r/Progressive_Catholics

Well, unfriendly is a little hyperbolic. I moved to a new town in NorCal, in the Santa Rosa Diocese. I’ve been attending it for a couple of years now. I still don’t know a single soul by their name.

Most of the Santa Rosa Diocese is extremely conservative. I’m from a different tradition, having come of age in the 60’s and 70’s in San Diego. Father Berrigan was an early hero. I was the first folk guitar player ever allowed to play and sing hymns in our little rural church. There was no individual sitting in the pews for whom I didn’t know the entire family. They were my social group.

I’ve moved around a few times over the years, and I’ve always been able to find a church where I fit in. Eventually I ended up playing church hymns as a profession, specializing in small rural mission churches where there was no room for a keyboard or, if there was, there was no one to play it. I very much loved doing this. I studied classical guitar so reading and replicating from piano scores is no problem. I’ve also taught freely to anyone who asked.

Working with the music ministry was always a good way meet the congregation in a new church and become part of the community. Most places were happy to have a volunteer. Since I’m retired now I can offer my time freely.

I’ve tried to participate with the small group who sings the hymns in this new church, but they don’t seem to want me. I play the music as written and they are used to cobbling the music together as best they can, with a varying degree of success. They arbitrarily change the key, the rhythms and the melody. When I foolishly tried to gently steer them towards a more standard rendition, I apparently did something wrong and now I’m only welcome if I play it how they are used to.

So that avenue is closed for me. Unfortunately there doesn’t seem to be any other avenue open. This church is very small. The nearest other churches only use chant and focus on the Latin mass, which really not my thing.

I’d try to get involved with another ministry, but there doesn’t seem to be any. No liturgical ministers, the same person reads all the texts and responsorial for every Mass. No after Mass gathering for coffee. I think they must have a catechism class because they just had a First Communion, but it’s never mentioned in the bulletin.

This is a largely working class congregation, about 2/3 Hispanic. After church they do not mingle. The entire place empties within a few minutes after Mass and the priest seems to run as fast as he can back to the rectory. I’ve introduced myself to the priest once about a year ago. I’ve never been able to speak with him again.

Upon rereading this, I realize it sounds a little whiney. But I’m lonely and sad at my inability to break in. Any suggestions?

I am discerning religious life and I am looking for an open minded, spirit filled religious order in the US. I looked into a several and they are very conservative and a bit stifling, which completely turned me off.

I have also looked at the Franciscans and Jesuits and they were great, but I didn’t feel called to them.

Please let me know any more I should check out.

Hello I am new here so let me cut to the chase. My parents we are Catholic and I am from Nigeria. And my country has all these false pastors and prophets mostly from the Pentecostal Evangelical mega church that does fake Excosrsim and maybe miracles? Like someone walking or magically seeing acting as if they are Jesus Christ. It's bad here. Now my mom watches this man on TV like he is big he always has crowds and it's called" Zion prayer ground " basically a huge prayer place with miracles they say and casting out demons and testimonies he basically preaches like the opposite of this Subredddit I don't know I really don't believe the man and he comes off as to proud. In my opinion, I don't if I can tell my mother she won't listen to me. He even says out of pocket things like women and men doing oral sex which is weird in my opinion when your preaching.

One of the reasons why I have remained catholic is the same reason as to why the woman I mention up above remains Catholic despite having politics that lean to the left of the economic spectrum. I was drawn to keep to my catholic roots when I first learned about catholic social teaching senior year of high school at a catholic known as cathedral catholic in San Diego. One specific teaching of catholic social teaching was the dignity of workers. I respected the Catholic Church that they understood that the best way to allow and encourage conservative lifestyles of no contraceptives, abortion, and the celebration of traditional familiar dynamics comes from economic security. Along with my love and reverence for catholic traditions such as receiving sacraments and going to confession, that day in learning about Pope Leo XIII and rerum novarum forever ensured I would remain a catholic.

I mention all this to you because I have been wondering if there are any catholic commentators or apologists who had the same political viewpoints as me and matching their relation to catholicism as well. My specific views are as follows: I self identify as a new deal democrat but leaning towards being a democratic socialist (I have made a vow not to be one until I have experience as a wage laborer since I have yet to have a real job due to being at university or managing capital) yet when it comes to social issues I view abortion as evil and that one should encourage family life yet I also believe the best way of achieving a culture where family dynamics are promoted and abortion discouraged is not purely through legislation discouraging Reproductive rights but rather though economic liberation so that families can be allowed to be better prepared for unexpected pregancies.

As you well know though, most catholic commentators today don’t fit these beliefs of mixing socialism with Catholicism especially due to Benedict xvi (at the time known as cardinal Ratzinger) strong condemnation of Liberation theology which tried to mix Marxist and socialist elements with catholic social teaching itself. It left me feeling like the odd man out. That is until I found Elisabeth Bruenig, a prominent mainstream opinion writer for the dying legacy media newspapers of the new york times, the Atlantic, and the Washington post. Self described as a ”Catholic Socialist,” she has articulated a perspective that combines socialist economic views with her catholic faith after conversion from her Methodist faith. She is pro welfare state, anti capitalist, but also views abortion as intrinsically evil.

So my final question to this subreddit is two fold: Does anyone know who elisabeth Bruenig is and what are your thoughts about her, and second fold am I a heretic for trying to believe in Christian socialism with a variation mixing my catholic faith? Let me know in the comments down below.

Hello, I'm analysing Hamlet as practice for my Literature exam. In Act 5, Scene 1 Ophelia is being given a Christian burial, the grave diggers are debating whether or not she deserves it since she has committed suicide.

Now, I am a muslim so I don't much know about the Catholic point of view (though ive always admired the religion). Since this Denmark is a Protestant country and the whole Catholic vs Protestant thing was a debate, would a Catholic point of view think she deserves a proper Christian burial or not? It's for the "alternative point of view" section of the analysis.

Thanks for your time!