Why Do Catholics...?

We get it: From the outside, Catholics can do some pretty odd things. Here are a few, and the reason why we do them.

Click on a question to learn more:

Same as Mary, we don't worship the saints. We believe the saints are ordinary people just like you and me who did some pretty awesome things for God. We believe that they are in heaven with God and that as such, they are very close with God and can intercede on our behalf. Same as Mary, we ask them to pray for us, not pray to them.

The question that usually follows is, why not just pray directly to God? And we do! But sometimes it's nice to connect with someone who has sinned and struggled just like we do. And we believe that there isn't a thing as too much prayer.

Catholics are Christian! In fact, we're the original Christians. We believe in all of the basic tenets of Christianity - that Jesus is the Son of God, was born a human, suffered and died for us, and rose from the dead.

Many other Christian denominations trace back to human founders (Luther, King Henry VII, Calvin, Knox), but Catholicism traces back to Jesus as its founder.

Plus, we have the Eucharist, the actual Body and Blood of Christ, so that's a pretty good reason too.

This is the most common reason people don't go to confession - after all, it's uncomfortable and awkward telling another person about your sins. Why can't we just tell God we're sorry?

That's actually exactly what you are doing when you go to confession. The Church follows Jesus' instructions here, in which He gave the apostles (and their successors) the ability to forgive sins in His name (John 20:21-23). That's why we believe that although you are confessing your sins out loud to the priest, it is actually Jesus who is working through the priest to offer forgiveness (called absolution). The priest's sole role in the sacrament is simply to act on Christ's behalf, in the same way he does when He celebrates the Mass.

So, confessing our sins to a the priest, acting in an unbroken line from Jesus, gives us the assurance that we are forgiven, which is very comforting!

This is a fantastic article that explains a bit more about why Catholics confess to a priest.

Priests make a promise of celibacy when they become ordained. This stems from a few theological and practical reasons: First, Jesus was not married, and priests are uniquely called to act in the person of Christ in the world. As such, priests join in Christ's ministry, which was being "married" to the Church. Second, St. Paul strongly urges those in ministry not to marry because it allows for undivided attention to serving God and His people. (2 Tm 2:3–4)

The question of why priests are male is an extensive one, but simply put, it is because that is how Christ established it, and vocations are a calling, not a right due to us. Many will object that the only reason Jesus didn't charge women with the tasks of the priesthood is because women were not seen as equal at that time, but Jesus had zero problem being extremely countercultural in other ways. Therefore, it is clear that if He wanted women to be ordained, He would have done so regardless of the societal norms (and that He had a higher respect and equality for women than was normal at the time). This is a wonderful explanation of the male priesthood.

Women in the Catholic Church are not oppressed, but rather held in high esteem and equality. Women hold many leadership roles within the Church and lay ministry, and Pope St. John Paul II wrote an entire letter to women thanking them for the gifts they offer to the Church.