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.

 

[RFEngineer]

“No one accomodated Newt. He had to accommodate himself to the Church. Newt is a politician and he may indeed one day cynically use the Church. I see no evidence of him having done that yet.”

Of course they did, and they shouldn’t have. At the very least they shouldn’t have allowed it to appear to have accommodated him. A “come back after the primaries” would have been prudent and more respectful to the Catholic laity.

I think that those politically minded folks in the Catholic Church couldn’t resist the opportunity to have influence over a potential president, and went for it.

If Newt wanted to be respectful of his new faith, he’d not have immediately combined his conversion with a presidential bid. Why should he care though? He didn’t care about his ex wives - it was all about him. That’s why he’ll just divorce the Catholic church, if it becomes convenient for him to do so.

[mdmathis6]

With that kind of mistrust, then the “Truth” can never be your ally. For it was Christ that said, “I am the Way, the Truth, the Life...” You reveal yourself in operating under a spirit of fear, wheras God never gives us the spirit of Fear...but of love, conviction and having the courage there-of.

I am Michael David Mathis, living in Midlothian, Va. For 25 years I have worked as a registered nurse. I found Christ as a child at Adamsville Baptist Church in Goldsboro , North Carolina in 1972. Whe my family fell apart, Christ was with me and kept me from falling apart...I made growing up sorts of mistakes but I couldn’t never get far enough away from him that he could draw me back, confront me and make be accountable to him..then ultimately restore me to faith. The type of church a man attends doesn’t matter to me so much as the Christ he worships. In the end, Christ is the ultimate head of the Church, and as the Old Testament says
“And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” Jeremiah 31:34.

At least now I understand your attitude...I should not want your to be afraid of me so I shall trouble you no more!

[RFEngineer]

“I don’t think they’re in need of or seeking your sympathy”

It doesn’t matter. They’ve got it anyway. I give it unreservedly - even to you. No need to thank me.

[Just mythoughts]

Of course they did, and they shouldn’t have. At the very least they shouldn’t have allowed it to appear to have accommodated him. A “come back after the primaries” would have been prudent and more respectful to the Catholic laity. I think that those politically minded folks in the Catholic Church couldn’t resist the opportunity to have influence over a potential president, and went for it. If Newt wanted to be respectful of his new faith, he’d not have immediately combined his conversion with a presidential bid. Why should he care though? He didn’t care about his ex wives - it was all about him. That’s why he’ll just divorce the Catholic church, if it becomes convenient for him to do so.

Only the Heavenly Father in Christ has authority to forgive. This idolatry of an object church demonstrates egos on display. Now NOT to go 'sola scripture' on you but Christ plainly states and Peter nowhere disputes Matthew 7:1

Judge NOT, that ye be NOT judged.

2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.....

Notice this is NOT debatable nor was Peter or any other flesh being given authority over whose sin has been properly FUNDED.

[BlackElk]

In honesty, my fellow Catholics should concede that this very Protestant nation has, in fact, allowed Catholicism to flourish here. There have been exceptions noted below.

Generally, when a Ted Kennedy, a Christopher Dodd, a Nancy Pelosi, a Governor Quinnochio of Illinois, a Rosa DeLauro, a Richard Durbin, a John (did you know he served in Vietnam?) Kerry, a Tom Harkin, (where, oh where to stop listing all of the pro-abort, pro-homosexual apostates from Catholicism?) quite publicly spit upon their obligations as people who have, however long ago, been Catholic, it is their individual failures and those of the Roman Catholic clerical and lay leadership which are responsible and not our Reformed Christian brothers and sisters.

The chief Catholic complaints should be such things as the Protestants who were welcomed into the specifically Catholic colony of Maryland, taking control of same, razing the colonial capitol at St. Mary's and moving the Capitol to Annapolis to show there was no going back (the USA was not a country then), the Ku Klux Klan activity against Catholics which cannot fairly be blamed upon Protestantism as such, and a few murders over interdenominational marriages, and the Blaine Amendments (which denied public funding to Catholic primary and secondary schools but also took away most government control of same).

We Catholics differ from Protestants and vice versa in theology. We need not be enemies and, if we want to prevail on social issues or even on maintaining our republic, we had better not be enemies. Our points of agreement as Christians far exceed our points of difference.

As to Reagan's divorce from Jane Wyman, it is generally conceded that their marriage had been arranged by their movie studio, that she was more liberal in youth than he although she was less overtly political. Her career in Hollywood was waxing as his was waning. She divorced him. Many years later, the leftist busybodies of the LSM came to call on Wyman to get her to dump dirt on Ronaldus Maximus since their divorce was rumored not to have been very pleasant. Wyman, then starring on TV's Falconcrest, replied with class: The country would be very fortunate to have a fine man like Ronnie as president. That ended the LSM interest in Jane Wyman. Wyman, incidentally, not only converted to Catholicism in later years but also became a Third Order Dominican and was buried in a habit when she died at 90 years of age in 2007. She had been divorced four times which had nothing apparently to do with her conversion.

Catholic Church annulments which must be based on the facts existing at the time of the marriage (not on subsequent facts or faults) and which have nothing whatever to do with legitimacy of children (unlike civil annulments) are not granted in Rome. They are granted by diocesan marriage tribunals. If appealed, the annulment can be affirmed or reversed in Rome, but it is still a matter for the diocese, in Newt's cast that would apparently be the Archdiocese of Washington, DC. It is also Church policy NOT to allow Church authorities or functionaries to discuss the granting or denying of annulments in public or to release records to the public. If one or both parties wish to discuss their annulments in public, they may do so. The Church will not enter that conversation. Not only could Newt not defer to Rome on the question, he cannot even defer to Donald Cardinal Wuerl (the ordinary of the archdiocese) or even to his pastor.

Gentlemen: why are these interdenominational hassles necessary here? It is to be hoped that FReepers have a strong attachment to their respective faiths, are proud of their respective attachments and live them in their lives. Somehow, I have difficulty seeing how these arguments among ourselves benefit the conservative movement or our country. Far more importantly, I have difficulty imagining that Jesus Christ, Who wept in the Garden of Gethsemane over the realization the His flock would not be as one, would be pleased with the interdenominational squabbling, one upsmanship and refusal of charity.

[RFEngineer]

“I’ve had people curse at me, mess with my job, and threaten to kill me.”

Nobody should have to put up with that due to online postings, but I can understand (but not condone, mind you) how that could happen to you. You are pretty obnoxious, but then again, I am too.

That’s my biggest beef with you - you won’t admit it.

[vladimir998]

you wrote:

“Of course they did, and they shouldn’t have.”

And once again you have no proof. Prejudice.

“At the very least they shouldn’t have allowed it to appear to have accommodated him.”

LOL! They should not have allowed it to appear as something it wasn’t except to prejudiced people? Wow.

“A “come back after the primaries” would have been prudent and more respectful to the Catholic laity.”

No, actually it wouldn’t have been. And the Church didn’t even know he was going to run.

“I think that those politically minded folks in the Catholic Church couldn’t resist the opportunity to have influence over a potential president, and went for it.”

Or - much more likely - Newt’s parish priest simply allowed him to enter RCIA whenever he liked and received him when he was ready at Easter.

“If Newt wanted to be respectful of his new faith, he’d not have immediately combined his conversion with a presidential bid.”

He didn’t. You are - with no evidence either.

“Why should he care though? He didn’t care about his ex wives - it was all about him. That’s why he’ll just divorce the Catholic church, if it becomes convenient for him to do so.”

Maybe he will, but none of that would prove you right.

[RFEngineer]

“Gentlemen: why are these interdenominational hassles necessary here?”

I’m not arguing for or against Catholicism. It’s politics. I’m saying that Newt converted to get annulments so he could have a better chance of getting the GOP nomination, and being elected President.

However the paper shuffles within the Catholic Church to get Newt his necessary annulments is immaterial to me - if anyone had a lick of sense in the Catholic administrative bureaucracy, they’d have seen this one from a mile away. Let him finish with his political ambitions, then talk conversion. That’s what happened with Tony Blair in the UK. Nobody claimed “politics” in that case. There was no reason to.

There are no coincidences in politics. Many Catholics have legitimate concerns over Newt. I am concerned only with the politics of the matter.

[dsc]

“I copied you and Vlad out of courtesy since you two were also involved in the debate.”

Please accept my apologies.

Posting while exhausted is a bad practice.

[Biggirl]

Remember that the Church is a hospital for sinners, not just only a hall of fame of the saints.

As for Newt’s conversion to the Catholic faith, I say, WELCOME HOME.

[Just mythoughts]

I’m not arguing for or against Catholicism. It’s politics. I’m saying that Newt converted to get annulments so he could have a better chance of getting the GOP nomination, and being elected President. However the paper shuffles within the Catholic Church to get Newt his necessary annulments is immaterial to me - if anyone had a lick of sense in the Catholic administrative bureaucracy, they’d have seen this one from a mile away. Let him finish with his political ambitions, then talk conversion. That’s what happened with Tony Blair in the UK. Nobody claimed “politics” in that case. There was no reason to. There are no coincidences in politics. Many Catholics have legitimate concerns over Newt. I am concerned only with the politics of the matter.

Have you belly ached this much over born sprinkled and revered catholics such as Teddy 'saint' in waiting Kennedy, or Nanny the commie Pewlouise? Give it up because you are exposing yourself to have a log in your eye and 'spiritual' blindness.

[vladimir998]

You wrote:

“With that kind of mistrust, then the “Truth” can never be your ally.”

Actually not trusting Protestant anti-Catholics is a great way to hold the Truth as your own. I trust Christ and His Church. I do not trust who believe in heresies and schisms (as all Protestants do) or who threaten me and my family with violence.

“I am Michael David Mathis, living in Midlothian, Va. For 25 years I have worked as a registered nurse. I found Christ as a child at Adamsville Baptist Church in Goldsboro , North Carolina in 1972. Whe my family fell apart, Christ was with me and kept me from falling apart...I made growing up sorts of mistakes but I couldn’t never get far enough away from him that he could draw me back, confront me and make be accountable to him..then ultimately restore me to faith. The type of church a man attends doesn’t matter to me so much as the Christ he worships. In the end, Christ is the ultimate head of the Church, and as the Old Testament says
“And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” Jeremiah 31:34.”

I respect the fact that you believe you have encountered Christ and I know the Holy Spirit works even with those outside the Church.

“At least now I understand your attitude...I should not want your to be afraid of me so I shall trouble you no more!”

You’re not trouble and I am not afraid of you. I am not actually afraid of anyone on this earth. What I do not do is invite potential violence when it can be easily avoided by using a pseudonym. You would probably never harm me or my family, but some of your fellow Protestants would definitely so if their threats are anything to go by. The Protestant Revolution was founded on bloodshed and violence so that doesn’t surprise me. You can post your name and address here. No Catholic will do anything to you or your family. I know that is not true in the reverse.

[gghd]

Thank you for your reply & for being so knowledgeable in the Catholic faith. The Eucharist is something someone has to experience to understand how >real it can be. It’s similar to a great infusion of Grace from God that can occur in all Christians. Protestants can receive an infusion of Grace & have difficulty convincing other people it’s real.

Tramonto is a Christian. & I have spoken to Tramonto a couple of times previously. I like Tramonto’s tagline = “Draft Palin.” Whatever someone might think of Sarah Palin’s politics, she is an >admirable women. When God gave her the gift of a baby with Down Syndrome, Sarah Palin & her husband said to God, ‘Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.’

[vladimir998]

You wrote:

“Nobody should have to put up with that due to online postings, but I can understand (but not condone, mind you) how that could happen to you. You are pretty obnoxious, but then again, I am too. That’s my biggest beef with you - you won’t admit it.”

I’m blunt. When truth has become obnoxious, then I will be labeled as such. Telling the truth bothers those who parcel out lies.

[RFEngineer]

“As for Newt’s conversion to the Catholic faith, I say, WELCOME HOME.”

If I believed in political coincidences, and hadn’t concluded it wasn’t a cynical political ploy, I’d be happy for him, too.

As such, his former denomination can’t even say “Good Riddance” with any degree of certainty.

[Salvation]

**Gentlemen: why are these interdenominational hassles necessary here? It is to be hoped that FReepers have a strong attachment to their respective faiths, are proud of their respective attachments and live them in their lives. Somehow, I have difficulty seeing how these arguments among ourselves benefit the conservative movement or our country. Far more importantly, I have difficulty imagining that Jesus Christ, Who wept in the Garden of Gethsemane over the realization the His flock would not be as one, would be pleased with the interdenominational squabbling, one upsmanship and refusal of charity.**

Well said — and repeated! Thanks.

[RFEngineer]

“I’m blunt. When truth has become obnoxious, then I will be labeled as such. Telling the truth bothers those who parcel out lies.”

That’s the other thing, you have no sense of humor, either.

[mdmathis6]

Bravo! Hear Hear!

“No longer will they teach their neighbor,
or say to one another, ‘Know the LORD,’
because they will all know me,
from the least of them to the greatest,”
declares the LORD.
“For I will forgive their wickedness
and will remember their sins no more.” Jerimiah 31:34

[Biggirl]

AMEN to what you have said. We have a nation to rescue.

[Just mythoughts]

IF you are NOT nor have ever been a ‘protestant’ do not think you are above us in being given ‘grace’. God is in control so don’t be judging us.