What Kind of Catholic Are You?

1

I view the church's teachings on sex (the bans on birth control, extramarital relations, and homosexual acts) as:

Moral laws that cannot be broken without grave sin

Ideals that should be honored but guidelines only; God understands that they sometimes can't be lived up to

In need of some revision, given what we now know about human sexuality and relationships

In need of drastic revision because they reflect long-abandoned patriarchal social norms

2

As a lay Catholic, my chief responsibilities are:

Obeying all the laws of the church

Striving for personal holiness

Getting involved with my parish

Getting involved with social justice

3

In my view, Jesus' Mother, Mary, was:

Conceived without sin and remained perpetually a virgin--a sign of her unique calling as mother of God

Everything in answer 1 above, and also co-redemptrix with Jesus for our sins

A role model for our time as an impoverished poor single mother

A good woman who has been over-emphasized by the church at the expense of more relevant saints

4

When it comes to politics, my Catholic faith influences my voting:

On moral issues such as abortion

On social issues such as welfare reform

On both moral and social issues

On neither moral nor social issues

5

I pray for the saints' intercession:

Regularly

Regularly, and I have a devotion to a favorite saint

Rarely

Never

6

I believe in purgatory:

As a form of punishment for sin

As a period of spiritual purification

Not at all, because Jesus' death saved everyone

Not at all, because purgatory is not mentioned in the Scriptures

7

I attend Mass and receive communion on First Fridays:

Often

Occasionally

Rarely

Never

8

I go to confession:

Once a week

Once a month

Once or twice a year

Never or hardly ever

9

When I pray, it's often:

Traditional prayers, including the rosary

Prayers in my own words

The 'centering prayer' and other silent forms

Prayers from other religious traditions, such as Buddhist meditation

10

When it comes to music during Mass, I prefer:

Gregorian chant and Latin hymns

Classic hymns and spirituals

Contemporary liturgical and ethnic music

No music at all

11

How do you think the Mass should be celebrated?

In Latin

Very solemnly—it's sacred time

It's fine for the celebrant to make the congregation feel welcome with greetings and by thanking them for attending

I have no problem with going even further: omitting gender-specific language, for example.

12

The primary meaning of the consecration of the Mass is that the bread and wine become:

The actual body and blood of Christ

Symbols of Christ's spiritual presence among us

Symbols of our unity with all of Christ's church

A sign of our duty to feed our fellow human beings

13

As far as I'm concerned, the pope is:

The vicar of Christ and supreme head of the church

Deserving of special deference as bishop of Rome but by no means supreme or infallible

Deserving of reverence but not necessarily obedience

Just another bishop among bishops

14

About ordaining women as priests, I think:

It's inevitable for the survival of the church

It's theologically impossible, because Jesus chose only men to be his apostles

Jesus never intended to found an ordained priesthood, so the question is irrelevant

15

About priestly celibacy, I think:

It's a hard rule, but it allows the priest to devote himself unselfishly to God and to his parishioners

It should be optional, but as in the Eastern churches, priests should not be allowed to marry after ordination

It should be optional, and ordained priests should be allowed to marry

Priests should be encouraged to marry, so as to be able to relate to their married parishioners

16

My favorite kind of church design is:

Very traditional, with plenty of stained glass and statues

Neo-traditional, with just a few tasteful statues or mosaics

In the round, so everyone can feel close to the altar

With minimal decoration, so the focus will be on the worshipping community

17

My opinion of the Second Vatican Council is:

It was long overdue, and its changes still haven't been fully implemented

The church was ripe for some changes, but liberals have taken them too far

There are theological reasons for arguing that it was not a true ecumenical council

It didn't go far enough; we need a Third Vatican Council

18

The church is behind the times:

Yes

Yes, although it is slowly catching up

No

The concept is irrelevant, because the church stands outside of time

19

I attend Mass:

Every day when I can

Every Sunday and holy day

Fairly often but not every Sunday

Occasionally

20

I abstain from meat:

Every Friday--it's the traditional penance

On Ash Wednesday and the Fridays of Lent as required

Yes, but my reasons are not related to the law of the church

Not really

21

About abortion, I believe:

It is a grave moral wrong, and we should support laws severely restricting its availability

It is a grave moral wrong, but a woman's decision to abort should be honored except in extreme cases, such as late-term abortion

It is a grave moral wrong, but women have a right to make their own choices without restriction

It can be a moral decision under some circumstances and so should not be restricted

22

When Catholic politicians or holders of public office take a position at variance with church teaching on such issues as abortion, Catholic bishops should:

Declare them excommunicated and withhold communion from them

Publicly condemn them but not deny them communion

Privately reprove but not publicly embarrass them

Do nothing, as any action would interfere with separation of church and state

23

On the issue of gay priests, I believe:

No one who self-identifies as gay should be admitted to the priesthood

Self-identified gays may be priests as long as they lead chaste lives

The church should follow a "don't ask, don't tell" policy that would allow gay priests who don't flaunt their homosexuality

The church should welcome gays into the clergy

24

About married Catholics who divorce, the church should:

Recognize a civil divorce but not allow the parties to remarry

Recognize that some marriages simply die, and let the parties try to find new mates

Allow Catholics to divorce and remarry, but only under serious circumstances such as adultery or desertion

Never allow Catholics to divorce

25

My relation to Catholicism can be summed up as follows:

It's the most meaningful spiritual force in my life, even when its doctrines seem difficult to follow

It's very important to me, but there are some teachings I just can't agree with so I ignore them

There's a lot about the church that I don't agree with, but it has been in my life for so long that I couldn't abandon it

I call myself Catholic, but mostly for reasons of cultural and/or religious heritage