A lot of us, from what I know anyways, have been raised Catholic. However far you got in your religious education, whether you’ve just been baptized or you made it up to Confirmation, the idea of guilt has been branded into us from a very young age. We learned that we are born with original sin, that our bodies belong to God and our future spouse, that we must always be on our best behavior lest we succumb to the fiery pits of hell for all eternity.
My dudes, this is your gentle reminder that Jesus was a man of color who called for equality, peace, the redistribution of wealth, and socialized healthcare.
This is your gentle reminder that Mary was an unwed mother in a time where such an offense could be punished, but she rose above societal expectations and gave birth to a son that would change the world, and that son always checked in with his mother for her opinion, because he valued her intelligence, compassion, and ability to lead.
This is your gentle reminder that the Apostles were all angry teenagers and 20-somethings who hated the way the world worked and who followed the only man who made sense to them, because Jesus was a radical in his time.
The idea of Catholic Guilt is built on whitewashed re-imaginings of Jesus, his family, and his followers. The modern Conservative would rather portray Jesus as a passive, peaceful white man than as the fiery radical that he was, because the idea of following such a man would destabilize the backwards little bubble they’ve created for themselves.
You have nothing to feel guilty about. Autonomy is not a sin. Distancing yourself from the toxic portrayal of faith that has been coming out of Rome is not a sin. Living your best life for yourself is not a sin. Taking care of yourself is not a sin. Being true to yourself is not a sin.
bennu rising 