned. No calls. No visits. No concern. I once called to see if the priest would come over to visit with Communion and was told that my parents needed to go to confession prior to that happening! Very disappointing. The only calls we ever get from the church is when it's the annual festival time - to solicit donations.
Do you know who visit my parents? People who we have always kept the door closed to - Jehovah Witnesses. We let them in now. Not to convert because they are strong in their Catholic roots - but because they are the only ones who care enough to visit. They even visit my folks at the hospital.
We are Catholic - and it hurts to say all this - but it's the truth.
Gosh, your poor parents must belong to a bad parish. Every Catholic parish I know has an extensive outreach program to the sick and the homebound. Keep trying to reach the pastoral team at their parish--or speak to their bishop.
Did not Somebody once say “By their fruits ye shall know them”!?
Throughout my life I have often found that help has not come from those I expected to give it. Indeed, often help - but which made ALL the difference - has come from the least likely of people.
Your JWs almost certainly have a hidden religious agenda, but in this they are the same as the Catholic Church! Insofar as these people are good human beings, you would be stupid to rebuff their kindness.
To my mind, your priest ought to have made it his business to follow up your parents’ exceptional absence from church. After all, he must have been the one ultimately responsible for you being solicited for money! A priest is supposed to be an “alter Christus” i.e. “another Christ”. Your parents, and not forgetting yourself(!), have been treated with appalling pastoral insensitivity in a most unChristlike way.
Actions speak louder than words, don’t they? So question your priest’s priorities!
wow! that is horrible to hear! My parish has people that every sunday bring the Eucharist to the sick home bound parishioners... wow! please call another parish and ask them to bring them communion. if they need confession then have the priest come over and do that before distributing jeeze
Xavier why don't you or someone in your family bring the Eucharist to your parents? The church is you and me not Father and/or any other staff at the parish. We are called to care for our family including spiritual care for our family. We are called to be Christ's hands and feet.
actually that is VERY true! The Eucharistic Ministers are the ones bringing the host to the sick in my parish. Father of course does but he cannot make it to every house. There is a short training and then you can get a host each sunday for them and bring it to them.
When I was 12yrs old I was a bad kid. Getting kicked out of school and the whole thing. I ended up being a high school drop out. I remember Fr. Anthony one day saying at church, “as long as you say your daily prayers with sincerity, you will be Catholic.” I heard that when I was 12. I took it to heart. Now I’m 60 and I still attend mass and confession and say my daily prayers.
Hey! Evangelist here👀
God bless you!
@@marcoslt5829 God bless u too
@MissX W yes. And u can win the lotto without going to work. But the normal way to know God or get rich is thru hard work. As the Bible Says
“Work out your salvation in trembling and fear
Bishop Barron: You raise great points about hospitality and how people may leave the Church when they feel it's profoundly lacking. One thing that strikes me is a lost opportunity that is unique to the Catholic Church. There's a priest on site, available to meet with people who walk in from the street essentially throughout the week. He's available to listen, to be present, to respond to the pain and brokenness of the stranger at his door. But most strangers, especially if they are lapsed Catholics, aren't going to be confident to just knock on the rectory or parish office door and ask to chat with the priest. They may, however, be confident enough to attend a weekday Noon Mass and perhaps encounter the priest there. Yet what do I see most often at weekday Masses? The priest shows up to celebrate the Eucharist sometimes in a pretty perfunctory way, he stays in the sanctuary and vanishes as soon as Mass is over. There are so many opportunities for outreach if the priest welcomed visitors, sat with the congregation in the pews for a few minutes and showed that he cared about more than going through the motions in a transactional sense and then washing his hands of it. I wonder if people might stay in the Church or come back to it, if they did not arrive as a stranger and leave as one too.
This is how I feel.
Why did I leave the Church? Let me count the ways:
1) When my father died (I was 10) and left me, my sister, and mother broke, our Parish still demanded a payment for funeral services. I remember my mother going in two weeks after the service to make payment and mentioned how difficult it was financially in the aftermath of my father's death and how she was having a hard time making ends meet, especially with groceries. The Sister's response, as she took the cheque my mother was handing her, was that hopefully things could pick up and that maybe she could work some more (she was already putting in over 40 hours a week to pay for the funeral costs and settle my father's debts). I remember how delicious the smell of food in the Church office/house as the sister spoke with my mom and how hungry we were. No offer to sit down or prepare a plate to take home. No forgiving of the funeral services fee to instead be used on groceries.
2) My sister has cerebral palsy which has left her physically crippled. How many times did the Church ask about her well being or offer spiritual services for her? NEVER. My mother even asked for them to visit her. Their response was that my sister was not a member of the parish. Even when the parish installed a ramp for wheel chairs, never did they extend an invitation to our family to bring her to mass. We did not have the money or means to do so. There were other families with disabled family members who were financially unable to bring their loved ones to mass but why was there no effort to arrange travel accommodations even for important dates in the Church calendar?
3) It always appeared that the most successful members of our parish were closest to the priests and sisters and received some sort of divine credit from them - they must be successful because of their "devotion" while many of us who were poor kids always were ignored by the parish. I always got the impression that we were the runts of the litter.
4) When my mother fell ill with vertigo, which destroyed her life - up until that point she was working, staying active by walking a lot, and went to mass at least five times per week - no one from the parish has come by, or even called, to see how she is doing and whether anything could be done for her. It has been six years! Once she stopped giving money on account of her condition and the costs associated in helping her recovery, the parish forgot about us.
5) The straw that broke my back happened years earlier. I was about 13/14 years old and was very devout and attended mass every single day. I was an alter boy and our change room was attached to the priest's sacristy. After mass one evening a man walked into the sacristy and he asked our priest if he could spare change for food. The man, I should note, attended mass and took communion. The priest said "No." The man asked again. The priest replied, "How do I know that if I give you money that you will not used it for alcohol or drugs?" The man said that he understood the priest's concern and instead asked for a sandwich or any food scraps. The priest looked him in the face and said "No," and demanded that the man leave immediately.
My faith and belief in God died instantly in that moment. I could not explain this "death" I felt inside of me. I fought hard to reignite the flame of my faith but it was gone. I continued to be an alter boy and went to mass out of duty to my mother and hoping that I was going through a phase. By the time I was 16 I had left the Church entirely.
Dear Bishop Barron,
I found out about you while watching your interview on the Rubin Report. My goodness was I impressed by you - a candid, honest, and intellectual discussion. I have since watched many more of you videos and I admire your faith and devotion. Please continue to do the good work that you are doing - you are undoubtedly changing the lives of many people only for the better. However, the Church must fully embrace the whole life of Christ. How can I believe in a Church, whose clergy, continually ignore the teachings of Jesus?
Thank you for your RUclips page.
Thanks for your honesty. I do indeed understand. I would just humbly ask that you don't write off Christ because of the behavior of some bad Christians.
Hello from Malaysia! I'm Catholic and I'll pray for you and the Catholic Church.
lesktube it is terrible to hear your story. Seems like a case of a bad priest. It is sad to me because it damages not only you but tbe entire church.
I would have called him out on it. I hope you can one day come back. Jesus loves you and so do we. God bless you.
OP my father has a similar story. I am converting to the Orthodox Faith. I can't stand the "Francis" as he is contradictory to The Lord's teachings. A church that will not oust him is no True Church of Christ. The "Francis" was nothing like his last 2 predecessors. I am pretty firm in my belief that the "Francis" is indeed the false prophet. He even sits on a white throne as the false prophet is said to. He does nothing as his own flock is slaughtered and ignores the cries of the Italian people who are against the Islamic incursion that he welcomes. I know who his puppet masters are but if I say i'll probably get attacked because they are so powerful.
Please never never leave Jesus because of Judas
As one who hasn't been attending Mass regularly, I will say I make all the excuses mentioned, but you know what? It's no ones fault but my own! Everything doesn't revolve around and is not centered on me. I'm lazy, indifferent and apathetic in many ways and it's no ones fault but my own. If I loved God as I ought to, I would be at Mass as often as possible. We must stop trying to blame everyone but ourselves for our shortcomings, sins, faults and failures.
ed. I couldn't have said it better..amen
I was away from the Church for many years. Now, I am in RCIA to make my confirmation. It is good to be back.
Stephanie M Welcome back!
Welcome home. God Bless You
Other reasons include:
1) A lack of forgiveness shown toward divorced persons, especially from the clergy.
2) A lack of financial accountability - my local parish does not publish collections or financials. is little programming
3) A lack of hospitality.
4) It used to be difficult to be a good Catholic. There were a lot of expectations that have fallen out of favor with "reforms."
5) Once you complete Catholic high school, there is little to connect young singles to the Church unlike most other denominations.
6) Catholic schools have gone from being a missionary outreach to all Catholics and the poor to private schools for the wealthy. My last few presentations in Catholic schools were depressing as it seemed that the students were more into materialism than Catholic social norms.
Since COVID, we have been homebound and watching daily Mass from the Archdiocese of Singapore. We found the liturgies have been excellent and Archbishop Goh has developed a mission for the diocese to build a more vibrant, missionary, and evangelizing church. It is an exciting and inspiring message.
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Correct, one can find themselves in a Church that is poorly organized and may not uphold the church as it should be. When confronted by this obvious violation the idea is to leave that specific church, but not leave the Faith!
As a Catholic and a Singaporean, I am SO happy that you say this about our Archdiocese! :) We really do cherish him and I am affirmed by this that we, in the small church of Singapore, are growing deeply in our faith. As a young man as well, I can attest to our young people being on fire for the faith. We are truly in good hands.
I shall keep the wider church in my intentions. God bless!
I think the divorce part is BIG. As someone who grew up with divorced parents, both Catholics, it was uncommon for us to attend church regularly after they divorced when I was 6. We stopped being very religious on Sundays. What kept me and my sister afloat was my School which was Catholic.
@@mauriciorv228 auh, our enemy in spirit can sure cause a rift in happy families however thats not the time to give up the faith but rather fight for love and family! Prayer Warriors can move mountains! May you always be blessed!
People leave a church when their spiritual needs aren't met.
They also leave if they think they know better and don't want to submit themselves to the authorities of the church.
Jo Chan You can’t leave the church; it’s spiritual. Attending a man made denominational church does not make you a member of Christ’s church. You must be born again.
@@globaloutreach7523 Blessed evening, Authority is not just man made where in every church, a flock or spiritual community, there is someone who is spiritually equipped, to guide us in our spiritual journey. Authority for me is also what comprises my faith which I can strongly hold on to. The teachings and works of Christ that lead the church to unite and act as one with God. I hope I was able to convey my message. God bless.
Cheap excuse
Well I left because I felt forced by my parents, but It never really left me...20 years later I'm back...now I understand the reason for the church, the reason my parents took us to church...it was a wise move...even If I didn't understand it then
I feel so blessed to be in a very excellent parish and live in an area where the vast majority of Catholics truly reflect Christ in their dealings with others.
then worship graven images all together
@Delon Duvenage James 2:14-17 says:
14 What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
@@enyjuan Well said, images, not idols
We do not worship images
@Delon Duvenage Some Protestants who preach faith-only salvation seem to think that gives them a blank check to do no good works at all. I don't think the RCC or Orthodox Churches preach works-based salvation. Regarding abuses of power in the priesthood, I would point to Jesus' passage about doing what the teachers tell you but not what they DO.
I was catholic. In 1982 in my second marriage, I had a son who I attempted to have baptized. But was told by a priest “ this child can’t be baptized. When you remarried you condemned him.” So I became Episcopalian.
I am a Catholic, and either this story of yours is bogus or you had a really bad and ignorant priest. Believe in Catholic teaching, not what every priest says. Catholic teaching is that ALL babies (and all believing people) should be baptized. You changed from being in the Church Christ founded to a protestant sect, which may look outwardly very Catholic, but really isn't. It's a protestant sect that started from 1500s. Think about it: Christ said to Apostle Peter, that He builds His Church, and the gates of hades will not prevail against it. Has the gates of hades then suddenly prevailed until 1500s? Also it is not the Church alone, which says, that remarriage is wrong. Jesus and Paul told that already in the Bible.
Yes this is soley the Fathers responsibility not the Faith itslef.
Come on this should not be a reason for leaving Catholic faith ....If you have any concerns regarding parish priest you can contact higher authorities to get a clarity on this issue.... Catholic Church doesn't allow second marriage unless there is real serious problem ....so please consult with Bishop's office ...
@@jmmvirta and once again the "kind, loving, tolerant, accepting, welcoming" voice of the church speaks.. Jees, so glad I'm an atheist
@@mrkiplingreallywasanexceed8311 Stalin was an atheist, not sure he would be called "kind, loving, tolerant, accepting, welcoming."
I leave the church at least once a week.
Usually after the priest says “Go in peace. The Mass is ended.”
😂😂😂😂
Funny guy
Edit: thanks for making me smile
Thank you for your response - it is my hope that your prayers and mine are answered.
Thank you for these videos, Father. I really appreciate your insight and encouragement, and look forward to more!
I left after 38 years because I got saved and was shown the truth and my eyes were opened. today I'm a Christian because I follow the teachings of Jesus and no longer follow man made traditions or ideologies.
be blessed and believe in christ Jesus Alone for salvation,
my church and my pastor know me by name, we dont do the hail Mary, we do bible study in church and in homes so that we can grow in the knowledge of christ Jesus our lord, it's never ever boring when you are being deified by the word of God,
if you are sitting in pews unsaved as I was the bible is a confusing boring book.
the bible becomes a living and breathing
Devine book when you have been saved and BAPTIZED by the holy spirit into the body of christ.
What you mean to say is you got swallowed up in anti-Catholic propaganda because you were weak in your faith from the start. You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make them drink. Don't ever blame the Church for you leaving, if you want to know the reason, just look in the mirror.
Why is the Word of God preached better in religious cults than the Catholic Church.
read the passage in the Bible where Jesus talks about heavenly bread, the Catholic church is the only church that can offer this to its members, Jesus said you must eat this bread or you cannot enter heaven
Fr Barron,
I think that you are spot on... I was raised a Roman Catholic and through a series of events found myself becoming “born again” at the age of 18. The church where I made this profession never asked me to leave the Catholic Church for them. Rather they encouraged me to remain in the Catholic Church and welcomed me to visit them whenever time permitted.
I found the sermons more practical and less political than the homilies so I attended both churches for about six months. During that time I approached the senior priest to inform him of my spiritual growth. Before I could complete my first sentence, he poked me in the stomach with his finger stating that I was too young for a beer belly. At the same time, the senior pastor of the other church would occasionally call me to visit him in his office to see how I was doing....
I eventually made the decision to inly attend the evangelical church so I came as a surprise that the senior priest would call me at home one December. I had been an altar boy for about 7 years so he knew me personally. He wanted to know if my brother and i would sing the Ave Maria for the upcoming midnight mass. He seemed shocked when I told him that i suppose that i would be happy to do it but did he realize that i hadn’t been attending his church for over 2 years? He cut short the conversion at that point.
Ironically, at that point I was studying for the ministry with that other denomination! Although I don’t agree with the entirety of Catholic doctrine, I am by no means anti-Catholic. As my children were growing I would take them to midnight mass as a way of honoring my father and my heritage. I can’t help but wonder how my life would’ve been different had my priest shown me the simple interest that the pastor did.
Thank you for presenting your message with the love and grace of Jesus!
As a former Catholic, i have to ask You, do you know the difference in doctrine between RC and where you are now!
How do you oficially and permanently leave the catholic church? No one can provide the answer.
Your Pastor’s point about the importance of the secretary’s properly answering the phone is a brilliant one. From 1967-1969, I was a Protestant Chaplain’s Assistant in the Army serving as the clerk (secretary, driver and body guard for a Chaplain). While in Vietnam, I discovered that Officers were getting 2 R&Rs (vacations) while Enlisted personnel only were getting one. After my first R&R, I applied for another one to Japan in June. Weeks or months later, I got a call at work. I answered, “DISCOM 214th Chapel, Specialist Elmore speaking, how can I help you?” The response was, “Elmore, this is Sgt Hayes.” I responded, “Yes Sgt Hayes, what can I do for you?” He said, “You know your R&R in June?” “Yes, Sgt. Hayes.” “YOU’VE ALREADY HAD AN R&R!”, he yelled. “Yes, Sgt Hayes.” “WELL YOU KNOW YOUR R&R IN MAY? YOU’RE NOT GOING TO GET IT!” My response was, “Very well Sgt. Hayes, is there anything else you need?” He hung up. Some days later, I went to my Chaplain’s tent to consult on another matter and he said, “You’ve got your R&R in June.” But I told him that Sgt.Hayes had taken it away. He said, “I know. I was on the line when he called and you’ve got it back.” My take away was that, because I professionally and respectfully represented the Chaplaincy, my Chaplain and the Chapel even though I was being screamed at, my Chaplain thought it was appropriate to “go to bat” for me. I never forgot that lesson.
That's an incredible story! The more reasons to be polite and dedicated, you never know what good may come!
However, I ran across your channel and already feel that many questions have been answered from watching your videos alone. I'm halfway done with your video "Evangelizing the Culture" and it's been enlightening. I attempted to contact my Priest so we could talk about my decline in spirituality, but had no luck. I'm lucky to have found your channel! I appreciate you reaching out to us Catholics who are struggling with their faith (or leaving the Church). I'll keep watching!
thanks, Father!
I left because I didn’t feel accepted or wanted by my Priest and he was always preaching about politics which is unethical. I agree, with what you said people said, he was arrogant. Also very uncristlike, very judgmental.
Sounds like Fr. Altman!
My Mom left for a similar reason as a child. But it’s never too late to find a community, a group within the church that knows your name and treats you as a friend. I found that.
Lol you funny as hell boyo
Church and state shouldn't be separate
Christ is the ruler of the world
Hence forth
Your politics should be centered in Christ
You should go for Jesus and not for your priest.
@@cristinarothering9637 I find Jesus everywhere, I don’t need to go to a Church to find him.
Thanks for the informative video. MSGR.Richard Rusconi (,retired but still working the vineyard) always provides us with heart hitting questions and answers. He received his PHD in biblical studies and it sure shows at every liturgy. Big Thanks to YHVH.
I am not catholic, but what the priest said is true. I left my church after or stopped attending so much becuz my spiritual needs were not being met and no one picked up a phone or talked to why I left. And this not whining or trying to get attention. But I still pray everyday and believe God and that Christ is my saviourm
Is faith about having your needs met, or serving God in faithful perseverance?
If your serving faith is empty and continue serve God is it worth anything? Living and growing in faith and having a personal relationship with God is most important. But if the true teachings are not there, then that place is not good. And connect with people in the congregation is important with to help with spiritual growth. Perseverance is thru the trials and tribulations we go thru and still keep our faith and makes us stronger and willing to depend on God and Jesus even more.
Serving God is more important than anything. I have a little saying, it tends to shock people: I would rather serve God than be saved.
God wants us to come to repentance first and put our faith in his Son first before we can be used and useful to him. We are made righteous for the work Christ did and is still doing. What you are suggesting is that you just want to do good works and thinking it is serving the Lord. Without being saved, putting in our faith. we will not be close to God.
Maxwell Garrison That is silly beyond compare. "Seek first the Kingdom of God, and HIS righteousness..."(not your own)
i agree with the issue of parish priests and personnel being distant. i have gotten to a point that i don't even try to get to know my pastor. i just go to mass and leave.
That's not a bad thing that you do. I go to a very large Catholic Church that has over 1000 members. There are hundreds of people at every Mass. The good thing about that is that during the Mass I focus on the Mass instead of socializing with others.
You can always go to another parish like I did .
Hello Bishop Barron, i find Fr. John A Hardon, S.J., a delight to see and listen to on a daily basis. He has helped strengthen my faith, and knowledge of the catechism.
I "left" the Catholic church when I was about 18 because I didn't feel heard and the priest was too deadpan, no feelings or love. I converted to a small Baptist congregation at 22 and quickly noticed how kind and loving the pastor was here and I can talk with him and he genuinely listens to my problems. Until Catholic priests take the time to sit down and really listen to parishioners then the church will continue to lose people. People want a religious figure they can talk to and confide their problems to. I never felt that in the Catholic church
Greetings, brother. I'm a current 'pissed off' Catholic from a Latin American diocese. I've recently been to a Reformed service, and the community was very warm, intellectualy informed, and hospitable. The biggest trouble our diocese faces is its bishop, an arrogant rich old man with a chofeur who loves to be invited to dinner with influential people. Being a Catholic means feeling like a hypocrite. Adding to this, there aren't a lot of works of mercy to help with, but we'll find out how to bring Christ to others, in time.
My parents died and not one member showed up to their funeral mass ...
Could be my mum one day...
Sorry man.
Fr. Barron, although I agree that everything you mentioned above would have a pretty big impact, I do not believe it to be the source of the problem. from what I have observed, the greatest threat to the church and therefore to society is, ignorance in the Catholic faith. if the church made in effort to educate her people, on a very simple level, the truth about her history as well as the history of all of the non Catholic Christian churches. simple facts such as how and when we got the Bible and most of all what the key differences are between the church and all the rest. Sir the bottom line is, if most Catholics understood these facts, even on a simple level, they would understand that there are no other alternatives. this could be something as simple as posting a one-sentence eye-catching fact on the Sunday bulletin. these things should also be taught in religious education at all levels. anyway that is my opinion and I hope you will take it into consideration. God bless you and thank you for what you do.
That's great thought .....God bless you
Yes
Absolutely true! Lack of education leads to other pastors from different denominations get the attention of catholics who do not really know where our faith comes from...
You kidding the church is drunk on its history and itself. They don't give a whip of truth or people or anything. They whether pray to mary than love thy neighbor. Get real. I had a friend who left the church because they couldn't sign their child up for first communion or confirmation. The area was in the basementand she had Multiple sclerosis. No exceptions. Love not here that's for sure Jesus must be elsewhere.
"No alternatives"? I'd say Orthodoxy is a great alternative to the general abuses incurred by the "One True Church" that decided to go its own way. Regardless, the whole situation in Christianity is sad. As long as the churches are divided, they are all right and all wrong, in different ways.
One they a guy started talking to me about GOD. We had a long talk and he asked me. Would you have a personal relationship with GOD? I say, why not I'm not really doing anything. So that night I went into the place I was staying and prayed the Lord's prayer and say. Well GOD here I'm and went to sleep. The next day, to me, was different. I fell peace in me. Started my day and did my thing. As I was driving through some road. GOD fill all of the space around me and my space within me with HIS presence. That day was a total transformation for me. From that day on I started to feel a hunger to know about GOD. So from that day on I wanted to know everything about GOD. So I started reading my Bible and later on bought an audio Bible to listen to while I drove. I am a truck driver, so I have a lot of time to listen to my audio Bible. So during this period going to mass is was wonderful. The priest at the church we were attending, to me, is the best priest I have ever knew since childhood. Then I keep reading my Bible and listen to my audio Bible. By reading the Bible and letting CHRIST guide me through it, through the HOLY SPIRIT. I could see the difference in between religion and CHRIST. So, it was necessary for me to leave religion to follow CHRIST. In religion as men, we tend to try to make GOD to our image. But is the other way around. GOD made us to HIS image according to HIS likeness. And HE wants us to come home. The home that GOD provides is wonderful. It is true that CHRIST gives peace not like the world does. But, that's only me, why I left religion and fell in love with GOD.
GOD bless
Me too
My pastor a Monsignor refused the Image of Divine Mercy which we had bought with approval from his associate priest who was a very devoted young Polish priest. I was the first to bring to the Monsignor the devotion of Divine Mercy. We had celebrated the festivity with many years even with opposition and non-support by the pastor. We had to take the very beautiful large Image to another church. Actually to our young priest who now had his own parish. It was devastating to me and many of the parishioners. I left the parish after 30 years. But I come back and help celebrate DM every year. It is joyful and painful. At the parish I still donate every week. I will be buried in a columbarium there-But my soul has had a difficult and long healing which is wound opens up every year. That insensitivity and lack of support didn’t cause the end of the devotion of DM at my old parish. It continues and it is growing. The new priests, both are devotees of DM. And Monsignor has had to allow us to celebrate. Painful as it is for me it is a joy as well. Because God is in control not any of us. Not even the pastor
The storms will come into our spiritual life and we have to get throught it. "Lot will be called but few are chosen."
Currently wanting to leave the church because of their stance on being childfree. I plan to get married one day, but I should not be forced to have children that i do not want just because I have to be "open to life." When I heard about the church's teachings on being childfree, it saddened me greatly because I love the church and continue to pray everyday. I have several valid reasons not to have children and I am currently looking at doctors who will be willing to perform the sterilization surgery on me.
The reason the Church teaches against contraception, other than that it is Biblical, is that love is life giving. When you contracept you deliberately block life giving love and reduce the marital embrace to the using of another person just for pleasure. The teaching of the Church on marital love and against contraception is very beautiful and I hope that you will read more about it.
@@bseaingu You could say the same for NFP. You are deliberately having sex while trying to prevent pregnancy as much as possible with methods such as obsessively checking your temperature every morning or using ovulation strips to track your ovulation. Hormonal birth control is just slightly more effective than NFP and simply uses hormones that women already have in them to avoid pregnancy (while also getting many benefits such as lighter periods, less acne, and lighter cramps).
Also quite the strawman you created here. You are not "reducing the marital embrace to the using of another person just for pleasure" if you use birth control. People on birth control may want the emotional connection that comes with sex and by your heavily flawed logic, people who use NFP to avoid pregnancy are also using their spouse just for pleasure.
I have already read up on church teachings on contraceptions and I do not find it "beautiful" in the least bit. It's incredibly hypocritical if anything
I would speak with your priest about being child free. If you can have children we are commanded to do so as Christian’s not just Catholics
I have been to some Masses and 90% of the people in attendance are over 50. Very few youth. The beautiful Mass needs to be brought to life. The Mass is something very beautiful and wonderful
..
Let's pray for all who have left the church.
I would like to offer my somewhat unique experience & perspective to this conversation. Let me start by saying I have been a catholic my entire life and i can never leave the church any more than i could change my blood type. I don’t come for the entertainment or the glamour or the rubbing of elbows for business associations. I come for the tradition and symbolisms as well as my love for Jesus, Mary, all the saints and God.
Here though is my unique perspective: I have been in a business for more than 30 years that has a very strong service to the faith organizations (church, synagogue, schools, non profit groups, etc etc.). I have literally worked with thousands of churches over three decades in several states. I can tell you as I have told my wife many times, the Catholic Church, my own church, treats me the worst & are much more closed minded of any churches when I make initials contacts, present proposals, conduct meetings, share new concepts and methods that would help them reduce costs, provided training and more. How many times i have felt so much more kindness and acceptance working with Protestant churches than my own faith. I have been hung up on, treated like so much dirt on their shoes, given the bums rush and generally disheartened hundreds of times this way. But my faith doesn’t waiver. My faith in my church organization has though. So i can understand why so many people feel this way and might leave.
Please, ask Jesus Christ about what is pleasing to Him and Him alone. God listents to prayers and sees in one's heart if said prayer is honest or if a person wants to be fed what he/she wants to hear. Test if what you follow is on the narrow path of salvation(check the bible, just the text, no synopsis/comments)-don't assume that you know already, please, this can cost you your soul. May Jesus Christ bless you and help you all the time.
See this reply makes sense. We need Catholics who can see the issues and not blame the apostates!
You could have stopped at the reasons that can't be changed locally. After those nothing else really matters.
I'm touched by the final reason why people leave the Catholic Church. I have always been Eastern Orthodox. But there was a time when I used to go to daily Mass in the Catholic Church, had Catholic friends from university and would go on Catholic retreats. I even studied Catholic theology at Notre Dame (Australia). Therefore, I was thinking about converting to Catholicism. However, after finishing my degree, none of my Catholic friends spoke to me except for one person. But even that one person stopped responding to my emails after about 6 months. A few others stopped responding to my emails and text messages too. No one invited me to events either.
So, I went back to the Orthodox parish that I grew up in since I had lost my identity. The priest there insisted that I make friends in this parish and attend things like bible studies. On my first night of Bible Studies, two people introduced themselves to me and tried getting to know me. I got to know more people as the months went by but then I became depressed because I lost my Catholic friends and didn't trust my new Orthodox parishioners.
One night, I was contemplating going to an interesting Catholic event or Bible Studies. I was so depressed that I wen to neither. But on that very night, someone from my Orthodox parish texted me that he hadn't seen me in Bible Studies for a few weeks and was checking up on me. I was over the moon! I returned to Bible Studies the following week and I no longer wish to be Catholic. (This was in 2017). Also, over a month ago (2018), one of my Orthodox parishioners hurt me and I stayed away from that parish for a month. But then she kept texting me that she and everyone misses me. My deacon also texted me since he was worried about me. When I returned, the very person who hurt me was so happy and she apologised for what she did and I forgave her. My deacon and many others were so happy about my return.
Bishop I was lapsed for from late teens to mid-30's. A friend taking an RCIA course helped me return to the Churrch. I took an RCIA course and learned more here than in all my school years. I am truly sorry for this time and pray to worship God for the rest of my day.
God bless you in your spiritual journey.
I think the Lord is re-ordering things. He is letting the lukewarm leave (He did say that he will vomit them out) and he is replacing them with the hungry ones who are on fire for him. There are many catholics leaving but there are many being led into the church. I was raised by my mom without any relationship with my father. My mom is protestant who was very anti-catholic. She was not one to ever go to church though and she still doesn't nor has she been baptized but she says she believes in God and loves him. When I was about 7 yrs old some ladies from the local baptist church knocked on our door and invited us. My mom declined but said I could go if I wanted to. I don't remember anyone teaching me about God but I have always known and loved him from my earliest memory and would walk around talking to my invisible friend and I would read in my bible and ask God for understanding. So I was eager to go to church. In college I wrote for the school newspaper and had to interview students from the Newman society. We were discussing religion and beliefs and I was agreeing with them. One of the guys told me that I was catholic that I just didn't know it yet. It turns out he was right. Throughout those years of my life I found that the protestant church was not full enough for me as I tried out different denominations. I was hungry. One day I attended an episcopal church and it felt more reverent than anything I had ever witnessed. So I joined it. But then I found that I disagreed with them on issues, especially gay marriage. They were ordaining openly gay priests who were engaging in practices that the bible forbids. I could not accept that. So that made me look at the Catholic church. I was hesitant until one day I was in a bookstore and was praying to God to lead me to a book that I should read. My eyes fixed on Divine Mercy. I read it and it affected me deeply. So I went and bought a rosary and I began trying out the prayer and praying for people. The prayers were being answered. I also reached out and connected with my father and discovered that he was raised Catholic. Though after 3 divorces he did not attend church. Still I thought it was interesting that I was being drawn to the faith of my father. I prayed for one of his friends who had cancer of the esophagus and who doctors gave 6 months to live. I was praying for him and he was healed. The doctors later found no sign of cancer. So then I bought a book catholicism for dummies. I wanted to know what the church taught ..what it believed and why. I decided that I would either be able to accept all of it or have none of it. I wanted to be able to jump in with both feet and not halfway. I had my thinking on many issues corrected. I realized that I had been wrong about many things and why. I accepted the church teachings as truth. I could feel the truth in it. So I enrolled in RCIA at my local parish to learn more and to make sure it was right for me. It's now been about 10 years and I am constantly discovering how full the faith really is to those who keep diving deeper within it. Those who get nothing out of it are not really putting anything into it. They are going through the motions but they are not seeking with their hearts and they are not putting the required effort into it. I enjoy and appreciate your videos and I have learned from them. Thank you.
Most all the protestant churches I went to didn't protest Catholicism, but there was this one led by a man who started out as a Catholic Priest who had nothing good to say about Catholicism. It just kind of makes me wonder about people. Y'know how atheists don't really have any identity apart from Christians. It's like their moral worth is tied into what this other group of people are doing.
I've known a lot of Catholics who are open minded to Christians and a lot of Christians who are open minded to Catholicism. I for one like all the movies, all the good religious ones on demonic possession are nearly entirely made about the Catholic faith.
Catholics are Christians.. the first Christians. The word Catholic means Universal because the Christian faith that is taught in it is universal and reaches all nations and peoples. If you go into any Catholic church the lithurgy (bible readings) are the same. All of the churches have mass daily in which we can receive Holy Communion / Holy Eucharist and thus receive our daily bread (Our Spiritual Food which is the True Body and Blood of Jesus for he says his flesh is true food and his blood true drink). The early apostles knew this to be so and preserved this truth and others who have departed over the years from the church have lost their faith in the truth. It's sad that Jesus is so close and yet they do not see him.
fuzzydog pa That explains a lot, thanks. I didn't know the Catholic church holds daily mass. I probably did see it in the movies, but it never clicked until now.
I'd become a Catholic if there was a church nearby.
www.masstimes.com and search by zip code. I always refer to this when traveling out of town or looking for a mass time that fits into my work schedule.
There's a St. Andrew's Orthodox Church nearby where I live. It's close to Catholicism. I'm just lazy, I get my fellowship here online from nice Christians like you!
The Catholic church makes Billions in my country (schools, hospitals, retirement homes, they have a tax exception, yet take taxpayers subsidies) yet it is suddenly up the parishioners to fix the local church when there are repairs. My point is when I go to Macdonalds, do I have to pay for the ceiling if it is damaged?
Interesting..... similar thing happening in Michigan - damaged elementary school. They are fundraising too- didn't they have insurance on the school? Enough ! The church owns lake front property in the same town. And surely lots more ..... Something is really wrong . Question everything folks.
Thank you Bishop Barron ☺️
You a bishop? You to human. To real. Love your bold audacious approach. You confidence impress.. For someone abused with Catholic Church. I found God when I left. But. You pretty good
i m praying for you, and the rest of us, always, i m deeply sorry for your painful past, please, don't give up.
the church is not kid friendly ....families of small children have a hard time feeling comfortable mean stares and unwelcome feeling due to the strict environment and old catholics with thier superior attitudes ....instead forgetting how blessed our lord jesus considers them how he always loved children and protected them.....perhaps its time that the catholic church becomes more FAMILY FRIENDLY
I left the catholic church because the "mass" didn't apply to my everyday life and how to handle the outside world. Nothing the priest said, for over 15 years could apply to what I was encountering in school, at home, at a job, on the street. I now attend a Calvary church and the sermons apply to everyday life and how to conduct yourself in an out of control world. Has helped so much. I've gotten more out of 5 years at a Calvary church then I ever did 15-20 years in a catholic church.
You hit it right on Bishop Barron. It would be very beneficial to us parishioners if your suggestions are implemented. I am grateful that currently in our parish we have an excellent homilist, who is our own parish priest.
Wow! This is so true ...nailed it!
Learning the difference between Catholic dogmas and THE Gospel was the first reason I pulled away. Now I study my Catechism in contrast with the Bible and it further solidifies my decision to never go back.
Been there done that so Right.
I see poor religious education as one of the biggest reasons for young people to leave the church. In middle school I had really boring religious education and in high school it's terrible. We learn less of our own religion than the students who attend ethics and our teacher is a rather unnice person. NOBODY likes rel ed in my class.
What does your list say about this, is it in the US as bad as here?
Secondly I wanna say that my local priest always cared for the people who left the church. He wrote a letter to every single one of all those too many people. He begged everyone to talk with him about problems and why they left the church but not a single person took his offer so he stopped all of this 2 or 3 years ago because it made him so sad.
YES ITS WORSE THAN POOR!!
Christianity is a false religion because Jesus never taught christianity.That's the reason why many priests ,pastor,cardhinals,Revs are converted to Islam.You can see one day,the priests or pastors only speak to the emphty chairs.Only emphty chairs remain in churches and listen to them,tq
@@Hasbi-cj1dp Nobody in the right mind converts to Islamism. It is like in Judaism to get married you have to convert. And if they convert believe me they weren't great Christians and they will not be great Islamists either.
@@sterianburghelea6567 Nobody wants to convert into christianity ? ...Do you know why ?..because christianity is a false religion because Jesus never taught christianity and the word christianity is not found in any version of the bible...Jesus himself is not a christian...Is jesus a Roman catholic or is he a protestant ?...Please,quote verses of the bible to prove your answer and don't just ranting...tq
David No one can LEAVE the church. You obviously don’t know what the church is biblically. Unless you are born again Jesus said. So only those born of the SPIRIT (there’s a big clue for you SPIRIT) belong to the “Church”. The real issue is folks don’t study the Bible for themselves which is exactly how the Catholics have always liked it.
I am sorry for what you and your family went through. I never put all Christians or all members of any church into one basket, but it seems that many Christians and Churches have forgotten the teachings of Jesus, our Lord, our Master and the Christ... shower of The Way... Jesus said when you do things to help the least of these, you do them to me. The Way of life that pleases God our Father in heaven and the Way that leads us to eternal life with our Lord Jesus, our Heavenly Father, and our family and friends who are also there. Sometimes people turn Christianity into a business, and not the faith and life Jesus taught us. May God bless you and your family and may God forgive all of us who fall short of the Way Jesus wants us to live.
This is great 'food for thought' for all Catholics to keep in mind.
After hearing all of the reasons for leaving the church, I realize that the focus is placed on ourselves and our own needs. After returning to the church after an 11 year absence, for a lot of the same reasons mentioned here, I realize now how I hadn't placed the focus on God when I did so.
A lot of it had to do with a lack of understanding on my part. The catholic church is the church establishment by Christ himself as evidenced in scripture and with the apostolic succession of popes, stemming from the apostles themselves. It's also the only faith who not just believe but know the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Christ is the bridegroom and the church is his bride and has been so for 2,000 years.
I understand now that I shouldn't allow the actions of others to keep me from following the truth. I thank God for his mercy and for bringing me back to the church and with a clearer and fuller understanding. I see now that I have to humble myself and take it upon myself to actively engage in the church. I learn something new (new to me) all the time. Attending mass on Sundays and other holy days of obligation isn't enough and I could feel that before I had left that it wasn't enough. I have to read the Bible, pray the Rosary, attend confession regularly, receive communion regularly, read the catechism, study the lives of the saints, actively engage in my vocation of parenthood, live my life with the liturgical calendar and constantly learn more about Catholicism, to participate in the fullness of my faith. I've never felt so grounded and secure before in my life despite anything that might be going on. I believe that if one has a firm foundation in the complete understanding and loyal practice of the faith, then anything that may come to threaten that, won't stand a chance.
When mans traditions are elevated...even 1% elevation to that of Jesus Christ as our LORD and Savior....people need to reexamine how GOD felt about manns traditions and also how Jesus felt about the Pharisees of His day and their adherence to anything but Jesus Himself.
Thank you, for your Faith, Elvia Trejo!
Thank you !!!
Because I started reading and believing the Bible and got saved.
Praise Yahweh, Jeff! 🙌
@Charles , could You explain that!
@Charles
Charles
6 months ago
That's interesting. I was raised as a Fundamentalist Baptist, and so I grew up reading and believing the Bible and I accepted Jesus into my heart at the age of 4 years old. It was my Bible reading, prayer, and learning about actual Church history (not the distorted version I got from the Fundamental Baptists) that led me into the Catholic Church, although I have ultimately ended up in the Eastern Orthodox Church. The Bible makes so much more sense from a Catholic perspective than it did from my Baptist perspective, although I have found that it is within the Orthodox Church that the Bible makes the fullest sense.
@Charles, You say the bible makes most sense within the Orthodox church! Do they have priests? Do they have confession of sins? Do they adhere to Matthew 6?
Matthew 6:14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 15 but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
And Matthew 25
Matthew 25:31-33 31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: 32 and before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 33 and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
I could give You dozen more examples, if You answer one or more with Yes, I tell You, they don't (orthodox Church) understand the Gospel of grace! If You would like my reason for that, I will gladly present it to You! God bless You!
@Charles , good luck, You need it! God bless You!
And for you Fr.Robert I will pray.
Lack of follow-up has been a consistent problem in my experience. Whenever I've left a church, not once has anyone even bothered to call or email to ask where I am or if everything's OK. Even the smallest sense from the church that someone notices and cares would go a long way.
I go to church every week. I find it depressing. So many broken families but never a word on the family. Its like being at an airport where every other plane crashes but no one wants to talk about it....
That's the way most churches are. For all we know the Protestants are like that too. I want to be a Lutheran, in a religion that is just like the church but retaining the original spirit that Jesus instilled in His people. It really does look like a purified Church to me, the Church as God intended it.
I am Catholic, and that is one reason that I have huge respect for Mormons. They put almost all the religious emphasis upon family, and they take the time to communally scold you if you do not follow the rules. Catholics need to do that, if someone has sex outside of marriage, cheats on their spouse, or gets a divorce, we should shun them and scold them like the Mormons do. Catholics are weak, they take no moral stands on anything and it is disgusting. I understand what the bible says about judgement and free will, but it is unrealistic. If you lived in mainstream society before the mid-1960's, and you misbehaved, your entire community would personally scold you, if you were a kid and doorbell ditched your neighbor, your neighbor would find you, whip you with a belt several times, then physically drag you to your parent's house and your parents would gratefully whip you with a belt. If you were a man back then, and you got a woman pregnant out of wedlock, your community, church, and family would ostracize you. People who did not follow the rules of religion, society or government back then had ZERO rights. That is how society should be nowadays and how Catholics should act. I guarantee you that people would behave a lot better, not have broken families, and would not leave the church. I may be biased because I come from Orthodox Judaism and that religion is almost solely based upon following of rules and that following of rules is of equal weight to your spiritual journey.
The Catholic church also needs to improve its education and educate people on the importance of faith, family, community, and rule-following.
If you really want to know the Truth, then you have to study. Don't let anyone tell you what to believe, what not to believe. Use your God given faculties and reason and Desire to know the Truth - then God will guide you. God is one, His religion is one.
@@garrettstephens91 You seem like a lot of fun. Mormons are actually kind of repulsive. They are extremely boastful. Go to Salt Lake City and you will see what I mean. There seems to be very little talk about Jesus and more talk about everything they have accomplished, and everything they have accomplished is "THE BEST." They even took credit for having the best snow in the world for the Olympics. No joke. Maybe their teachings on Sundays don't do that, but they seem to be very preoccupied with growing their church more than anything else. My maternal grandmother is also Mormon so I do have some experience with them.
I'm 62 and have heard lots of reasons for leaving. Some went to Episcopal and just didn't leave religion. Some couldn't come to grips with teaching of gay human beings, some were divorced from bad spouses and felt annulments weren't in reach and wanted to remarry. Some felt how the church handled suicide back in the day they demonized it, pushed them away. Some didn't like the way they handled and hid the abuse and tried to blame it on "gay" priests and not pedophiles they hid. Some just felt invisible and couldn't feel God when going through rote prayers and cold parishioners and priests. Others had wonderful experiences but you can't discount the reasons other encountered.
We at St. Joe's in Somers Point are blessed to have Lisa Weiss on the Parish Staff. While it is difficult at very busy times in the Parish office she truly strives to help people with deep concern for the person and their needs.
But, like most Parishes I have been involved with, if a person doesn't strive on his or her own to be involved and form relationship ... and continue to strive; unless you have been there for decades doing this; you will be ignored. I've been there, at first as a visitor from another parish due to friends at the time attending morning Mass there since 2012. Now, please understand, I'm not citing the following as a personal complaint; I know the nature of the current situation and the onus is on me. But last Autumn and through at least half of winter I became ill with extreme fatigue and vertigo. And on top of this, I was healing from a necessary major life change. With exception of periodic Knights of Columbus form letter email alerts; no one ever contacted me as to the status of what happened to me. When I returned to being more visible and stove to be more involved, I just laughed it off when someone joked that I hibernated during the winter; but conveyed what some where a little aware of, that I was going through.
Now, I must stress, that The Lord Jesus, did bring me through this and lifted me out of the pain which had me focus way too much on myself; when, of course, the remedy is focusing on the needs of others with a confident grace filled concern and love of neighbor. But, what if this Grace, needed someone to reach out to me? So, my real concern is others who could be helped by being reached. And my work with The Gospel of Life as my main witness, certainly is not very conducive to reaching out to reticent parishioners with our local climate in regards to Evangelium Vitae, which I get many reports this is commonplace across the land. I certainly will pray to form relationships with others, where I will have the contact information to reach out to them should something similar happen to them. Sometimes all someone needs is a friendly voice of concern. Recently, I became reacquainted someone who is now a widow, but has very serious health problems. She was visited by a Chaplain Priest in the hospital; and she is from a Christian background. She does get help from her sister and nephew. But, even though it would be possible for her to overcome the difficulties with her health to attend Mass; I don't over push this with her. But, I can tell that there is mutual godly concern and appreciation with us. And I make sure to reach out to her if days go by without some communication. I'm quite sure she would be O.K. if I didn't; but I'm sure that my concern for her, helps with spreading the Kingdom of God. If we only learned to do this in The Church more. How many would rise to help with the vitality of Parish outreach?
Praise Almighty GOD in The Name of JESUS CHRIST, in 1996 i read the holy bible n was astounded by many unbiblical teachings of the 💒 of rome n i left to Worship GOD in Protestant Holy Bible Based Churches!!!👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
Fr Barron is fantastic to listen to he inspires and evokes a great interest in the Catholic faith , we need more Priests like him , other Priests should listen to him for guidance on how to embellish their Priesthood. God Bless you FR Barron and your vocation...
Reason for leaving : won't support the good old boys club!
Patty Conley Yep ☝️
What does this even mean?
@MissX W Men with traditions are wrong? You're going to have to qualify that.
Several years ago the Pastor at my parish (just a few minutes away from St. Paul of The Cross in P.R.) openly asked for suggestions from the parishoners on improving the methods of evangelizing. He specifically asked us to lend our expertise from our professional backgrounds. I approached him and suggested that there were many methods used in the business world and in marketing in particular that could be of use in effective evangilization. He shut me me down immediately and made it very clear that he considered the business world to be totally incompatible with the Church and its mission. He abruptly ended our conversation right then and there. One of the suggestions that I had in mind was your point of first contact. That short conversation has bothered me ever since. I think there are many people like myself who would like to help; if only someone were willing to hear us out.
Your opinion important howl dare you
This is a good presentation to me. My neighbor, a family friend invited me to adoration. I had rarely even been inside a Catholic church. My neighbor had been mentoring me. My initial visit the leader there complained that a woman can not mentor a married man herself. She was told to have nothing to do with me outside of church or our family. Falsely accused of tempting immoral behavior. We would walk our dogs outside our homes in a public place. When I returned few weeks later, a sister there told me I was not welcome because "God takes away" There are other people to help you, somewhere else. I was not allowed to sit nearby my only friend there. I told the priest; the guy was fired; and now several people there are shunning me. They tell me I committed calumny. Ruined a reputation. I can see why nothing is done about abuse in churches. The priest tells me I am courageous, but I am broken and lost my faith. I am innocent, did nothing wrong.
You mean besides Vatican II, Lumen Gentium, and Heretical bishops?
Always words of wisdom from Bishop Barron and we need to take heed of his comments.
Excellent advise. We need to be more warm, welcoming, caring, more Christ like...love our brothers and sisters in the church..
I left because I wasn’t pressured by my parents as I was getting older and they let me make my own mind on if I wanted to go. I feel like I was forced to go when I was little so when I got older I didn’t want to go because I was no longer pressured. But eventually things in my life have gone on and I started going back to church. Though I don’t go regularly I go every once and a while. And by going to church again when I push myself to go I feel that’s it’s better than when I was little because it’s my choice.
Another one is when a priest make political ideological statements. Respects from Argentina.
as long as the political ideological statement are truly in line with the bible, the priest should be saying them. i expect a priest to comment on current day politics and its relation to the bible. not make false claims like the current Pope who said same sex couples should be together in a union. False teachings! Which is why many leave.
I'm delighted to hear this! Friend, no good Catholic teacher should ever have told you, "here's the truth; don't question it." I mean, Thomas Aquinas asked tens of thousands of questions, including, "does God exist?" Keep reading Aquinas, Newman, Chesterton, Lewis, and Augustine--and God will show you the path. And never be afraid to ask questions!
Well Christianity has been stuck in a rut father Barron.
and its basically blind obedience. As Hindus we dont have the same problems because where open to any idea the Athiests the gay marriage. Abortion. There is no a book of dues and donts. No lack of evloution.
You are right, I asked Questions and this allowed me to make a decision to leave the RCC! Not ones have You suggested to read and study the Bible, You constantly refer to the "Earl fathers",
2 Timothy 1:15 This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me; of whom are Phygellus and Hermogenes.
This people, who turned away from Paul's Gospel (yes Paul's Gospel, he called it MY GOSPEL 3 times), believed in Jesus, but not in Paul's Gospel! This all happened within Paul's lifetime!
A Catholic was thinking for month about leaving the RCC, he went to a bishop with his questions, the bishop encouraged him, just like You to read all these books, persistent the catholic asked the bishop about specific passages in the Bible, so the Bishop looked around in his office for a bible in midst hundred of books , but couldn't find one! The catholic left disappointed and left the office & church!
Took less than 9 months to Writ down what I am sharing. So I guess I found my treasure. Because of someone that I could not see loved me so much. This is relationship.❤️
My parish worried more about whether they should continue sending me envelopes than why I felt forced to leave.
A Catholic who may kneel in front of a statue while praying isn’t worshipping the statue or even praying to it, any more than the Protestant who kneels with a Bible in his hands when praying is worshipping the Bible or praying to it. The images of saints (whether it be in statue form or painting) serves as a reminder of the holiness of the person depicted.
Unfortunately many are ignorant of the real meaning of statue for catholics.. . But why do these statues have to wear in expensive clothes including gold threads.. and why are there so many types of Jesus statue? And tbh, protestants do not hold the bible during praise and worship.. another misconception on protestants
do not put your faith on such trinkets of deceit, we are CHRISTIANS! we are supposed to believe in the invisible GOD- the HOLINESS OF HIS SPIRIT!
“Do not make an idol for yourself-no form whatsoever-of anything in the sky above or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth.”
Exodus 20:4
@@dayasuriel9286 amen! only Jesus is our redeemer
If u went to mass u heard the gospel. And yes you are correct... There is no good reason to leave the Catholic Church. Jesus said "go to the church" Jesus said "blessed is he who finds no stumbling block in me" Jesus said "I will build my church"
Many Catholics have never been taught this.
Thanks much for this video.
...also people at church on Sunday are SOOOOO caught up with the ceremony that they forget the reason behind the ceremony....WHATS IN YOUR HEART?
1. Because The Devil has infiltrated the Church 2. Because Faithful Priests stay Quiet
My belief for people leaving is that for hundreds of years priests and nuns have abused children and the weak. And you have this bishops and cardinals cover up the sins of the priests. Some victims become suicidal and depressed or addicted. No jail time for these child molesters, and they get to keep their jobs. Vengeance is mine says the Lord. These evil priests can’t hide from God. PRAISE JESUS!!!
I left because I was insulted by elderly church members many times. The last one to insult me when I was a Eucharistic Minister. One said I can't sit with the elderly when they are lonely which happened. I listened to a lonely 84 year old for 20 minutes. I'm a talker. I listened to her 90% of that 20 minutes. I got a tongue lashing for doing that. I left that ministry and came back 2 years later. This time the leader of the Eucharistic Ministers at the hospital said I had very foul body odor. I had taken a shower and had freshly washed clothes on. I called him and told him I was leaving the church because he was the straw that broke the camels back!! I've been Methodist for almost 5 years now!! Always loved the clergy there. Much happier being Methodist.
You look like a nice older gentleman. Yahweh bless you.
Your Excellency Most Reverend Robert Brown, D.D be blessed. I am 75 and my late spouse was 82. In the Philippines we have I called sermont in Mount Olive practised in a form of prayer meeting FEAST by Brother Bo Sanchez , lay. meetings are in big malls theater and grand plenary halls in hotels and on every Sunday at PICC halls or our Philippine International Convention Center. Simultaneously in three halls and three sessions for the day. This is transparochial but many youths , students , already are employed gather in thousands making the sign of the cross singing dancing and worshipping to God after the Holy Eucharist celebration. the sermon in Mount Olive is alive. Brother Bo Sanchez is in the 10: 00 AM session . His feast builders here in Cebu City are equally good at duplicating his charism. Good day Your Excellency.
I am a practicing Roman Catholics, I love God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit I believe entirely in the teaching of the Church and yearn to participate weekly or daily in the Mass and receive Christ in Holy Communion. I do all this in-spite of all the negatives that Bishop Barron outlines here, I know them. After-all, the priests do call themselves ''unworthy servant'' when offering Mass. In my life I really don't expect the best from people, but when it happens, I am very appreciative. I will always be a practicing Roman Catholic regardless of the pitfalls, I do understand why they happen. A Catholic sitting in the pew on a Sunday is a non entity, unless you are a regular participant in your Parish work, like Bazzars and such money making ventures, you are not known. You may get a nod from the Priest as you walk by leaving Mass, but he really doesn't know you and doesn't want to persue anything further. When I first joined my present Parish, I got a welcoming letter from the Pastor that said ''come and introduce yourself to me''. I did this after Mass and got the ''bums rush'' he hardly spoke to me and rushed off to the other side of the vestibule, to nothing. I thought why, because I'm an older person, I'm single, he's really busy, I'm a woman, what a puzzle. He's very friendly to all, but I guess it's plastic. I notice there are cliques in the parish, and with the Priest. That is very disappointing, and I'm not imagining it. I'm a single older person. If I smile at people, I'll get a smile back, if I try to pursue a friendship with the same people, they're not interested, even in my age group, 60's, they have their family and existing friends. I just want to have some friendly parishioners to know, but it's not happening. I know I am up to snuff in every way as a decent and respectable person, there's nothing visibly wrong with me that would make people not be friends. The lay Pastoral Assistant doesn't even look up to meet the eye of parishioners. She has her own agenda to work on for the day, she does have her little group of people she knows. I even tried to catch her eye once, but there was no way she was going to acknowledge my presence, and she doesn't want to. The Sacristan, a Sister is the same, she never smiles or says hello, just walks by doing her thing, but does have her clique of friends. What is this, a Catholic sickness. I happen to live near a non Catholic Christian Church. The parishioners and pastor have gone out of their way to be friendly to me and have invited me to their Church on more than one occasion. Of course I would not go their functions because I am a Catholic. I can't tell you how genuinely nice and honest these people are in really wanting to give me Christian love. So I go to my Catholic Church not expecting much from the priest or parishioners - I go in-spite of all the trapping of being a parishioner. It does get me down, I feel very lonely and it makes me depressed, but that's how it is. I am so happy to receive the sacraments, this is everything to me, it's my lifes' fullfillment. We have to remember and face the facts that there is a lack of Priests, therefore, the present problems. I do really appreciate and care for my Pastor for the good he does and his efforts. He is a very good Holomolist and offers a beautiful Mass, our priests strive to be holy men of God, I love them for their effort and their sacrifice, they are special people. I will never leave the Catholic Church, it is the true and real way of life and the way to be with Our Lord Jesus Christ to eternity. I love every minute of being a Catholic, and know that I am on the correct path to Our Lord. I wish the many wayward and tardy Catholics would come to terms with these facts and return to their beloved faith as true practicing Roman Catholics. To have that yearning fire within for God is a glorious gift Thank you Bishop Barron for being our wonderful Guide and Teacher. RoseMarie
Baby girl if you were truly following Christ Jesus you would not be lonely, you would know why you have pitfalls and you understand why these "christian folks," are trying to love you to Jesus himself. You're practicing something that is empty, no fullfillness, no inner peace, no joy there. I say that because I was raised Catholic. Get in the word God and allow himself to reveal himself to you by allowing him to teach you. When he fills you with his holy spirit, you lack nothing. You have joy, peace, love, wisdom, knowledge, hope, piety, etc. I have these, I live a life worthy of the call. I am am living witness that through sacraments (false man made teachings) will not give you salvation. Grace and faith through Jesus is the only way. God bless you, I say this because I love you and I hope that you have the wisdom of the LORD to understand these things.
Ross Munn
God bless you
Ross Munn My Sister still can’t leave this corrupt church either.
Brainwashed.
Fr. Barron do more than offer these videos: answer peoples questions, and emails. Or leave someone genuinely concern who are capable of doing so for you.
Though it is important for some people to be part of a community and be social, only reason for me to attend mass is to celebrate and praise God. I am one that is returning.
Very insightful, Bishop. Yes, I've had that experience at the phone: the parishes downtown are quick and answer nicely, whereas in my parish... it can take 2 hours of constant calling until someone picks the phone up. It also happened with my Diocese (Queretaro, Mexico) : no one knew about Pope Francis' "24 hours for the Lord", about the church that would be open 24 hours for the sacrament of confession; they kept mixing it up with other events. I found the info myself on the internet 2 days before the event. So, it doesn't inspire much trust that your Diocese has no idea about the projects the Pope himself wants for the Church. But I think we as parishioners have to work harder too. Yes, there's one Priest at my parish who gives lukewarm homilies... and then there's another one who's just on fire and moves everyone deeply. The solution? Looking for mass times with the second priest instead. Another solution for my husband and me has been going with a Priest from another parish, even if it means a trip downtown instead of walking 2 blocks; he cares for us, always answers calls, is very attentive to making appointments asap as he treats any question as if it were urgent. He even has time to text us light-hearted jokes on festivities. And it is not as if he were not busy: he runs a house for the elderly, and tends to the hospital next door. So one has to have interest and look around too.
I had left the Church way back when because of the obvious reason that were pointed out by Fr. Barron. Looking forward (not backward) my soul yearns for the Church and it is MY Duty as a Catholic to be and to search for Christ in my everyday. Topics covered in this video in regards to wrong doing is simply that, WE must stay on our path and do our absolute best. Show up everyday (or every chance) and be proactive. We should not walk away; if we walked away from things when we felt we weren't comfortable where would we be? God has put many others through worse and they stood strong. I'll do my best to do the same. I won't even ask who's with me. The Lord is All I NEED!
Bless you all during Advent as we patiently wait for the Greatest Celebration!
I left the church because Catholic Canon laws made me feel unworthy of God. I can't go to church due to anxiety, but not going is a sin. I don't want children because I know I'd be a bad parent and they would inherit my illnesses, but any marriage I'd have would be invalid because of this. I'm also against telling my sins to a middleman instead of God Himself, especially when so many priests have arguably done worse things than I (i.e. molesting altar boys). I want so much to hold onto my family tradition of being Catholic, but I don't think I can. May God have mercy on my soul
Lean on Jesus, *read the bible as truth* and pray prayers to him from your own heart! He wants a personal relationship where you rely on him. I hope things are going better for you.
This is the beginning of the journey to atheism.
@L for goodness sake, come out of that system for your sake and God's....it is not the true church....I was catholic for 60 yrs and am so free now, free from all those lies and fear....you are in a false faith.
@@daisystanley7103 So which one (name it specifically) of the thousands of denominations, that contradict each other, has the truth?
We follow the church for Jesus Christ, not the pope or bishop, or priest ,but when he ascended into heaven he gave authority to His apostles and it descend into the priesthood
It doesn’t help that the Pope says he takes it as a compliment that many Americans are critical of him. The fact that the Church has gone off the rails doesn’t help either.
As a man who completed all my seminary studies, I received very little training in preaching. Without a doubt in hindsight more should of been done.
I had a poor childhood religious training and became burned out during my youth as my Catholic upbringing embodied pain, duty, pressure, expectations. I rarely believed that God loved me.
@Asaph Vapor the Devils troll in action
@Asaph Vapor your a troll
@Asaph Vapor Pope Asaph Vapor has spoken
i have NEVER heard a bad sermon /homily in the catholic church, im a convert from baptist to catholic, the messages have always been very meaty!
I love fr. Barron..and how he explains things
Diana Sprinkle I am curious why you converted from the Baptist church. What's your story?
Repent and get behind the satan ... Thats what our lord and saviour said to your god peter
As a lifelong Catholic, I've found many homilies forgettable. Some are very well done and thought-provoking, but an equal number are simply meh.
you have no love for truth? Mary was not a virgin upon her death, Jesus had at least 4 brothers and 2 sisters(Matt 13:55) Mary did not ascend (RCC paintings prior from 1500s clearly demonstrate the doctrine change). Mary is not a mediator between you and God, only Jesus is (1 Tim 2:5). Jesus has been sacrificed ONCE on the cross for the remission of sins (1 COR 15:1-5, Romans 10:9). The mass is done IN REMEMBRANCE OF HIM (Luke 22:19) not as a RESACRIFICE with power over sin. Call no one FATHER, for we are all brothers (Matt 23:8). The baptism was never done to infants in the time of Jesus, only grown ups who could accept Jesus AND THEN be baptized, because an infant cannot accept consciously God (1 Peter 3:21).
Your conversion to catholicism is a huge regression in your spiritual life. It's accepting lies and holding on to traditions instead of the word of God (Mark 7, Colossians 2:8).
what's a meaty message? Don't you want truth?
Your RUclips videos has help me allot. I'm now back going to church and way more interested in the fiath.
I’ve been listening to you, and I think what you say is fantastic, and very interesting. I am a practicing catholic, I lived in London, I do agree with what some people say. I contacted my parish priest to talk to him, when my father was dying in hospital. I have a mother with mental health issues, my parish priest said he was busy when I wanted to speak never offered another date or time. I stayed on st my church but have now moved outside if London. I still go to church, but I can see why people would leave. You and other priests are people we turn to for advice, to be turned away, can be quite a tough pull to swallow. I was fortunate that I found a priest in that day from the Church of England to speak with, I can only imagine how others feel after being treated in this manner and why they feel so empty and alone.
I am an ex-Protestant turned Catholic, but also was raised Catholic as a little boy. And with this perspective, I would say the most ignorant, hateful anti-Catholics are not cradle Protestants, but actually the ex-Catholics. I have found fewer biblically, historically, and theologically illiterate people than them.
Maxwell Garrison I'm an ex-Catholic. Please do show my biblical and theological illiteracy.
Just in my tangles with you I have seen enough. You really don't listen, but insist on your own opinion.
Maxwell Garrison That's what I thought. You can make claims, but when it comes to substance, you RUN. Typical.
Oh, so now I'm a coward.
Maxwell Garrison I don't know. Will you follow up on the claims you made?
I left the Catholic Church because I was treated like dirt, I suffer from severe mental illness which got to the point of a suicide attempt and admittance to a phsyciatric hospital, my illness has been a problem for a long time and I constantly reached out to the church for some help, for some guidance and spiritual/emotional support and I got nothing, I was left to fend for myself. At one point I was asked to leave a parish and young adults group because my illness made others uncomfortable. I found the community to be very unwelcoming and exclusive, I attended many youth events and always felt like I didn't belong, because everyone is very clicky and uninviting, I was even bullied by members of a young adults group I joined after the first one, I was treated like crap. I've found Catholics to be completely hypocritical and judgmental. And it's not just Catholics, it's all Christians, just look at some of the comments here from other Christians, judgmental and nasty.
+slimyish I'm so sorry you went through what you did and am glad you can voice how you feel on this forum. I can understand how you might feel the way you do about the church. Especially with the experiences you have had concerning your treatment. I have a condition, Hashimotos, that has caused some emotional issues with me that have on occasion been difficult to deal with. And you are correct. It can leave you feeling alone as people tend to reject you rather than support you and help you with the struggles of your condition. And when it's your own local church; one that you are taught is supposed to be there for you, it can be especially difficult. But I'd like to ask you some questions. Did you ever think to be an advocate for others like you in the Church? And especially for the Church who treated you like that? Because I am sure there are many others like you & that you aren't alone. Have you thought about writing the parish priest, the bishop, or even the Cardinal about what happened to you? The Pope? Have you ever looked as yourself as a warrior for the cause of Christ? Do you realize that Christ was also rejected by those in the temple, as well as the apostles when He was arrested and then was hung on the Cross? In asking you that, I hope you will be able to see that you have the empathy of Christ, but also can empathize with Christ. You have been given a special gift that can be shared. That's what I finally realized with myself. Christ calls to you, from the cross, to be there for others who suffer like you have. And it does take courage and an understanding that no matter who rejects you, that Christ never will. Please think about returning as there are so many others in the Church that would not do to you what these few did. Come back and be there for others who are like you. You could start here in finding support for your cause: www.ncpd.org God Bless You and know you are not alone.
I am not a catholic but a convert to christianity and I believe that you can be healed today from your mental illness or any issue you may have.Draw near to the Lord. There are hypocrites in every church but the Lord know who belong to him and healing will manifest in you. God bless you and the Lord reveal himself fully to you as you are already known to him in Jesus name.
Well I certainly don't call myself a Catholic because thats no one where in the bible and the bible strictly speaks about conversion to christianity not Catholicism or any other religion man has made. Catholic people don't follow the Holy Bible alone but others teachings and false theologies that are leading you astray. I boast about this because what Jesus did for me and saved me from the pit of hell that I was heading too. Every scripture for many in catholic church is taken out of context is is twisted and mis understood. Why? because the people don't read their bible but trust in the father or pope for all instruction. Yes they are teachers, but the sheep follow the Shepard. So in the direction the teacher sends them is the direction they will go. Don't be deceived brother.
@L what did you mean by "allow Him to unburden you from your sin". Many ppl suffering mental illness are sick due to the sins of other ppl. I felt great compassion & forgiveness towards my abuser but that did not stop the effects it had on my psyche. I was so traumatised that I lost touch with reality for a while, despite me giving my life for God every day. No one is sinless of course, but mental or physical illness is not because that person sinned (there are a lot of bad ppl around too who live in excellent health with no depression, anxiety or other illnesses).
@@Sansang89 don't follow the Bible ha they don't even read it.
Bishop Barron good stuff 🙏🏻👍🏻
I agree with you 100 percent.
What you saw about parish secretaries is so true-- I've dealt with some who seemed to have no concept that they represent their faith. If a particular secretary is crotchety all the time and won't change, she really needs to be moved out of any position that has her dealing with vulnerable people trying to approach the Catholic church.
Well you get this in all kinds of receptionists doctors businesses you name it
Try G.K. Chesterton's Orthodoxy, St. Bonaventure's The Mind's Road to God, and St. Augustine's Confessions.
Very true and wise counsel that applies not just to catholics leaving the church but to ANY person leaving the church or feeling uncared for or whose quest does not find the answer in the pulpit sermons.
Good point about the first contact person being very important. I'm first contact via a website presence and we get lots of different kinds of questions and requests, from help finding records of ancestors for genealogy research to people wanting confession to non-Catholic or non-religious people taking the first step toward becoming Catholic. People always say how amazed they were by a quick response and plenty of time and help devoted to 'a total stranger'. In some cases, that contact leads to a person coming into the Church, eventually (i God's time). In most cases, it just creates a good impression, often in someone who is in another country.
Every contact with you as a representative of the Catholic Church (and in the mind of the world, the 'Catholic guy in my office' IS a 'representative of the Catholic Church') can be a small or large impact on someone's impression of the Catholic Church.
We need to have town hall meeting, the church needs to listen to the people ☘️🇨🇮☘️
Dream on
Thank you Bishop for all you do. I’m a convert to The Church and I take my conversion seriously. My reason for not attending the Catholic Church has nothing to do with the Church at all. In fact I miss the Catholic Church so much! I was the only one in my family to become Catholic and not even my wife wanted to attend church with me. I went by myself for several years and it was a lonely time but it was also a wonderful spiritual experience as well. Then my wife and daughter started attending the same church and my wife’s brother became one of the ministers of that church , so I began attending that church to be with family. I do enjoy the worship music and the enthusiastic messages, but in the quiet times, when it’s just me and God, I miss the Catholic Church so much! I never felt as close to God as when I was a practicing Catholic. Each time I received the Eucharist it was such a spiritual blessing like no other. The Blessed Mother and Communion of Saints along with the history of the Church made the Catholic Church feel like home. So you see, leaving the Church was nothing to do with what was wrong with the Church, it was a stupid idea I felt I needed to do because of family. I hope one day I can make my way back home! Thanks again!
You sound like a good person so I am praying for your safe return back to the Catholic Church ⛪ 🙏
Do both!
Your comment made me so emotional brother in christ...keep loving the catholic faith....our church is in need of farmers now we r having a tuff time...with much love and appreciation ❤...from India 🇮🇳 ❤
Good guidence father .God bless.christy.
I'm approaching my seventieth year and, aside from a short period when I was young, I've tried to be a good Catholic. What sustained me was connection to a faith community and knowing the many good people (lay and religious) throughout the world who lived inspiring lives. This I've come to understand is the upper layer of the church and where the analogy of 'weeds and good grain' applies.
What I've also come to understand, however, is that there's a layer below this. This is where the decisions are made and, in truth we know very little about it. It is unaccountable, secretive, defensive and out of reach of the regular 'pew sitter'.
It is a culture perfectly suited to scandal and, until relatively recently (in terms of church history) has been able to 'control the narrative'. It is a 'place' where 'weeds' are deep rooted. Like the layer above, it's not all bad but its structure is, by its nature, inclined towards wretched evil.
It was at this layer that perpetrators of abuse were allowed to get on with their soul destroying business knowing that the system would do very little to stop them. In so many cases they kept getting move to 'fresh fields' of victims.
It was also the layer that allowed -- sometime encouraged -- taking children (often indigenious) away from parents and housing them in places where they died in their hundreds and, again, with the knowlege that they would never face the consequences of their actions.
It was the layer that 'looked after' young women who became pregnant out of wedlock with various forms of, effectively, slave labour and further abuse.
And most recently in Australia we've found out about the hundreds of children who were the sons and daughters of priests. In most cases the woman was also a victim but, even now, the church puts up all sorts of barriers to those children seeking answers to their story. There are many thousands of these children world wide.
When you listen -- really listen -- to these stories it is devastating, soul crushing and, all to often, condemns the victims to a life of misery and longing.
Again, I understand that there is much good in the upper layer. I hope I was one of them.
But, no more. I can no longer be complicit in the layer of the church I cannot change. I'd rather be a spiritual orphan.
PS: I guess I should add, from and internal perspective, that the ultimate test of the power of this 'caste' is access to the eucharist. It is said to be the summit of what it is to be Catholic: soul food if you will. But the 'caste' would prefer the souls of Catholics to 'starve' rather than open up to married priests and, shudder to think, women.