I spent a month in Italy, visiting friends who live in a suburb of Rome. Very smart couple, she has two PhDs and speaks English and Chinese too. He’s an architect. They absolutely detest the Catholic Church, because they spent millions building St. Peter’s Cathedral when people were starving in the streets.
I did visit the church and the terrific art gallery near it. Amazing paintings, and the church was beautiful but did not feel holy. Downstairs, however, they had tombs of former popes. One or two of them radiated holiness. Friend of mine who went at a different time had the same experience.
I grew up Catholic, went to Catholic schools and university. I was told day after day that I was going to hell for that, or God would punish me for that. So I thought God was a mean old man in the sky who hated me.
Your friends in Rome maybe educated, but they certainly aren't smart. They just don't want to go to Mass.
HATING THE CATHOLIC CHURCH IS EVIL!!! hating ANY Christian Church is EVIL.
This is what turned me off about the Catholic Church: During the early 60’s a priest from the local church came into my dad’s welding shop. My father greeted him, they shook hands. Two nuns accompanied the priest. The priest said to my dad “You have quite a business here, Ray. Perhaps you could find it in your heart to donate a bit more of your wealth?”. My dad blew a gasket. He built metal shelves for the church kitchen when it was built, for cost of materials only. He thawed out the water line to the church with his portable welder during one very cold winter, free of charge. He made many generous contributions. He flat out told the priest , “You are driving a brand new Cadillac convertable, and you’re asking me for money? Get the fuk out of my shop!”. The priest turned beet red and almost ran out of the shop. The younger nun was astonished and kept saying, “Father he said the “F” word! “ The priest said “shut the hell up and get in the damn car”. True story.