u/Puzzleheaded_Fig1744

In a hypothetical scenario where we see a massive momentum toward Christian unity, I’ve been thinking about which groups are closest to and furthest from returning to Rome.

Here is my current take:

The Easiest (Traditionalists): The SSPX probably has the highest chance of returning to full communion. If we go down the rabbit hole, even more extreme offshoots like Sedevacantist Carmelites or the Palmarians *could* theoretically return if they ever "wake up" from their current state, given their Catholic roots.

The Next In Line (Eastern Orthodoxy): After them, my bet would be on some (or all) of the Eastern Orthodox Churches. At the end of the day, both Nicene communions share relatively cordial diplomatic relations. It's clear to almost everyone that, alongside Catholicism, they truly trace their roots back to Jesus and Peter. Plus, the existence of Eastern Catholic Churches already provides a working blueprint for full communion.

So, here is my question for the community:

In a hypothetical universe or historical turning point, which schismatic religion, denomination, or movement do you think would be the absolute hardest to bring back into communion with Roman Catholicism, and which would be the easiest?

Feel free to challenge my assumptions about the SSPX or Orthodoxy too!

Today I had a celebration. My family were there and my gf (23F) wanted to be there but she had to work. Days ago, she asked me if I wanted or needed something to gift me because of this and I told her that I really, really don't want her to spend money on me (I know she's going through a really hard time econonomically speaking) and that seeing her the next day is enough. I did the same to my parents.

Then came today. My parents gifted me some little things as a surprise so decided to share this moment with her via WhatsApp and she was very happy, until I asked her if she wanted me to send images of the gifts my parents gave me or if I should wait and show them to her tomorrow, when we see each other.

She got angry, and sad, and depressed, and when she gets sad, nobody can lift her up from there. When I try to make my point about why she shouldn't feel sad because I consciouslly asked her not to gift me anything, and this was a surprise, and that this are just detail gifts, and that parents normally have the will and the responsability to do this to their son more than his gf, she just says "Okay" or "I understand" and then she leaves me on read.

Now I'm the one who's upset. It's like talking to a wall, who doesn't see nor hear nor move. I told her I'm tired of the bad feelings always controlling our attitude and decisions. That it's very difficult for me to understand how she feels if she only tells me "ok" and then I have to wait for her to just feel better with no major explainations. And, even if it's selfish, this was supposed to be a celebration day, I never see my father and this was one of the few times I could.

I need to clear this up. Specially girls, but really anyone: Can you try ti explain how does she possibly feel about this? like, do you understand her? can you help me to make this up? also, what should I do? What should I tell her?

I know nor her nor I are wrong, I just need to have this cleared up

I'm a young chilean catholic (21,M) but I just started to reconnect with my faith in Christ since, maybe, 6 months ago. Since then, I've studied a lot, I'm going to both regular mass and the only church in my region (which is the equivalent to the US federal state) that practices the latin mass. I'm actually currently going to cathecism because I've only been baptized, so I'm on the process for first communion and confirmation.

With that in context, there's been a constant subject of matter that still doesn't fit with my feelings and with what makes sense to me, I'm struggling with understanding this and it makes me feel guilty or, at least, slow-minded. It's the veneration of Mary. Yes, I do understand the difference between adoring, idolatrizing and veneration; but I have a feeling that people outside of Hispanic America don't see the level of exaltation that it's done here. In the two parishes where I go, Mary is the center figure literally, the images they have always have Mary in giant and Christ is, in the regular mass case, in the corner of the temple, small and next to Carlo Acuti; and in the Latin case, it's smaller, down and at the right of Mary.

Anyways, that is not what really warns me, I can halfly understand that. Today, they brought a famous image that evokes a Marian apparition seen by a native man in the mountainous countryside near my city. People reverence it, and pray in front of it, and the figure itself, the decoration, the colours, the way they protect it, the dances, everything... feels a little... pagan? maybe? or something that just doesn't fit...

Also, I'm a sociologist so I do understand the phenomena of popular religiosity. The concept of a mother that can intercede with God for you is far easier to understand and feel and want for a poor chilean man. It's a mother, at the end of the day. But I don't think the sociological explanation can cover the theological explanation.

Obviously, I'm not telling you this to harm my own church or faith, I'm really working to act like a good catholic. I understand if my question is tiresome or out of respect but, It's in good faith.. Also, english is not my main language so, if anything I said feels really out of place, please, be welcome and ask me anything here or in DMs and maybe I can clarify it.

This is esentially a question and I'm seeking for help

I just realized that I can't post images so, if you are interested to see what I'm talking about, it's the veneration of "Nuestra Señora de Andacollo"

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I showered this morning, put on deodorant, brushed my teeth. the whole routine. I was so tired I accidentally fell asleep for about an hour, and when I woke up I swear I smelled like... bed, or feet, or butt. Like I hadn't showered at all (body odor).

Is this psychological? Some kind of olfactory illusion? Or does sleep actually trigger certain smells? Could age play a role? (I'm 21, for reference)

I study Sociology here in Chile and I love politics and geopolitics, It's been my main mind field since High School and that's why I studied 1 year of Law school. The thing is, today, a professor of mine in the Theory class (we're learning about Habermas) said that Geopolitics aren't as valid as we think they are because:

1. They are a recent neoliberal invention.

2. They are axiomatically, and from their base, a capitalist tool because they debate the world only from the point of view of exploding resources.

3. Anyone can be a Geopolitics expert, he says most geopolitics experts are just youtubers.

4. He randomly mentioned that Pinochet himself was a geopolitics professor (I guess he used this to disqualify the intelectual component, as here is well known that Pinochet wasn't just evil but not very brilliant on his own).

5. In other classes, he also said Geopolitics tend to end on nazi viewpoint.

6. Again, without capitalism, there would be no geopolitics. He said that war is essentially capitalist or, at least, it exists thanks to any system that is based on exploitation and domination. Therefore, in socialism there is no war, because there is no fight over resources, therefore there is no conquest of territories, therefore there is no geopolitics.

This reasons seem too biased for me. I know I'm just a young boy in university and he's a 50 or 60 yr old professor who even lived his young years under the Chilean dictatorship and he's very smart, etc. etc., But they don't satisfy me, they didn't convince me or even set me up to rethink my ideas.

What do you all think?

(sorry if my english isn't good)

Solo conozco su historia clásica de Internet y, bueno, que le pegaron. Pero de vdd he visto memes que todo mundo parece entender menos yo y son tantas aristas que desconozco que me terminé confundiendo. Pagar la pensión? Zukistrukis? aló?

(Eruditos, aprovechen este post para que cualquiera igual o más perdido que yo pueda iluminarse)