I like being Catholic

 There certainly has been lots of media attention on the Catholic Church lately, with the announcement that Pope Benedict XVI stepping down as the Bishop of Rome at the end of the month. 

There has been speculation that with the election of a new Pope, the Catholic Church will be making major changes.  Not only is this grossly untrue, I find it hard to believe that the majority of Catholics around the world will want it to happen. 

As a practicing Catholic, one of my favorite things about the church is our traditions.  I like the fact that the Church doesn't change with the wind, and doesn't change her whole belief system because it's the "popular" thing to do.  I love our liturgy, and knowing that I can go to any other Catholic church in the world and hear the same mass readings and participate in the same traditions as if I were in my home parish.  I like knowing that no matter what is going on in the world, I have a church that is firm and is my rock.  I love the celebrations we have in the Holy Trinity, Advent, Christmas, Easter, and Lent.  I love recieving Christ every single week in the form of the Eucharist, not just saving it for "special occasions", every day is a reason to recieve Christ.   

I am certainly not the perfect Catholic representitive, I am VERY far from it.  I have been hurt by the Catholic church, and I have found healing in the church as well.  I know I do things that don't represent the Catholic church on an everyday basis, but I still love being Catholic.  Where there are certain aspects of the church decisions I disagree with, I don't want to leave the Catholic Church. 

I pray that whoever God chooses to lead the Catholic Church in the coming years, continues to lead the church down the same path.  There is much specuation that withthe election of a new pope, the church will make major changes (the most common speculations being lifting the ban on birth control, allowing women to be deacons, not requiring priests to be celibate), but frankly, I will be disappointed if the church changes its teachings.  One of the great things about the Catholic Church is that it doesn't change with the wind, it doesn't change its teaching because of what is popular at the time. That's not the job of a church, a church shouldn't have to "campaign for votes", that's not what true faith is.  If you don't agree with the church teachings, you are free to explore other religions.  

Many people leave the Catholic Church because the teachings don't mesh with what they believe.  I don't think this is "right or wrong", it just is, I'm not in a position to judge people because of their beliefs.  This is why we have so many factions of the Christian religion, because people didn't agree with what a church was teaching and they broke off and created a new branch.  There are some faith traditions that are very similar to Catholicism, and there are some that are very far from it.  I certainly don't believe that I am right and they are wrong, or vice versa, we just have different beliefs, and I respect that, everyone has their own faith journey.  We love the same God, and in the end, that's what is important.

My prayer is that God lead the College of Cardinals to prayerfully select the next leader of the Catholic Church.  I trust whoever is chosen will lead the church as gracefully as his predecesor in the coming years.