While working on something else today, I came across an article, written right after Pope Francis became Pope, and it is a perfect example of how people, especially Americans just don’t get the Catholic faith.

The article was written for Yahoo! Voices, and the author bemoans the fact that the new pope is the same as the old pope and won’t change the teachings of the Catholic Church, making it more in line with what the “people” want.

Pope Francis is a shocking choice because of how remarkably the same he is when it comes to the big issues. The Roman Catholic Church is at a critical point in its history. With reports of decades worth of corruption and child abuse piling up, Catholics and outside observers alike were hoping for this papal conclave to result in a shift towards change and modernization.

When will people realize that the Catholic Church hasn’t changed their teaching in 2000 years and won’t now. The Church has taught and will continue to teach that things like gay marriage, contraception, abortion and women priests are wrong and that’s it. Real Catholics believe that this teaching comes from God and therefore won’t change. (Order the History of the Catholic Church here)

The Church (at least to my knowledge) is not telling anyone they can’t get married, they can’t have abortions or they can’t become a priest, they just are telling them they won’t be Catholics. Pretty simple.

I look at my past and some of the things I used to believe in may of these things until I read the teachings of the church, thought about them and decided to embrace them. I made a choice to believe and stay Catholic. I could have very easily made another choice, and that as to join any other of thousands of other Christian or non-Christian religions, but I didn’t. These people can do the same thing.

If you want to be Catholic then you have to follow the Catholic teachings, believe what the church does or else be something else. Will the church lose members? Maybe, but at least those who stay will be real Catholics.

Here is a link to someone I admire and respect very much and a free MP3 of his on “Why I am Catholic when I can be anything else?” It is well worth the time to listen to it. If the link doesn’t work, which is always a possibility with my limited technical skills try this one, www.flocknote.com, you will have to register, it’s free, and he has lots of good stuff) You could even tell him I sent you, although he has no idea who I am and it ill get you nothing).