My Therapist Told Me to Leave the Catholic Church

What do you do when you've been genuinely hurt by someone in the Catholic Church? What if a therapist, friend, or loved one tells you that leaving the Church is the answer? In this episode of Godsplaining, Fr. Gregory and Fr. Bonaventure discuss church hurt, trauma, abuse, forgiveness, and the difficult distinction between the holiness of the Church and the failures of her members. The friars explore why Catholics shouldn't dismiss real experiences of pain or mistreatment, why the failures of priests and other Catholics don't negate Christ's promises to His Church, and how someone who has been hurt can begin to heal without abandoning the faith. During their discussion they offer practical advice for Catholics struggling to return to a parish or trust Church leaders again—including when it may be appropriate to create space, attend another parish, seek professional and spiritual guidance, and allow healing to unfold over time. What does forgiveness require? Does forgiveness always mean reconciliation? And can God bring something new out of even our deepest wounds? Listen to the full episode to hear what the friars have to say.   Join Exodus 90 for St. Michael's Lent with with Fr. Columba Jordan starting on August 12th: https://exodus90.com/godsplaining   For the St. Dominic Rosary and more from the Catholic Woodworker: https://catholicwoodworker.com/products/st-dominic-rosary?utm_source=godsplaining&utm_medium=shownotes&utm_campaign=stdominic   Send your questions for the friars to: [email protected] Subscribe to our channel https://www.youtube.com/c/Godsplaining   Support the Podcast Join Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/godsplaining Shop merch: https://godsplaining.org/store/   Shop Books Written by the Friars Justice: Judge Rightly, Give Freely: https://a.co/d/0dx0V5AT O Sacred Banquet: Exploring the Eucharistic Mystery with Saint Thomas Aquinas: https://a.co/d/0hLdv7oU Witness: https://www.avemariapress.com/products/witness-1 Training the Tongue: https://stpaulcenter.com/store/training-the-tongue-and-growing-beyond-sins-of-speech Your Eucharistic Identity: https://ignatius.com/your-eucharistic-identity-yeip/ St. Dominic's Way of Life: https://www.amazon.com/Saint-Dominics-Way-Life-Knowing/dp/1681929392 Prudence: Choose Confidently, Live Boldly: https://www.amazon.com/Prudence-Choose-Confidently-Live-Boldly/dp/1681927322/   Connect on Social Media Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/godsplaining/ Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/godsplaining/ Follow us on X: https://x.com/godsplaining   To learn more about the Province of St. Joseph visit: www.opeast.org To support the Province of St. Joseph visit: www.dominicanfriars.org