0:04

All right, the day you’ve been waiting for has finally arrived.

It’s time to talk about Catholicism.

Oh, thank God.

I have been waiting.

I know, I know today.

My Catholic school education is taking Center Stage, because if you think about it, when people hear spiritualism or the occult, the things we talked about on this show, people tend to connect that with religion, often times organized, religion.

0:28

And so, that’s what we’re going to talk about.

Today, nothing.

I love more than Jesus.

So I’m very excited.

That’s what I always say about em.

One thing you gotta know about them, you know.

Oh yeah.

Well we got everything in common obviously.

So well organized.

Religions like the Catholic Church do have rituals and Customs even if they don’t really call them that just like the people in groups that we’ve covered on this show before.

0:51

And today we’re going to dig into the big ones when it comes to the Catholic faith and see how we think they compared to the more magical ones we talked about more often.

And see, you know, where do they stand?

Cool.

Let’s see where they stand.

I have an opinion on where they stamp.

Let’s see.

I can’t wait to hear your wisdom when it comes to this topic.

1:23

Hi everyone and welcome to rituals a Spotify original from par cast.

I’m Christine Schieffer.

And I’m M Schultz and every week, we’ll explore the evolution of spiritualism and the Occult through stories practices and the impact on Modern culture.

Today we’re going back to church we’re going back to Catholic School.

1:40

Something I was hoping I’d never have to say again but here we are very excited.

To have a recovering Catholic.

Teach me about Catholicism.

Well, let’s hope I get it right because otherwise I think I’ll have a lot of people after me.

Okay, cool.

Well, let’s crack into it.

2:07

We’ve talked about this before and this connection between organized religion and kind of the occult and spiritualism and I think they’d like to keep themselves separated but often times they do overlap but that’s just my personal opinion.

I definitely think they overlap.

2:23

I feel like we talked about this a few episodes ago that Christianity is weirdly similar to a lot of the occult and I feel like they pretend like they don’t overlap a lot but they do.

I feel like they both believe in magic even though Christians like to call them me.

Cole’s.

2:38

Right, right?

But your main character like walks on water.

So you tell me.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So does Chris Angel explain that?

Yeah.

And also like the occult like it’s all Supernatural and again, Christianity likes pretend that they’re not into the Supernatural and they’re very vehement Lee against it.

2:54

But again, like your main character, like came back to life.

Feels pretty paranormal to me.

You are on a roll.

I don’t think I even need to say anything.

I mean let’s just keep going.

But yeah.

Well they both believe in a higher power.

Most of the time they both have to have some sort of Of belief system and rituals they both talked about the afterlife, you know, one talks through a Ouija board one prays but they’re both talking to things that aren’t there.

3:16

You know what I mean?

I mean, you know, you think of the Rosary they’re holding beads and there’s like symbolic items and mass has all the different layers to it.

And yeah, they even say the word sacrificial in the freaking Mass so like hello.

Okay.

I think really the main difference is I like one feels more one.

3:36

We’re told is more intimidating.

And one is actually more intimidating.

That’s a great way to put it.

I think of the occult I think, because we were all told like, oh, don’t think about it.

Don’t talk about it.

Don’t be a part of that.

I feel like because it was left so vague and mysterious.

I somehow now associated with being more, open to curiosity and open to experimenting with it and like seeing where you fit in that kind of community but the other one is like mainstream mainstream and also like, don’t you dare question that we already have.

4:07

The answers and it feels a little more rigid and cold compared to like oddly the warmth in my opinion of the occult.

I feel like there’s more range with the occult.

Yeah you can really get into it or just a little bit.

Yeah I totally totally agree.

There’s more room to like make it your own.

I think in the world of spiritualism.

4:24

Honestly a better answer than I could have ever given so nice.

Oh well you are welcome.

Well you my little Catholic school girl you went to Catholic school for how many years?

Let’s see age three or Two-and-a-half or three to eighteen.

4:39

So however many years that is 15 all lifetime, okay?

So too many we’re talking about the sacraments today was there a class you had to learn about this is where did you learn about this?

Honestly I wish I remembered like the exact point at which I learned about them but it was something that we learned about throughout my entire education.

4:58

So I would say, we started talking about it, maybe in kindergarten or first grade like very early and then as We Grew Older and Every year we had religion class.

And so, a fun thing we do now is remind my parents how much money they were paying, and we divided up the classes and say, look how much money you were paying for us to learn about.

5:18

You know, that only men and women can get married.

I hope your money was well, spent stunning parenting.

Yeah, yeah, they were trying their best.

They didn’t really know what they were getting into.

But yeah, we learned about the seven, sacraments starting.

Like, first grade, I mean, I’m sure I still have, like, coloring activities that we had to do.

5:37

Do and, you know, all that great stuff?

Oh, yeah.

Oh yeah, I mean, kindergarten, you know, we were filling out like religious drawings and stuff like that.

Do you know anything about the seven sacraments before we kind of jump into this?

Well, on my dad’s side, all my cousins were catholic.

5:55

Oh, so I have been to many communions, mmm.

And I think that’s the only one I know.

Baptism maybe that one.

Ding.

Ding is a funeral one.

Nope, marriage.

Yep.

Sure, let’s end it there.

Oh, wait, there’s a confirmation.

6:11

Right?

Oh my God.

You’re good at this.

I am half Catholic my friends.

Okay, I know what I’m talking about.

No, I don’t think you can be half Catholic as we just discussed.

You know, maybe not in spirit, but my father likes to let me know.

But that is where I stand apparently religiously.

6:27

Okay, well we’re going to get into it now because Catholics will probably at least.

If they’re like strict, Catholics will probably shun the world of rituals are beautiful safe World.

We’ve created because you know their religion does involve witchcraft in fact.

6:44

Like you said, it’s usually pretty Witchcraft magic, the supernatural that’s kind of not in their wheelhouse.

But there have been some researchers and Educators who believe those things are sort of Companions of organized religions because they allow the average person to participate in an otherworldly experience that sort of like are saying you know.

7:05

Like they have similarities and like believing in an afterlife in a higher power.

You know, they kind of do Venn diagram.

They like to pretend that they don’t but they certainly do I think so, retired pain.

State professor and researcher.

Bill Ellis said back in 2004 the occult challenges, the conservative social standards and dictates of religion.

7:25

Thus, forcing it to come to terms with the totality of human experience at times checking or repressing it at other times.

The occult finds ways to incorporate it into its own practices religion.

In turn provides a stable ground and safe destination for those wishing to experiment with alternative points of view, even alternative states of consciousness.

7:47

So it’s sort of like, a mainstream way to kind of look at something bigger or like consider the universe outside yourself.

I think maybe have some questions answered and some way exactly in like a safer way.

That’s more acceptable publicly.

Yeah.

So the thing is, like, you had mentioned.

8:04

They all sort of Point towards an afterlife, you know.

Yeah.

That makes sense to me.

I mean, I also said it earlier, so it’s certainly makes sense.

Since I said it, I don’t see your wisdom.

Already announced it before, I could even get to that.

Bullet point my expertise your expertise, I should say, well being strict, Catholic means participating in the sacraments that we’re going to talk about today to get in the good graces of God and thus be welcomed into heaven.

8:28

That’s the ultimate goal here.

Oh yeah.

Spiritualism really deals with communicating, with the other side.

And the Occult really mixes things up with a more magical perspective.

But you could argue some things within the Catholic Church.

Do seem mystical, I know we’ve already talked about a few of those.

8:45

They certainly do the main man on A can walk on water.

It’s very mystical to me, seems pretty mystical to me, when you look into the Catholic church for ritualistic Behavior, mass is a really good starting point.

So, Mass itself is a structured ceremony that includes an entrance procession at like thinking about it outside of the context of church puts a new spin on it for me because I was just so used to going since I was like a week old every single week and a school that liked it didn’t see weird to me but now that I kind of say it out loud.

9:15

It’s like there’s a Entrance procession where like the priest is felt it.

So I feel like they start you young, so you don’t recognize how audit can be.

And like this is not just me pooh-poohing on Christianity because I feel like every religions got some really weird.

9:31

Doesn’t make sense rituals to them.

Like yeah, even think about when we were just talking about Rosicrucianism where, like, they stand in coffins or something and you don’t even like none of them make sense.

Yeah.

It’s just part and parcel of the experience the whole mystical I guess.

9:46

Not miss Hold, hold religious experience.

Yeah, so there’s a procession entered possession.

They do readings of the gospel and then they conclude with blessings and during mass worshippers also exchange a sign of Peace, which is usually a handshake.

Did you ever do that at Mass?

10:03

We have to be like friendly to people.

Yeah, honestly, I used to get so anxious that I would like sometimes leave to go to the bathroom right before that I would get.

So, so nervous why would have the social anxiety of like I know they’re telling me I fish.

Shake this person’s hand, but if I shake their hand and they’re going to try to start a conversation with me and that’s just won’t fly.

10:21

Well, you can’t talk because you just say peace.

Be with you.

Peace be with you but they say and also with you, then they change it.

No, that’s a different thing, okay?

Okay, whatever.

It’s just like, you’re touching a lot of people and I’m like, I never was into that, you know what I mean?

I just learned feeling it and my dad’s a very like, jovial person.

10:39

So he wants to tell everybody, but I was afraid of getting people like him.

Where I, like, if I had to shake someone’s hand, I was gonna get a Bernie she Are you just gonna be like I ate a whole box of blueberries today from Kirkland Costco or whatever little did, you know, you got that anyway because you became friends with me and had to hear it.

10:57

I do it through me, I know.

Yeah, you couldn’t escape, but anyway, so there’s like a sign of Peace but I remember during covid I went to mass and you weren’t allowed to shake anyone’s hand and I was like this, I can deal with sure.

Like just kind of a glance like peace be with you, peace with you don’t got to touch yet, I would just do the peace sign.

11:15

What’s up?

That to yep.

He’s got a few sign.

I can get down with that.

So that has shifted at least during covid.

Then you take Holy Communion where you eat bread and drink wine.

It’s way less fun than it sounds.

Yeah, that I can confirm.

Yeah, you’re not really eating bread in the traditional sense and you’re not really drinking wine in my kind of sense.

11:37

So there are cultural variations of mass around the world but most of these rituals have been part of mass for over a thousand years.

So like what you said earlier when they kind of Changed some of the wording that was a big deal because this stuff has lasted, hundreds and hundreds of years.

11:53

But the most ingrained rituals or rights in the Catholic faith are the seven sacraments and these are the rituals that carry the Catholic person quote from the Cradle to the Grave and quote a they couldn’t say womb to the tomb.

I couldn’t do that.

12:09

That’s so much better.

I’m telling you with a Christians need to up their game.

Come on, gotta stay dry.

You know, we can’t be laughing.

Being like joking from the womb to the tomb.

Could be a hashtag.

You could get people back in you know I’m dying.

One of those mega churches.

I feel like could adopt that hashtag for the yeah you know right.

12:27

You’re right.

The Catholic church is waste more serious than that kind of thing.

So the Catholic Church says, someone goes through these seven rights, they call them rights rather than rituals even though.

Hmm, this time same thing to gain grace through God.

So every time you take part in a Sacrament, you get more grace and you become closer to God.

12:47

The worshiper has to give themselves fully to their faith in God and belief in the sacraments for it to all work out as it’s supposed to and there are actually three categories to these sacraments, the categories are initiation healing and vocation.

Okay so you actually got all of the initiation ones, so good job.

13:07

Well look at me go ding ding, ding you got baptism Eucharist which is your first communion.

Okay, where you take the Eucharist?

And confirmation.

So those three are the initiation rites.

Then there are the evocation rights which are marriage and then holy orders, okay.

13:27

And then healing involves reconciliation and anointing of the sick, so you really got four of the seven.

I mean, you got more than half.

That’s pretty impressive.

It’s almost like I’m half Catholic.

Okay.

Okay, okay, okay.

13:47

The dissection begins up next.

I’ll tell you what happens during each of these sacraments rituals that lays the groundwork, for someone to be considered a good Catholic.

Okay, I’ll go get my pen and paper for this, so get good lock it down.

Behind every missing person is a story to be told look closely at the details and you may just find the answers, find the answers, find the truth.

14:17

I’m Sarah attorney.

Host of disappearances.

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Most gripping, missing persons cases tracking timelines, analyzing Clues and piecing together as many answers as possible to find the actual truth from the tragedies of Amelia Earhart.

14:36

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14:55

The truth is out there waiting to be found.

Follow the Spotify original from par cast disappearances, listen free only on Spotify.

All right, so first up, we’re talking about initiation rites and the first batch of Sacrament in the Catholic church are part of this initiation and it’s something all groups have that involves rites or rituals.

15:23

So for the Catholic Church, it starts with baptism as you have already, so graciously brought up and this is pretty much the ritual that even non-catholics think of, when you consider like entering into the Catholic church, it’s, you know, the classic the little babies do this.

15:40

So little babies often times.

Babies.

Some groups of Christianity actually prefer, we’ll get into this later but prefer to do it as adults so that you are more kind of aware and how I like that.

Yeah.

And some, you know, have it where you can be re-baptized, it’s a whole thing anyway.

15:57

So according to the Vatican to baptize means to immerse in water.

Baptism is a symbol of forgiving sins started with get this John the Baptist makes sense.

I literally never put that together.

Oh well here you go.

Fun fact.

I was the one who baptizes.

16:14

Jesus, I see.

Okay, see, I’m learning things now.

Okay.

And since Jesus was baptized after he rose from the dead, he told his disciples.

They also should get baptized got it.

And that is how this ritual.

I’m sorry right became part of the norm.

16:31

Welcome to our caste rights with Kristen Keifer and I’m Paula G’s.

Biology’s Christians believe baptism is a way to cleanse someone from original sin.

Sin.

And that this is the official entry point to the church.

You essentially wipe the Slate clean and you start clean as your Catholic Journey Begins.

16:51

And yes, I see the face you’re making and my mother famously had the same issue.

I imagine as what you’re having when I was baptized as a baby as my other half, the Jews would say I’m having a bit of a conniption over here because I, I am certainly not following now.

17:09

Why is a baby having to wipe the Slate clean?

Leaner and that a, the thing, brand-new to Earth because what everything else in what’s that?

They were born, dirty Sinners.

Oh yeah.

That’s right.

Hello ding-dong.

Yeah, you put it together, my mother stood in that church and said you will not call my baby a sinner and they were like, you little dab.

17:30

I got you.

They were like we have to and she’s like, but you won’t do it.

And so she bought them on this until they finally took out the part where they called me a sinner.

And I think these changed it to like, we are all sinners.

And she was like, whatever.

That’s better than calling, my baby a sinner.

17:47

But the idea really is that like, we are born as Sinners because Eve screwed it all up, you know, classic woman.

I know, well, feeble-minded female mind as they smell.

So in a lot of Catholic families, they baptize their infants right away.

18:05

You know, I was baptized do is just part of our tradition in our family and in our neighborhood and And we just went along with it.

Infants are usually baptized during Sunday mass there, dressed in white to symbolize Purity.

Even though there are dirty.

18:20

Sinners.

I don’t know.

Yeah, okay.

I was going to say, riddle.

Me that maybe it’s because by the end of this, they will.

By the end.

They’ll be pure.

That’s true.

And the priest starts a baptism by making the sign of the cross on the baby’s head with holy oil and then pours holy water over the baby’s head, three times, the baby’s godparents also make a promise to reject evil in the name of the Baby and the family is then handed a lit candle to receive the Light of Christ.

18:47

So other denominations which I kind of hinted at including Baptists and Pentecostals.

Think you should be baptized as an adult because Jesus was baptized as an adult and you can make your own decisions and so you know they’re different, I guess denominations of Christianity that do things a little differently, but typically as a Catholic, you are baptized as an infant.

19:08

That’s just the normal way of doing it.

Got it.

The next initiation rites is the sacrament of the Eucharist, which is what you called First Communion.

And this is a ritual where Catholics celebrate, the last supper and during mass, they are given bread.

That represents a body of Christ and wine, which represents the blood of Christ.

19:27

If I said, oh we’re going to eat the bread which represents the body of a being a supernatural being.

And then we’re going to drink.

The wine of the supernatural being is this Christianity or the occult?

Which one would you guess it is?

I feel like I would say it’s Catholicism because I did it every single week for my entire life and so I have a really hard time until I really pull back to see like mmmm it’s pretty odd but yeah growing up that was the norm they overlap.

19:54

I absolutely agree.

And so the difference between like first communion and Eucharist is the first communion is the first time you partake in the Eucharist if that makes sense.

And then after that, you every time you go to mass, you partake in the sacrament.

20:09

And I do want to make A little Amendment here that I learned in school which is that the Bread and Wine, don’t represent Jesus, body and blood.

They are Jesus’s body and blood.

They are they are you want to explain that or we just keeping it really vague.

20:27

I really wish there were a better way to explain it.

Except that we were taught in Catholic school that once the bread and wine go through transubstantiation as the priest blesses.

I’m at the altar also, alter that Wordle mean We are really going to pretend like this isn’t I know.

20:43

Okay every time I say it now I’m like wow they really there isn’t check check check.

But after the priest, you know, blesses the Eucharist and it’s transubstantiated it becomes the literal body and blood of Christ.

Hmm.

That is a silly thought.

20:59

Don’t know how to else.

Explain that to you and I’m hoping that that’s something I remember correctly, but I remember being so taken aback that I’ve never forgotten that lesson.

I learned it is.

Raising, there’s always something new to be said about organized religion.

Like I know I’m like really pooh-poohing on Christianity just because that’s what we’re talking about today.

21:18

But give me another religion, I’ll find I’ll be just as like in shock the whole way through just always like, wow, did you guys come up with just anything?

That’s, I think you have a very unique perspective in that you really weren’t strictly raised in a religion, is that correct?

I was raised by a Jewish woman, a Catholic, man, a wicked stepmother, and then a presbyterian stepfather.

21:39

And now I’ve got a Protestant Father.

And so I was just kind of told like, yeah, we all got something going on, right?

So you weren’t strictly within one of those umbrellas?

No, I was just kind of taught.

We’re all thinking weird things.

It’s just, I see everyone’s got something going on.

21:55

It’s just different for every person.

So I’ve heard of communion before and like the body of Christ and the blood of Christ and all this and that was just as weird to me is some of the stuff.

My Wicked stepmom was telling me or my Jewish mother was saying I’m just like what a silly world we live in.

We all believe.

22:11

What did he say?

My parents told me, we all believe some weird stuff.

It’s that we’re doing the way.

It was always talk to me, as you know.

We don’t really care what you believe, as long as you believe in something.

But no matter what you believe, it’s going to be weird to somebody.

So, somebody else that’s a really great point and again, like, you know, this is formative part of my early years.

22:28

So I’m not just trying to, you know, completely dissipate.

I’ve just had my fair share of conflict within the structure of the Catholic church.

But, you know, it’s okay.

I have friends who are still in it.

So fair enough, this Eucharist.

This is where Catholics celebrate, the Last Supper.

22:44

So, what we’re taught about the actual Last Supper, is that Jesus gathered his Apostles in the cenacle, which is a room in Jerusalem to celebrate Passover and during the meal.

Jesus broke bread and said, take this and eat it.

All of you.

This is my body which will be given up for you.

That is toxic.

23:01

Okay.

Jesus also took a cup of wine passed it around and said, take this and drink of this.

All of you, this is the cup of my blood, the blood of the new and Everlasting Covenant.

It Be shed for you and for all so that sins may be forgiven do this in memory of me.

I’ve had that memorized since I was two, so it felt really weird for me to say it because usually the priest says it and I just mouth the words under my breath.

23:24

It’s odd.

I feel like, if I went up to you and said that, you have every right to like side, I beat it, take my blood, drink it, somewhat in the room, definitely looked at their friend.

I went You sure?

Yeah, it was Pontius Pilate.

23:40

He was like I think I’m going to become a traitor and not a part of this anywhere.

I think I’m going to step out.

Maybe that was being a past life just like, how about this, not feeling it anymore, young Catholic, kids go through their First, Holy Communion, usually around 7:00, which I think you called that earlier and they accept, the bread is part of the Eucharist, but wine, typically is not part of this experience.

24:03

So we used grape juice back in the day, like it.

Must be embarrassing for Jesus to hear so many people go.

His body tastes awful, like, grape juice.

Like I hope he’s like it’s sparkling or something at least.

Oh, no, I was a very sensitive and anxiety-ridden, child, Catholic School didn’t help that.

24:23

But when we practiced for first communion, we always use grape juice.

But they always warned us on the day, you’re going to have the wine, the real wine, because it has to be Jesus’s blood.

And so, we were always warned, like, you are going to be drinking this.

And as a child, I was terrified.

24:39

I was like, I don’t want to drink wine.

I’m 60 so petrified of this, like, drinking wine thing, and the day of I was panicked.

I mean panicked, the kids usually dress up girls.

Wear white dresses, boys, wear suits.

I were very frilly white dress.

24:54

That immediately got pasta sauce on it afterward.

That’s the devil’s, blah.

Yeah, the everybody was like, well we knew we knew this one go very far for her.

It’s okay.

We tried our best.

Catholic School prepares you for the First Holy Communion, but then the sacrament itself takes place in church.

25:11

I actually did to Holy Communion because we did communion as part of our school.

We had a chapel.

So we did, you know, communion at school and then my dad made me do it again at his church.

So feels like they cancel out or something.

There’s got to be a math equation to that the her doesn’t make sense.

25:28

Maybe that’s where everything went wrong.

Did it twice?

Those two weeks where I was baptized once we’re just like my holiest, I’m and then I got it all.

Can try out.

Oops.

And already baptized Catholic, is then able to participate in the Sacrament of Confirmation.

25:45

So, confirmation happens when the church, considers someone old enough to renew and confirm the vows that their godparents took on behalf of them during baptism.

But if you have just joined the church as an adult, for example, you can be baptized and then have your confirmation as well, but typically, if you’re a baby who’s been baptized and then you grow up, we had confirmation in.

26:05

In about eighth grade.

Yeah, 13.

Remember, yeah, exactly.

And that’s when we kind of like renewed our vows to the church.

So confirmation usually happens during a mass, led by the bishop, which I remember at the time, was a very special because the bishop wasn’t just around for any old thing.

26:23

Wow, did she like ask for his autograph?

Can you imagine?

I didn’t, I wish I had.

Oh, okay.

I would have put it next to my, like Lilo & Stitch autograph from Disney World, you know?

Because they were Leave this thing gets there and in my mind I’m just on the same level.

26:41

So confirmation usually happens during mass led by the bishop like I said and what the bishop does is he anoints the person’s forehead with holy oil.

There are four parts to the confirmation Sacrament.

There is the presentation of the candidate, which is when you are called up to the altar, there is the renewal of baptismal vows where the person about to be confirmed, picks up the tab, essentially, to deflect their own evil.

27:05

They’re sort of Taking it upon themselves.

Like my godparents have made this vow since I was a baby.

Now, it’s my turn to say, I will reject evil.

Aha, in the name of God, you know, you’re your own accountability partner.

Now, there you go.

That’s exactly it.

27:21

The third part is laying on of hands where the person kneels before the bishop, who reads the person’s chosen confirmation name which is usually the name of a saint.

What was yours?

I was gonna say, do you know mine?

Have I told you?

No.

But let me just take a stab at So bore, I’m what AM or Maria or something?

27:39

Or where is already?

My middle name?

What is it was Isabel?

I just thought it was a pretty name.

What she the saint of, you know, I tried to look it up earlier and there was really not much information like she didn’t seem to be the patron saint of much at all.

And then when Catholic website was like she was not only very rich and Royal.

27:59

So he also was very witty and I was like wow good for her.

So I don’t know all my Is inspect really crazy names.

Like there was one like what my cousin says confirmation name is Rocco or something been clever enough to do that.

28:16

It’s like, I know you did not pick that because you were committed to this affair.

Like, you clearly were like told you how to pick a day and then you just went with whatever you saw, you know?

It’s so embarrassing.

As we had to make these little banners, where we put our confirmation name and then put like symbols next to it of like either what they were the patron saint of or like something about our religious Journey or whatever.

28:35

And I had forgotten, of course, to get this done on time.

So my step dad, took me to get supplies, but Michaels was closed and we had to, like, craft this at home.

So we went to, I think we went to Home Depot and I bought mailbox stickers.

And so in those like same black Chinese, rectangular mailbox sticker is, it said, Isabella.

28:56

And I remember they put it way at the end and like, basically covered up by like a bookshelf because it was so ugly.

They knew back then just like She’s gonna take herself off the list.

Eventually everybody, we were like, remember the spaghetti sauce.

It’s beautiful.

It’s happening all over again, he’s back.

29:14

So, yeah, Isabel was technically, my confirmation name and I don’t really know why.

Except I thought it was a pretty name that’s about it, you know, I think nowadays, I would have probably spent days painstakingly.

You’re right diving through every meaning of every book.

Of every name, I plan to after this, I’m going to go look through all the names and just see what I would have gone with.

29:34

Yeah, yeah, yeah Rock.

It was probably a good one.

Yeah, I think that’s a winner.

So you have this confirmation name it’s usually the name of a Saint Saint Rocco, for example, and their sponsor, then puts their right hand on their shoulder.

And the bishop puts his hands on the person’s head.

29:50

Now, can I tell you who my sponsor was this whole time of my life was so stressful and not, it was this weird guy.

My dad.

I don’t even think he was a weird guy, but he was just a random guy that my dad golfed with and he was sponsor.

30:06

Yeah, I don’t know.

What does that even mean?

He like read the Bible with you know it meant nothing except that he showed up at this event.

Put his hand on my shoulder and was like I am her sponsor in the Catholic church.

And okay, random man, his name was Tony, okay, and every time I saw him after that, he’s like my godchild and I’d always be like, I’m not your godchild, I literally don’t know you.

30:30

We certainly had a moment together but we did.

We did And if so anyway then you’re Anointed with the Holy oil.

The bishop makes the sign of the cross on your forehead, while saying be sealed with the gifts of the Holy Spirit and then peace be with you which the person repeats back to the bishop and now that I think about it, I’m pretty sure this is the day.

30:51

I kind of fell away from this whole side of my up which is so ironic is it was literally your confirmation exactly on the day of renewing your vows you went past never mind.

I felt that cold feet thing, you know, and I was like, I know I did this technically but like, I’m not feeling it.

31:11

It’s a lifelong commitment is pretty long.

So lot for a Gemini to really partake in, you know.

So there are also ways to lead others toward what Catholics would call Salvation.

And those are the sacraments of vocation there is marriage and there are holy orders and for a Catholic to partake in the sacrament of marriage, they are publicly giving themselves to another and showing that they are entering a union of At this family values and God’s values and the Rings are meant to symbolize both Endless Love And as a reminder, that God is in your life.

31:44

How romantic a Catholic wedding is also longer than a non-denominational wedding, because you do the full Mass, you do the communion, the sacraments are involved.

It’s a whole thing.

And now there are the sacrament of holy orders and this is something you and I are far removed from because this is when someone takes a vow to lead others using the sacraments by becoming ordained.

32:05

And as a deacon or a priest, you basically devote your life to God and the church.

And this Sacrament actually is carried out by a bishop.

And once you take the holy orders, you basically now have the power to pass on God’s forgiveness of sins to others.

32:21

And now, you are kind of in the hierarchy there, there are three stages of the holy orders.

So the first is being ordained, a deacon and a deacon can baptize preach and give communion but only communion that has been Unsubstantiated.

32:36

Which is a word I used earlier.

Yeah it really threw me.

I don’t know what that meant for someone who is not a practicing Catholic.

I say that word, at least once every six months and I don’t know why it just kind of comes over talking to probably you.

I probably just force it in a conversation, it’s a fun word but it means that it’s been converted literally into the body and blood of Christ.

32:59

Okay.

The chills I have zishe yeah Dare I ask how How someone does that or is it?

Oh yeah yeah the priest has to do that.

The Deacon can’t change it.

The Deacon can only distribute it if it’s been transubstantiated by a priest.

33:17

So the next level of this holy orders is being ordained a priest who can change the bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ and forgive sins.

So, the way the priest does that is by saying that whole thing, I told you earlier, take this all of you, this is my cup of my blood.

This is so he does that whole thing.

33:32

And you were taught to like really just if you Could hold Hanta, any semblance of logic.

Are you were told that you were to believe that really was the body of.

So we’re just ignoring that that would require full blood magical powers and time travel, to get to Jesus and then peel off a little piece of his skin and make it into bread.

33:52

And the idea is that it is transformed, not magically, I don’t know the right word but essentially, magically some might say that, man.

Is a conjurer.

No.

Yeah, I know exactly.

I remember hearing that and I think I learned that in 10th grade religion class, and I remember going.

34:08

Now, this is interesting because it looks like, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait.

Nobody told me about the drinking you take me to Funkytown because what is going on here?

That’s the day I love, okay.

Transubstantiation is a word.

I’m going to use every six months for the rest of my life because I think this is fascinating.

34:27

Okay.

Anyway, being ordained.

A bishop is the third level of the holy orders and a bishop has the complete powers of the priesthood so they can order.

In deacons priests and other Bishops using the holy orders.

The bishop is the one who did our confirmation that kind of thing.

34:44

So the bishop is like higher up in the hierarchy.

Okay well cool.

Are you still taking notes and you lost me really with the whole someone can literally pulled Jesus skin out of a Vortex and like have the bread.

35:00

That’s how it’s coming across to me.

No, congratulations to Bishops.

I’m sure that’s I’m sure.

I’m sure it’s very hard, like school, like should become a person like that.

I work.

I imagine, I feel like that requires a lot of true study like, and a lot of dedication.

Yeah, yeah, coming up.

35:19

We’ll hit on two of the biggest sacraments a Catholic can face both dealing with forgiveness and total.

Spiritual comfort.

Comfort is a really interesting word to use, okay?

Cool.

All right.

35:46

We’re ending on the healing sacraments.

This is the third category of the seven.

Sacraments for obvious reasons.

When you hear them, you’ll understand why they’re healing.

Sacraments, these are reconciliation and the anointing of the sick.

So reconciliation is also known as Penance and it means to be at peace again and this is essentially where Catholics find God’s forgiveness and are called to I give others do you know much about reconciliation, the sacrament, or how that works for Catholics, I don’t.

36:17

Okay I barely do anymore, to be honest, it’s is the I don’t.

What’s it called the thing where you go into 1/2?

Okay.

Yeah, a confessional, I’ve seen Elliot Stabler.

Do it on SVU.

Yes.

That’s a great example of how that works where they tell you you have to do like a Hail Mary or something 100% And you say, forgive me, Father for I have sinned and then I forget the entirety of the rest of Process.

36:40

But there are a lot of lines you have to say and then they say them back and it’s a lot of memorizing and then how you confess your sins Detective Stabler do not do any of that that’s new information to me.

Where do you learn how to sail the right thing so that you have scratches it like in school.

36:56

We had to practice it over and over again.

Oh okay.

Yeah that’s learn about that then.

Okay so Catholics believe in four stages of forgiveness.

The first is contrition which is feeling guilty.

We’re good at that.

Really good at that.

37:12

I can tell you.

That’s one part of Catholicism.

I have not fully escaped from.

I will tell you my Jewish half.

It can also really relate to that.

I think that’s where we find Common Ground as Jews as Catholics.

That’s where we kind of find.

You sure all told that you should be ashamed of everything, single moment of your life, you are a Born Sinner apparently, and you should still feel guilty about it, okay?

37:35

So the next step is confession, which is like you basically telling yourself to the priest.

Confess your sins to the priest.

The third is satisfaction, and this is when the priest lays down some chores to earn your forgiveness, and this is sometimes called Penance.

And this is usually what people think of, like you mentioned, do 10, Hail Marys and my hunk about what you’ve done.

37:55

And then there’s Absolution which is finally, the fourth stage being free from the feeling of guilt.

I’ve never quite reached that point in my life but I think maybe I should go to a therapist.

Oh yeah, I was gonna say Ation.

But yeah, maybe just a therapist will help with that one.

38:12

First of all, I like how feeling guilty is the first mandatory stage of forgiveness and that one’s easy.

Well, I was going to say, because it’s technically, mandatory, if those, the four stages, what if you just don’t feel guilt about something?

Or are you just too dirty of a sinner?

And you just go to hell?

38:28

What happens?

I think then you just don’t go confess.

It depends if you don’t think it’s a sin then.

Hmm, you don’t think it’s a sin risky, little game.

We’re playing.

I think, you know, you have to feel guilty to really go in and say I did something wrong and if you’re like, very good Bible reading God-fearing Catholics and obviously you would feel guilt.

38:54

Anyway, exactly.

So it’s sort of like part of the process is like to know what, sins, you’ve committed at cetera.

And, you know, there’s a lot of ritualistic stuff that goes on with this confessional because you, like I said, you go in, you have to learn your Lines.

39:10

You have to then do these rights like the Hail Mary and you know you have to do them a certain number of times before God will forgive you.

It’s there’s a lot of complexes that I think have been created in children because of follow procedure.

39:29

Wow, you are the first to have said that.

I thought I know it’s a bold statement but I did once during reconciliation.

I remember I was so nervous because I didn’t know my lines.

I was always just so nervous.

I mean I still have He troubles as, you know, to this day because I think a lot of this really got to me but I remember I had to confess a sin and I was like 7 and I was like I don’t really have any sins and so they’re like you have to only seven years ago, I had my slate clean.

39:53

That’s right, I’m clean slate.

I haven’t really mucked it up that much and they were like, you have to confess and so I said oh I stayed up too late.

The other day.

Like I stayed up later than my bedtime and the priest was like anything else and I was like No And he was not happy and I was Like I don’t know what to tell you not gonna lie, isn’t it funny how like the priest is mad that you haven’t sinned?

40:15

That’s what I’m saying.

It’s like like, wait a minute.

It’s like they made me do this.

I don’t know what to tell you.

But so the only time I ever did it was at school because it felt like a lot of pressure.

I don’t like talking mysteriously through a dark thing.

It was all very scary to me, and I didn’t like it, but it is one of the healing sacraments.

40:35

So, I don’t know what to tell you.

Okay, sure.

The idea is that I believe they need forgiveness to be in good standing with God.

So a good Catholic will go regularly to confess their sins and be forgiven, but then there’s the final Sacrament.

And this is also under healing and this is the anointing of the sick, which is usually a Catholics final Sacrament.

40:56

So this is kind of what do they call typically like in Christian, like your last rites kind of, when you hear someone say, oh, he got his last rites.

So, this Sacrament anointing of the sick is given by a priest to someone who is a about to get really sick or is close to passing away and anointing.

41:13

The sick gives Catholics a few things, spiritual comfort, forgiveness of sins strength, and courage to accept illness and relief from anxiety.

Specifically about death, which I think is actually quite a beautiful sentiment, it’s definitely has good intentions.

41:29

I think so I do, it’s sort of like, you know what?

Forget the things that you’ve done in the past, go graciously forward into this new chapter.

I think it’s a really beautiful thing.

And anointing of the sick comes from the fact that Jesus took care of the sick and wanted his followers to do the same.

41:45

So, you know, it has kind of a at least a comforting comforting background and and those are the seven sacraments.

Whoa.

So how do we feel now about these sacraments?

And how they compare to the other sort of rituals and a cult behaviors?

We’ve covered on the show.

I mean, I feel like we’ve been covering it as we go, but it feels no more or less special than any other occults Affair.

42:08

I feel like He ceremonial event is probably on the same level of funky, you know, you’re totally right.

And like the symbolism is there and like the point of it which is like to get you to be dedicated and all this.

Yeah, and commitment, and a dedication to it.

42:26

I totally agree with you.

I don’t think even until today, I realize like how strongly they kind of equate or correlate.

I’m telling you and like as someone who’s looking within, I mean, I think they’re all perfectly weird.

We could be talking About Judaism.

We can we talk needs to be opened the occult and even though I’m like, the biggest fan of the occult, I’d be like, that’s fucking weird.

42:47

Like, what you guys doing over there?

No, it doesn’t matter.

What group of people I’m with, if they were telling me about any initiation that they’re doing to commit themselves to their Lord, I’d be like, okay, that’s silly.

But good for you.

Good for you.

43:03

I’m happy you went to Catholic school so you could so confidently.

Help me along this journey, your soul, Welcome, thanks so much for listening.

43:21

We’ll be back next week with another great episode information.

On today’s episode came from the Vatican, BBC paid Theo’s Penn State University, and the Washington Post.

Remember to follow, rituals on Spotify to get a brand new episode every week, and you can listen to this and all other episodes of rituals for free exclusively on Spotify.

43:39

And if you like the show, follow at Park asked on Facebook and Instagram and at podcast Network on Twitter, you can find me at the M Schultz and you can find me a text and Schieffer.

Thanks again for listening and we will see you next week.

Rituals is executive produced by Max Cutler and is a Spotify original from par cast.

43:57

It was created by Max color, sound design by Kristen Acevedo with associate.

Sound design by Kevin McAlpine fact-checking.

By Hayley Milliken research by Chelsea would.

It’s produced by Chris and aceveda.

Otto and Jonathan Ratliff with production, assistants by Ron Shapiro, we’re your host, Christine cheaper and EM Schulz.

44:21

Hi, listeners.

I’m Sarah attorney host of disappearances in 2020.

I used social media to help bring Justice to.

My sister, Alice has nearly two decades long disappearance.

Now, every Thursday I’m exploring, the many reasons, people disappear and finding that.

44:38

The truth may be even harder to locate than the person follow the Spotify original from par cast disappearances, listen free only on Spotify.

Hi, listeners.

I’m Sarah attorney host of disappearances in 2020.

I used social media to help bring Justice to.

My sister, Alice has nearly two decades long disappearance.

Now, every Thursday I’m exploring, the many reasons, people disappear and finding that.

The truth may be even harder to locate than the person follow the Spotify original from par cast disappearances, listen free only on Spotify.