Saturday, October 26, 2019

Quora on Catholicism

What would be the difference between a Jesuit priest and a non Jesuit priest?

Answer requested by
Marc Bloemers

Hans-Georg Lundahl
none/ apprx Masters Latin & Greek, Lund University
Answered 1h ago
As regards the priesthood, none. Both can celebrate the Eucharist, both can provide five of the seven sacraments (not Orders or Confirmation which only the bishop provides), both must say Mass daily and say the Hours.

Both can hear confession if they have faculties, neither can hear confession if they haven’t faculties and so on.

As regards other things, well, there are differences between different monastic or other religious orders (Jesuit is one of the orders) in mentality and to that end also in education, in preparation for priesthood.

A joke says a Benedictine, a Carmelite, a Dominican and a Jesuit were meeting in a hotel room to say hours, they were going to a Eucharistic congress next day.

The light went out. The Benedictine knew the hours by heart, so he continued reciting in Latin. The Carmelite switched to silent inner prayer. The Dominican took the Rosary from the belt. The Jesuit went and switched the light bulb.

On a less joke level, one becomes a Benedictine or a Carmelite to sanctify oneself (and Carmelite on a more personal level), one becomes a Dominican or a Jesuit because of some missionary zeal and Dominicans more to cater to Catholics who want to know the doctrine, Jesuit more to cater to hard targets, like hard core missionaries.

explaining the edit from "monastic orders" to "monastic or other religious orders".

Tom Dolan
11h ago
I love your story about the four priests in the hotel room .

“ there are differences between different monastic orders “

Dominicans and Jesuits are not monastic orders .

Benedictine ( and, I think, Carmelites ) are.

In fact Benedictines take vows of obedience, continual reformation of their lives, and stability rather than the vows of evangelical perfection , that is, poverty, chastity, and obedience.

Monastic life arise out of the hermits of the early church in Egypt and elsewhere. Monks withdraw to a certain extent from normal everyday life .

Dominicans and Jesuits are in the everyday hub bub of ordinary life, by design. I apologize if I did not explain this well . I am no expert. I do know some Jesuits as friends.

Hans-Georg Lundahl
Original Author
3m ago
I used “monastic” in the broader sense, but I would not have called Dominicans or Jesuits “monks” which I reserve for the narrower sense.

Actually I think Carmelites fall on the friar side of the distinction, but Carthusians are monks properly speaking.

You are correct, I will edit “monastic” to “religious”. I would have used religious if I hadn’t thought the formulation of the question showed very huge ignorance of Catholicism, so I needed a broad brush.

In fact “in the everyday hub hub” properly speaking, that’s secular priests. Religious orders that aren’t monastic are a compromise between the two.

What science-based evidence for Christianity is consistent with Christian historical claims?

Hans-Georg Lundahl
none/ apprx Masters Latin & Greek, Lund University
Answered 2h ago
Any that’s not inconsistent with it.

Computers don’t think, that’s science, animals don’t speak, that’s science, so speech and thought arguing there is a God and we are created in His image is for instance completely consistent with historical claims of Christianity, like Christ Resurrecting or founding the Roman Catholic Church.

Does the Bible really say that one won't go to heaven if you don't believe in God?

Hans-Georg Lundahl
none/ apprx Masters Latin & Greek, Lund University
Answered 17h ago
To please God, one must first believe that He is (=exists) and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

Quoting [Hebrews 11:6] from memory.

Can practicing Catholics celebrate Halloween? Why or why not?

Hans-Georg Lundahl
none/ apprx Masters Latin & Greek, Lund University
Answered 18h ago
Halloween being All Hallows Eve, one can ask whether Catholics are obliged to fast on the day …

However, this does not preclude souling, the Catholic primary version to “trick and treat”, namely going around asking for soul cakes and ale and then keeping your promise to pray for deceased family members where you get either, and it would also seem that the fasting is over at First Vespers of All Hallows, which means you can eat and drink the ale on that evening.

Is it possible that the Cathar movement survived the Albigensian Crusade as an underground movement in the Languedoc region of France or elsewhere in Europe, perhaps even into the present day?

Answer requested by
Jonathan Grimm

Hans-Georg Lundahl
none/ apprx Masters Latin & Greek, Lund University
Answered 18h ago

Yes. Barely.



Relevant for Christians?

Christianity can in places be underground, but it cannot be underground everywhere, since that would be against the visibility of the Church God does not light a candle to put it under a bushel.

So, if Albigensian movement survived, but only survived underground, it is already for that reason not the Church Christ founded.

What is likelier?

That Inquisition so effectively vanquished Albigensians, that later heretics had no clue on what they were and unduly identified with them. At the same time, they would have left some kind of sensibilities to both unstable Catholics and later heretics, and this would explain some of the aberrations of the latter.

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