Why Did You Choose “Catholic? (Why do adults become Catholics?)

CE.com ^ | January 27th, 2012 | George Weigel

[Salvation]

Why Did You Choose “Catholic?”

January 27th, 2012 by George Weigel

Why do adults become Catholics?

There are as many reasons for “converting” as there are converts. Evelyn Waugh became a Catholic with, by his own admission, “little emotion but clear conviction”: this was the truth; one ought to adhere to it. Cardinal Avery Dulles wrote that his journey into the Catholic Church began when, as an unbelieving Harvard undergraduate detached from his family’s staunch Presbyterianism, he noticed a leaf shimmering with raindrops while taking a walk along the Charles River in Cambridge, Mass.; such beauty could not be accidental, he thought—there must be a Creator. Thomas Merton found Catholicism aesthetically, as well as intellectually, attractive: once the former Columbia free-thinker and dabbler in communism and Hinduism found his way into a Trappist monastery and became a priest, he explained the Mass to his unconverted friend, poet Robert Lax, by analogy to a ballet. Until his death in 2007, Cardinal Jean-Marie Lustiger insisted that his conversion to Catholicism was not a rejection of, but a fulfillment of, the Judaism into which he was born; the cardinal could often be found at Holocaust memorial services reciting the names of the martyrs, including “Gisèle Lustiger, ma maman” (“my mother”).

Two of the great nineteenth-century converts were geniuses of the English language: theologian John Henry Newman and poet Gerard Manley Hopkins. This tradition of literary converts continued in the twentieth century, and included Waugh, Graham Greene, Edith Sitwell, Ronald Knox, and Walker Percy. Their heritage lives today at Our Savior’s Church on Park Avenue in New York, where convert author, wit, raconteur and amateur pugilist George William Rutler presides as pastor.

In early American Catholicism, the fifth archbishop of Baltimore (and de facto primate of the United States), Samuel Eccleston, was a convert from Anglicanism, as was the first native-born American saint and the precursor of the Catholic school system, Elizabeth Ann Seton. Mother Seton’s portrait in the offices of the archbishop of New York is somewhat incongruous, as the young widow Seton, with her children, was run out of New York by her unforgiving Anglican in-laws when she became a Catholic. On his deathbed, another great nineteenth-century convert, Henry Edward Manning of England, who might have become the Anglican archbishop of Canterbury but became the Catholic archbishop of Westminster instead, took his long-deceased wife’s prayer book from beneath his pillow and gave it to a friend, saying that it had been his spiritual inspiration throughout his life.

If there is a thread running through these diverse personalities, it may be this: that men and women of intellect, culture and accomplishment have found in Catholicism what Blessed John Paul II called the “symphony of truth.” That rich and complex symphony, and the harmonies it offers, is an attractive, compelling and persuasive alternative to the fragmentation of modern and post-modern intellectual and cultural life, where little fits together and much is cacophony. Catholicism, however, is not an accidental assembly of random truth-claims; the creed is not an arbitrary catalogue of propositions and neither is the Catechism of the Catholic Church. It all fits together, and in proposing that symphonic harmony, Catholicism helps fit all the aspects of our lives together, as it orders our loves and loyalties in the right direction.

You don’t have to be an intellectual to appreciate this “symphony of truth,” however. For Catholicism is, first of all, an encounter with a person, Jesus Christ, who is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). And to meet that person is to meet the truth that makes all the other truths of our lives make sense. Indeed, the embrace of Catholic truth in full, as lives like Blessed John Henry Newman’s demonstrate, opens one up to the broadest possible range of intellectual encounters.

Viewed from outside, Catholicism can seem closed and unwelcoming. As Evelyn Waugh noted, though, it all seems so much more spacious and open from the inside. The Gothic, with its soaring vaults and buttresses and its luminous stained glass, is not a classic Catholic architectural form by accident. The full beauty of the light, however, washes over you when you come in.

 

George Weigel is author of the bestselling books The Courage to Be Catholic: Crisis, Reform, and the Future of the Church and Letters to a Young Catholic.

This column has been made available to Catholic Exchange courtesy of the Denver Catholic Register.

 

[Grunthor]

You do not wear obtuse well.

[RFEngineer]

“It seems rooted in prejudice than anything else.”

Charging prejudice is the last bastion of ignorance.

So we’re done, are we?

[mdmathis6]

“The program is truth - and you really don’t seem to understand it. I am not playing games either about superiority.”

Oh, now we’re talking about “truth”;...naked truth or truth tinged with love, without such love, the proclaiming of truth is akin to “clashing cymbals”? Vlad, you are one loud “superior” one man band!

“seventy six trombones hit the big parade..while hundred and ten cornets right behind, when Vladimir took his place as the one and only bass and he oompahed, oompahed, oompah pahed....oopahed up and down the square....”

[mdmathis6]

I think you menat to respond to my post at 142 instead of 143...tee hee ...been there done that still have the tomato stains on my tee shirt!

[Grunthor]

You are correct. I don’t know how that happened.

[Just mythoughts]

The program is truth - and you really don’t seem to understand it. I am not playing games either about superiority.

OK we are finally getting somewhere. I really really do not understand the program, because it is in direct opposition to the WORD of God. Our Heavenly Father is in control and He took the time to have his elect pen His instruction book and made sure that any who will have opportunity to read HIS WORD without the interference of flesh beings who deceived themselves into believing they could ignore the WHOLE WORD and cut new keys every couple of generations.

One of those newly cut keys says there is no purgatory. So as one of my Catholic inlaws queried, what happened to everybody that was in purgatory when purgatory ended? A natural question worried about relatives still hanging out there in purgatory... Won't fit won't fly and there is an error in the program.

[verga]

You do not wear obtuse well.

Using your own exact words is obtuse?

If you had meant something else then you should have written something else. Words actually mean things. I know that that is very difficult for protestants to believe but it is true.

Now if you want to amend your statement to say what you actually meant you go for it.

[vladimir998]

Oh, but I do.

[Just mythoughts]

It is ok I am making some headway in getting acceptance that I really really do not understand the program.... Man I ‘hate’ that word. Politicians have so overused it figuratively and literally we are now in the poor house nationally because of costly programs designed to save US.

[vladimir998]

You wrote:

“Charging prejudice is the last bastion of ignorance.”

The lack of evidence on your part shows what I said to be accurate.

“So we’re done, are we?”

You were done when you began - and you have no more evidence than at that time either.

[Legatus]

One of those newly cut keys says there is no purgatory. So as one of my Catholic inlaws queried, what happened to everybody that was in purgatory when purgatory ended? A natural question worried about relatives still hanging out there in purgatory... Won't fit won't fly and there is an error in the program.

I believe you will find that rather than purgatory you're referring to the theological theory of "infant's limbo" which is where some theologians taught unbaptized babies went. Purgatory is still taught by the Catholic Church.

It appears that in this case you (and apparently your Catholic inlaws) have the wrong end of the stick. If, after 30 years you could get something like this wrong then is it possible you're wrong on other Catholic issues?

[vladimir998]

You wrote:

“Oh, now we’re talking about “truth”;”

Always were. Perhaps you were not.

“...naked truth or truth tinged with love, without such love, the proclaiming of truth is akin to “clashing cymbals”? Vlad, you are one loud “superior” one man band!”

I told the truth. If the truth bothers you, then move on.

“seventy six trombones hit the big parade..while hundred and ten cornets right behind, when Vladimir took his place as the one and only bass and he oompahed, oompahed, oompah pahed....oopahed up and down the square....”

Play on, mdmathis, you don’t actually have anything of substance to add anyway, right?

[mdmathis6]

One point of humility on my point...”The locusts” verse comes from Proverbs 30 verse 7 not Ecclesisates. Since I post in my own name, conscience and integrity before God and man demands that I post a correction.

[vladimir998]

You wrote:

“OK we are finally getting somewhere.”

No, you are not getting anywhere.

“I really really do not understand the program, because it is in direct opposition to the WORD of God. Our Heavenly Father is in control and He took the time to have his elect pen His instruction book and made sure that any who will have opportunity to read HIS WORD without the interference of flesh beings who deceived themselves into believing they could ignore the WHOLE WORD and cut new keys every couple of generations.”

Protestants are “flesh beings who deceived themselves into believing they could ignore the WHOLE WORD and cut new keys every couple of generations.”

“One of those newly cut keys says there is no purgatory. So as one of my Catholic inlaws queried, what happened to everybody that was in purgatory when purgatory ended?”

And you, of course, told her that she was gravely mistaken because purgatory has not ended, right? Seriously, you seem to have no idea of what you’re talking about.

“A natural question worried about relatives still hanging out there in purgatory... Won’t fit won’t fly and there is an error in the program.”

What you’re saying makes no sense since purgatory still exists.

[Just mythoughts]

I believe you will find that rather than purgatory you're referring to the theological theory of "infant's limbo" which is where some theologians taught unbaptized babies went. Purgatory is still taught by the Catholic Church. It appears that in this case you (and apparently your Catholic inlaws) have the wrong end of the stick. If, after 30 years you could get something like this wrong then is it possible you're wrong on other Catholic issues?

I do not bring up the Bible except when asked. I do my very best in encouraging the 'sola scripture' answers all question, not me. Please do NOT question my inlaws Catholicism, we are talking Catholic school and all that contribution outside of tuition involves and whatever other $$$ and church attendance that is required to keep in good standing.

I have attended confirmations, christenings, weddings, funerals etc., with them. Purgatory has not been a recent discussion, but there was 'fear' at the time the discussion took place as to where all those who hang in purgatory might have gone.

Now having relayed all this information, my inlaws vote for liberal democrats.... and they rarely miss mass.

[narses]

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[Grunthor]

What is “the program?”

[Just mythoughts]

What is “the program?”

Who is on 'first'? (snicker) The best I can express is that one must give allegiance to the 'church', something akin to an oath, and her doctrines. I just cannot do object worship in the hands of flesh beings when I can read for myself what Christ said and who He said it to.

[Grunthor]

Well if that is the case, I am with you.

[Legatus]

I'm sorry you've totally confused me. Purgatory is still taught by the Church, "limbo of the infants" was the theological proposition that was rejected a couple of years ago. Purgatory still exists, we still do indulgences and pray to the saints as well.

Here's a citation from the "new" Catechism (or cataclysm as I sometimes call it) of the Catholic Church:

III. The Final Purification, or Purgatory

1030 All who die in God's grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven.

1031 The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned. The Church formulated her doctrine of faith on Purgatory especially at the Councils of Florence and Trent. the tradition of the Church, by reference to certain texts of Scripture, speaks of a cleansing fire:

I believe that should resolve any questions over whether the Catholic Church still teaches purgatory, yes?

Therefore, since you've got that wrong what else might you not understand about what the Catholic Church really teaches and believes? I'm not trying to rub it in, but you're wrong on that issue, flat out wrong.