r/Catholic

My boyfriend of 8 years is Catholic, I am Hindu. for several years we talked about interfaith marriage but I guess we did not get into the details of interfaith children. we were both not very religious until recently. he started going to mass in the last few months. I‘m Hindu but I actually go to a nondenominational church with friends, have a bible I take notes in, and at most go to temple once or twice a year. while I am very accepting of Christianity- I went to an Episcopalian school for 12 years with weekly chapel and feel that I know more about Christianity than hinduism. he is saying raising children both catholic and hindu can not happen. I am begging him to talk to his priest to clear up the possibility of interfaith children and he said yes to it. but keeps delaying making an appointment with his priest. is it possible to have an interfaith household with Catholicism? I grew up with a friend who is half Catholic, half Jewish so I feel very heartbroken and confused. thank you for any honest advice and help.

I was raised Catholic, and got super into Franciscan thought when I was in college.

As an adult though, I drifted away from any sort of belief, but still retained most of the Franciscan values system.

I briefly dated a Sikh woman and she introduced me to the religion.

I’m reading about it now and the similarities to Franciscanism are totally blowing me away!

So many parallels!

1. founders of each movement (Francis and Nanak) both rejecting their birthright of a wealthy life of the merchant class, and further rejection social hierarchies in general. Both insisted on being servants to the lowly, Francis hanging out with lepers and Nanak outright rejecting the caste system

2. to the emphasis on interfaith dialogue and learning, Francis meeting with Muslim Malik Al Kamil and Sikh world view that there is no “right” answer to religion, but that all forms of learning can help one grow towards God.

3. the rejection of vanity, often held as indicators of faith. Initiated Sikhs have articles of faith which feel parallel to Franciscan friars. Sikhs refuse to cut their hair, to celebrate the gifts God gives through nature, and to reject worldly vanity/ style. Friars did the second half of that in reverse with tonsures. Also, Sikh’s wear special undergarments to remind them to be humble and chaste, and friars wore habits.

4. Massive emphasis on charity/ volunteer work and selfless service.

5. A sense of brother/ sisterhood with all creation.

6. The spark of the divine in all people — even the lepers or the enemy. And a spark of the divine in all creation. The first bit of the Sikh texts that I read actually sounded a lot like the canticle of the creatures!

7. A commitment to stand up for what’s right. Sikh’s carry another article of faith, which is a dagger or sword, to remind them to always be vigilant against injustice. Obviously a dagger wouldn’t fit with Franciscan values, as Francis forbade the wearing of belts because they can carry swords. BUT Francis had dreams during his conversion of knighthood and a coat of arms, and finally traveled to the crusades specifically fighting (not with weapons but with his presence) against violence and for peace

I just think this is all pretty cool and figured I’d share!

Obviously, there’s a big theological difference in how each tradition views Christ, but they have so many similarities in how they each view the world, the universe, and God… also, many similarities in terms of what they expect of believers in terms of ethical living.

I think if Francis had somehow been teleported through time and space to land in North India to speak with Sikh leaders he would have come back very inspired by their practice, the same way he was inspired by meeting Malik al Kamil and went on to write “the Divine Praises” after learning the Muslim prayer “the 99 names of Allah”

Very cool stuff!

If you’re into Franciscan history or thought you should read about Sikhi too, it’s great to see such agreement between faiths that blossomed centuries apart on different parts of the world

I've recently saw another post on this community asking if certain symbols in a picture looked like zodiac signs, and I'm super curious if zodiac signs are valid in Christianity.

When I was younger, I used to be obsessed with zodiac signs and say stuff like, "My mom is a Capricorn, my dad is a Cancer, and I am a Virgo." But then I've watched some Tik Tok videos in the past saying that zodiac signs are demonic, and it made me a bit nervous for some reason.

But seriously, are zodiac signs valid to anyone who considers themselves a Catholic, Christian, Orthodox, etc?

Hello, ive been very lost, i told my self if i pray it will all go away but my mind keeps turning me back to the things that i fear and i search and search to find answers or atleast to keep me calm. I get calm tofay but tomorrow i get back to my fears like a drug that i need to solve... it all started when my curious eyes stumble on the simulation theory and with that i became lost. I feel like my life is on a chain i can never escape i feel like crying i feel like my whole life is lost... and those people who keep saying AI made simulation world all those theories my mind is on a battle of whats real, where is Jesus where is God as i try to cling on my belief in jesus and God i feel like im holding on a thin rope... my mind keeps on going back on the simulation... i pray and pray but i still feel lost because my mind keeps going bacl to it... i dont know what to do , please help me i need God but i feel so distant because my mind is bugging me on the simulation on AI on what theur saying...

Im sorry everyone if i sound like im going insane but... im just desperate im so desperate... i need ... i need God... God is real right?

We’ve been busted.

Every Sunday, we don't actually go to Church to worship God—we just gather in a secret basement around a massive marble statue of Mary, swap recipes for communion wafers, and plot how to sneak more Mother Mary statues onto your neighbors' front lawns. I even tried to pay for my iced coffee with Rosary beads this morning because, as we all know, she is the true ruler of the economy.

We tried to hide it for 2,000 years, but the gig is up. Shucks. 🤷‍♂️

#CaughtRedHanded #MaryIsTheTrinityNow #Satire #PleaseReadTheCommentsBeforeYouExcommunicateMe

## Okay, Jokes Aside: Let’s Talk About "Worship"

If you're a Protestant friend who just stumbled on that post and had your heart rate spike, take a deep breath! We obviously don’t worship Mary.

The confusion usually comes down to a massive language barrier—both in how the English language has changed over the centuries, and how theology distinguishes different types of honor.

Here is the quick, no-nonsense breakdown of what Catholics actually believe, using the precise terms the Church has used for over a thousand years.

1. The English Word "Worship" Has Changed

In Old English, the word worship (from weorðscipe) simply meant "worth-ship"—to acknowledge someone’s worth or to show them honor.

* This is why in England, people still address mayors and judges as, "Your Worship."

* It’s why old traditional marriage vows used to say, "With my body I thee worship."

It didn't mean they thought the mayor or their spouse was God Almighty. However, modern English has narrowed "worship" to mean only the adoration we give to God. Because of this, Catholics and Protestants are often using the same word to mean two completely different things.

2. The Three Levels of Honor

To keep things clear, Catholic theology uses specific Greek and Latin terms to draw a hard line between God and everyone else:

Latria (Adoration): This is the sacrificial worship due to God alone (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). It is the acknowledgement of Him as the Creator and Supreme Being. To give latria to anyone or anything else is the sin of idolatry. Full stop.

Dulia (Veneration): This is the honor and respect we give to holy men and women (the saints) and angels. Think of it like a Hall of Fame. We admire them, we ask them to pray for us (just like you’d ask a friend on earth to pray for you), and we celebrate their victories for Christ.

Hyperdulia (Highest Veneration): This is a special, "super-sized" version of dulia reserved strictly for Mary. Why? Because she had the unique, unrepeatable role of carrying and raising the Son of God.

The Golden Rule of Catholic Theology: Hyperdulia is the highest form of honor you can give to a human creature, but it is still infinitely lower than Latria (which belongs only to God). Mary is a creature; God is the Creator.

So, do Catholics worship Mary? In the modern sense of the word, absolutely not. We love her, we honor her as Jesus' mom, but we worship God alone.

Conditions For Successful Prayer - Sermon by Fr Jean Michel Gomis (Jan 26, 2025)

I know the power of prayer can help create miracles - please pray for my cousin. We’re on a family vacation and she just began bleeding very heavily at 20weeks pregnant

She’s on the way to the hospital with her parents as her husband was unable to come please fray for the safety of her unborn son