What is a Catholic in good standing?

by Mark

I was inspired by a Patrick Madrid podcast where he talked about a prominent politician, who identifies as a Roman Catholic, yet supports same-sex "marriage" and abortion, who sent a letter asking an archbishop to not attend the national March for Marriage event, which was characterized as "venom masquerading as virtue." The archbishop of course attended later, and even announced at the march that he had the pope's blessing to attend. Things like this really frustrate me. If you're going to call yourself a Catholic, shouldn't you be familiar with what a Catholic is and believes and then put that into practice, as opposed to bringing scandal to the Church?

This page is not meant to be a rant. It's simply to remind those who identify themselves as Catholic what it means to be a Catholic in good standing. A Catholic in good standing is someone who believes, fully embraces, and lives their faith in accordance with the teachings of the Church that Jesus Christ founded - the Catholic church.

If you're a Catholic in good standing then you follow all of the beliefs of the Church. Some of these beliefs include:

• You're against abortion regardless of the circumstances. Yes, even if the circumstances involve pregnancy through incest or rape, or complications that risk the life of the mother if the baby was to be born.
• You believe marriage is between one man and one woman with no exceptions whatsoever. Going hand in hand with this belief you also love and accept everyone, even if you don't agree with their choices in life. Despite what the media or "celebrities" say, the Catholic church does not hate lesbians, gays, bisexuals or transgenders.
• You don't use contraception. You must be open to life. Natural Family Planning is what the Church wants its married laity to practice.
• You don't have sex outside of marriage. You also don't live under the same roof with your boyfriend or girlfriend until you're married, unless you're living as brother and sister. This would also apply to couples in an irregular marriage waiting to be convalidated.
• You vote in political elections based primarily on a candidate's stance on principals of the Church like abortion, religious liberty, and the institution of marriage. You do not vote based on the issues (this makes all issues equal and highly personal), and you vote as a Catholic first not as a democrat or a republican.
• You believe that only men can serve as priests as Jesus Christ was a man. Remember priests act in persona Christi when they celebrate the mass.
• You attend mass every Sunday and on holy days of obligation. You also do not consistently arrive late and leave early. Going hand in hand with this you dress and act with reverence.
• You go to confession at least once a year.
• You receive the eucharist at least once a year.
• You observe the prescribed days of fasting and abstinence.
• You provide for the material needs of the Church. This support can be in the form of time, talent, or treasure.
• You're not a member of a group that the Church forbids; the Free Masons come readily to mind.
• If you choose to cremate someone you do not scatter their ashes, nor do you keep their remains in your home. They must be placed in a columbarium in a public cemetery where others can visit them and pray. Remember the remains are still the temple of the Holy Spirit and must be treated with reverence.

I realize in this day and age there are many high profile people in this world who identify themselves as Catholic, yet their actions sometimes run contrary to the beliefs of the Church bringing scandal on the Church. Don't be a cafeteria or cultural Catholic (by that I mean picking and choosing what tenets of the faith you like and ignoring the ones you don't like). You're either ALL IN or not.