10 Common Catholic Stereotypes, Myths, and Misconceptions
There are lots of wrong ideas about the Catholic Church out there. Are you guilty of believing any of these 10 very common Catholic stereotypes, myths, or misconceptions?
Two years ago, I read a book that would change my perspective on Christianity forever: Surprised by Truth* by Patrick Madrid.
While it (and all of the research I did afterward) wasn’t enough to fully convert me to Catholicism, it did poke some pretty big holes in everything I was taught growing up as a Protestant, and it exposed lots of stereotypes about Catholics that I’d heard.
Things I was so sure of before — basic tenets of my faith — were suddenly glaringly wrong.
It was a pretty tumultuous time, as I reevaluated everything I’d believed my whole life. It was the start of something big, and it was the start of the series you’re reading now.
(You can read the whole series here, if you’re interested.)
Now, two years later, I’m still not fully convinced that Catholic Christianity has it all right. But I’m not convinced they don’t either.
What I do know is that much of what people believe about Catholics and the Catholic church simply isn’t true. Lots of what people “know” aren’t facts — they are Catholic stereotypes that don’t hold up when we dig just a big deeper.
And today, I’d like to set the record straight.
Are you guilty of believing any of these Catholic stereotypes and myths?
*This post contains affiliate links. Please see my full disclosure statement for additional information.
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A Few Things to Keep in Mind Before We Begin…
1. This post is about official Catholic belief — not what Catholics do in the privacy of their own homes.
What a religion officially teaches and how the people put it into practice are two entirely different things. In this post, I want to replace Catholic stereotypes with accurate information. This post is only meant to talk about what Catholicism actually officially teaches — not what people actually do in the privacy of their own homes or in their local churches.
(There will always be individual people messing things up in every religion)
2. This post is just an introduction to Catholic stereotypes, myths, and misconceptions.
This post is not meant to be an exhaustive guide to everything the Catholic Church teaches and misconceptions about it. That’d be waaaaay too long for a single blog post! It’s simply an overview of 10 of the most common stereotypes about Catholics and their beliefs.
Please see the links below each point to read about each issue more in depth. There are some really great posts in the rest of this series, and they explain these Catholic myths in ways a simple paragraph or two cannot adequately cover.
Want to Explore Catholic Stereotypes in More Depth?
I have a free guide that will help you do just that!
“10 Common Catholic Church Myths that Critics Believe” contains all the Catholic stereotypes from this article so you can print them out, refer back to them, and share them with others.
Plus – it even includes 5 bonus myths not included in this article!
If you are looking for information to help you share with non-Catholic family members OR if you’re thinking about becoming Catholic but you still have some questions about Catholic misconceptions — this is a fantastic resource to have on hand.
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Alright, let’s dive in!
10 Common Catholic Stereotypes, Myths, and Misconceptions
Myth #1: Catholics Aren’t Christians
Actually, Catholics consider themselves to be the original Christians, who are doing their best to hold to the same beliefs and traditions that the church held to in the first century.
According to Catholics, Catholics and Protestants are all Christians, and both Catholics and Protestants can go to Heaven. The Protestant denominations are simply off-shoots of Catholicism (or of other denominations) that branched off over various disagreements about what the Catholic Church was teaching.
Whether Catholics have held fast to the right teachings throughout the ages or whether they veered off and the Protestant denominations got us back on track — that’s something I’m still trying to discover.
This is a big Catholic myth to kick off this post: Even though Catholic stereotype #1 says that Catholics aren’t Christians, the truth is that Catholics are doing their best to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ (and isn’t that one of the things that makes a Christian a Christian?).
Myth #2: The Catholic Church Abandoned the Bible for Man-Made Traditions
While the Catholic Church does have many traditions that aren’t explicitly found in the Bible, so does every church (and so do you, in your home). Traditions themselves aren’t bad. It’s only when we prioritize them over God himself or when they take us farther away from God instead of drawing us near that they cause problems.
One reason that the Catholic Church has so many traditions is that the first century apostles didn’t write down absolutely every single thing they taught. In fact, John 21:25 tells us,
“Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.”
Catholics do their best to value and uphold both the written and oral teachings that were passed down from the apostles. Protestants look to the written teachings (the Bible) only.
The Catholic Church still highly prioritizes Scripture. It just isn’t their only source of information (and nowhere in the Scriptures does it tell us it should be).
Catholic stereotype #2 tells us that Catholics abandoned the Bible, but the truth is that Catholics use the Bible along with written and oral traditions.
For more on this topic, I’d highly recommend my post Who Has the Ultimate Authority? A Biblical Look at Sola Scriptura. You can also find the explanations for many common Catholic traditions in Why Do Catholics…? Honest Answers to Your Burning Questions.
Myth #3: Catholics Worship Mary / Saints / Statues
It’s easy to see how some Catholic stereotypes (like this one) got started, but again, it really is just another of many misconceptions about the Catholic Church.
Catholics do not worship Mary or statues; they worship God alone.
Instead, they “venerate” Mary, which, according to Google, is just a fancy word for “regard with great respect.” Similar to how we would show great honor or respect to a King or Queen, without actually worshiping them, Catholics hold Mary and other saints in high esteem as good examples of how to live a faithful life.
Yes, to Protestants, the practices definitely look like worship, and it’s easy to understand why this Catholic myth is still around. But since worship is an attitude of the heart, I don’t think you can “accidentally” worship someone and not know it. If Catholics’ hearts are in the right place — and they only want to show honor — then it’s not worship.
And it’s the same with statues as well. Catholics don’t worship statues. Instead, they are used as decorations to help Catholics remember people who have gone before, similar to how you might put pictures of your friends and family on your wall, or even a baseball card collection you may have had as a kid.
You look at them, you remember them, but you certainly don’t worship them.
They’re just decorations or teaching instruments meant to inspire faith.
Sure, Catholics might have statues and talk about saints who lived a long time ago. But contrary to Catholic stereotype #3, the truth is that Catholics honor Mary and other examples of faith (even with statues!) while saving their worship for God alone.
*For more information on this, don’t miss my post Do Catholics Worship Mary, Saints or Statues?
Myth #4: Catholics Believe People are Saved by Works
The Catholic Church does NOT teach that people are saved by their works. In fact, the catechism of the Catholic Church actually specifically forbids this notion.
Rather, the Catholic Churches basically teaches that, “If you call yourself a Christian, but you don’t act like it, maybe you’re not really a Christian after all.” Or, “Yes, God saves you through faith, but it’s a living faith that naturally produces good works.”
This Catholic teaching is actually 100% Biblical (here are plenty of Bible verses that support it), and is even taught by some highly respected Protestant/non-denominational pastors, including the most Godly man I’ve ever heard speak, Francis Chan.
This widespread Catholic stereotype #4 says that Catholics believe they can get to Heaven by earning it through good works. The truth is that Catholics see good works as the Spirit-inspired fruit of a heart saved by God’s grace alone.
*For a more in-depth look at this topic, please see my other posts Is Faith Alone Enough? and Are You a Christian? Are you Sure?
Myth #5: The Catholic Church Added Books to the Bible
The books that are currently in the Catholic Bible are the same books that the church has recognized as being in the Bible for centuries. It wasn’t until the 16th century that Martin Luther and the Reformers moved them to the appendix, before they were ultimately taken out.
(For the record, Martin Luther wanted to remove James, Hebrew, Jude and Revelations as well, but was unsuccessful. The books that he did remove are called Tobit, Judith, 1 and 2 Maccabees, Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach, and Baruch.)
Whether or not the additional books should have been left in or taken out — I don’t know. I wasn’t there. Guess you have to ask yourself if the early church could have been wrong for 1700 years and the Reformers knew better than the earlier Christians did.
Either way, I’ve read through all these additional books, and there really isn’t much surprising in them. They read like pretty typical Old Testament books. There are a few verses about praying for the dead, but other than that, I don’t recall reading anything that stuck out as especially “Catholic.”
This Catholic stereotype #5 is a doozy because the truth is actually the opposite — one man decided to take out some books that had been in the Bible for over a thousand years.
*For more information, don’t miss my post on Martin Luther, the history of the Catholic Church, and the Bible books issue.
Myth #6: Catholic Priests Can’t Be Married
(Some) Priests are married! Some even have children and grandchildren. (This happens when a man is already married and a priest in a different denomination and then converts to Catholicism later.)
And of those who become priests the usual way and aren’t allowed to get married–not all of them even want to be. Priests know what they’re signing up for. No one is making them be a priest. They have a choice between God and a wife, and it is their choice to make. No one is forcing them to choose one or the other.
Catholic stereotype #6 is in fact the general rule — but the bigger truth is that the path of some Catholic priests does allow them to marry a woman. And those who don’t often consider themselves to be married to the church, the Bride of Christ.
*For more information, read my post on priests, the Pope and confession.
Myth #7: Catholics Recrucify Jesus at Mass
I haven’t heard this Catholic misconception in real life, but apparently it’s popular. Catholics do not re-crucify Jesus at Mass.
Instead, they believe that Jesus and the crucifixion occur outside the limits of time (because God can do cool stuff like that), and so when they celebrate Mass, they are only making the sacrifice (which has already occurred) “present” on the altar.
While Catholic stereotype #7 imagines Catholics as recrucifying Jesus at Mass, the truth is that Catholics believe they are making the eternal reality present in our non-eternal timeline at Mass.
*For a very interesting and in-depth look at the Eucharist, be sure to check out my post Is the Eucharist Really Just a Symbol? 5 Convincing Proofs that Say that It’s Not.
Myth #8: Catholics Believe Only Catholics Can Go to Heaven
While Catholics do believe their religion is the one true religion and the ordinary (most common) means of bringing people to salvation, it is a common Catholic misconception that they believe this is the only way. Instead, they recognize that God can use any means He wants to to bring people to Himself, including those other than the Catholic church, especially if the person has never had the opportunity or knowledge to join the church.
They believe that Protestants who have no reason to suspect their beliefs are incorrect can go to Heaven, as well as Protestants who were planning to convert before death but hadn’t done so yet.
Furthermore, Catholics do not believe you can say with 100% certainty who will go to Heaven (though you can have a good idea) simply because God is judge and we are not — and who are we to presume to know His thoughts?
Even though Catholic stereotype #8 imagines Catholics as very close-minded about the salvation of others, the truth is that Catholic teaching leaves lots of room for God’s grace to work in every single person’s salvation.
Myth #9: Catholic Priests are Child Molesters
Yes, the Catholic church has had huge and horrible scandals in which some priests were molesting children. This was absolutely awful and shameful, and they will have to stand before Jesus for what they did. That part is not one of the myths about the Catholic Church.
But if you look at the statistics, only a very small minority of priests were involved, and it isn’t really fair to blame the entire Church or dismiss the Church’s core teachings for what a few did. Scandals like this happen in EVERY church and in every city. That doesn’t make everyone guilty of the crimes of a few, and it does NOT mean that innocent Catholic priests deserve negative treatment today because of this stereotype.
It is heartbreaking that Catholic stereotype #9 does have some truth to it — some Catholic priests have molested children. But the truth is that the vast number of priests are men who serve God humbly and who shepherd their flock instead of harming the sheep.
*For more information, be sure to check out my series post on priests, the pope and confession.
Myth #10: The Catholic Church is Anti-Women
The church isn’t anti-anyone. They do believe birth control is morally wrong — the same thing every denomination believed until 1930. But when pretty much every other denomination began to change its mind, the Catholic church held its ground on this teaching. They continue to teach the same thing today, even when this gets interpreted as an “anti-woman” Catholic misconception.
The Catholic church also doesn’t allow women to be priests, which has upset many. But if you look at their rate of women in non-priest leadership positions, it is WAY higher than average. The Catholic church may not do things the “feminist” way, but they do hold women in very high esteem, even referring to them as the “crown of creation.” That’s pretty special if you ask me 🙂
So while Catholic stereotype #10 paints the Catholic church as an “anti-woman” institution, the truth is that many women are in leadership positions in the Catholic church, and the Catholic church holds women in very high regard.
Like I said earlier, the intent of this post is ONLY to dispel a few stereotypes about Catholics so that, going forward, your thoughts and opinions aren’t swayed by misinformation. I’m not trying to convert or persuade, just to present you with some information about Protestant and Catholic beliefs so YOU can make an informed decision of your own. 🙂
Ready for more? You can read through the rest of the posts in this Catholic vs Protestant series here OR see what I ended up deciding in my latest Catholic update post here.
I’d love to hear your thoughts and opinions on these Catholic stereotypes and myths, or others you’ve heard! Leave me a note (or a book 🙂 ) in the comments section below!
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Ready for More?
Honestly, these 10 stereotypes are just the start. Download the print version to get a handy guide you can refer to later or share with others AND get 5 bonus Catholic myths that aren’t included in this article!
I had a nun tell me that saints were really good friends that could help if you got in trouble. Kind of like being a friend of someone you wanted help from. A simple explanation for a child
Sounds like a good explanation to me! Thanks for sharing 🙂
I’m a committed Protestant, but I think it important to address myths within the Protestant world about the Catholic church–myths such as those you address here. Such discussions are valuable, and though I’m committed to Protestantism, I too have found that many Protestants fail to realize the depth of Catholic belief. That said, I would also strongly urge you to consider and discuss the more informed Protestant objections to Catholic tenets, for those are some of the reasons that people like me are Protestant. For instance, in Myth #2, many Protestants recognize there is a historic basis for many Catholic traditions. We just don’t regard those traditions as being authoritative in the same sense as the Bible. On Myth #4, Protestants disagree with Catholics not because they mistakenly believe Catholics teach there is no role for faith, but because of differences on how best to define concepts such as justification, grace, etc. On Myth #5, we Protestants argue that there are historic reasons for doubting that the Apocrypha should be considered part of the inerrant and authoritative Word of God, and even before the Protestant Reformation, there was debate on that issue. Opinions don’t seem to have been unanimous. On Myth #6, it’s not that we are unaware Catholic priests know what they’re getting into, we just don’t see any biblical reason to forbid priests to marry. Indeed, the fact that the Catholic Church makes exceptions for converts who become priests actually reinforces our position. In conclusion, I’m glad to see myths about Catholicism dispelled, but I think most of us, both Catholic and Protestant, would strongly encourage you to examine carefully the theological disagreements that are real and not simply myth as you pursue your spiritual journey. Thank you, by the way, for putting so much thought into your writing.
Yes! I definitely am trying to seek out and research information and objections from both sides. Regarding whether or not Tradition has any authority–this is the topic of next week’s post. I hope you will check back to read it! We’ll be talking about the Apocrypha the week after that (Feb 18th). But yes, I am trying my best to research as much as I can, not just the myths. And you’re welcome 🙂
I am not Catholic, but I do have respect for observing that whole bit of advice from Paul in Corinthians 7. there is GOOD cause to ask priests to remain single,
One thing I love about much of the Word of God is its simplicity. And within it, the Gospel is ‘God saved us by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.’
My question is according to the Catholic Church, what must a person do to get saved?
Interesting… “Simple” definitely isn’t the word I’d use to describe the Bible! With all of the metaphors, double meanings, themes woven in… it can get very complex!
I *think* (and maybe someone who is actually Catholic will jump in to clarify) that it is “repent, believe (faith) and be baptized” but that salvation isn’t a “one and done” kind of thing. God grace allows us to be able to have faith in the first place, but just believing isn’t enough. (After all, Satan believes… demons believe… and they certainly aren’t going to Heaven, are they?)
You are saved through faith, but it has to be a real, active faith that naturally produces good works. The works themselves don’t save you–faith does–but a dead faith won’t do. For more on this, check out my latest post Is Faith Alone Enough?
Thanks for your nice, respectful, straightforward approach. My pet peeve, by the way, is the Catholic/Christian thing. Makes me want to scream.
Thanks. Honestly, I never even knew that was a “thing” until I started researching. When I mentioned it to my Catholic husband, he looked at me funny, like “yeah… there have been huge fights over this throughout time….?” But I never knew!
I really appreciate your openness to the truth. Many blessings on your journey. Num 6:24-26
Thanks, Nicholas!
Britney, to me your Myth about Catholic Priests being child molesters entirely misses the point. The Catholic Church effectively allowed a small number of their priests to continue their horrible crimes; this was due to the massive cover-up perpetrated by many high-ranking members of the Church. Statistically, a much higher percentage of bishops (and other high-ranking officials) covered up these crimes than the small percentage of priests who committed the actual criminal acts. The only reason those officials got away with their conspiracies is because their cover-ups were successful until the statute of limitations ran out on just about all of the cases. And that is not a myth. In my opinion, you make far too light of the culpability of the Catholic Church. The doctrine has never been believed by the masses to be a part of the problem. The people were and in come cases still are the problem. That’s not a myth either.
Thanks for your input. My thoughts may miss the entire issue, but my intent with this post is not to address the entire issue. That’s not the purpose or scope of this post. My intent was ONLY to dispel one particular myth: that the church is full of child molesters. Yes, what happened was awful and disgusting and those people will have to pay at judgement someday. My point in this post is only to say that it is not fair to *those who were sincerely not involved* to blame them for the wrongdoings of the others.
And the reason I included the myth was because I HAVE had people disregard the entire teachings of the Catholic church simply because of the scandal. Yes, it was awful. But it doesn’t invalidate the church’s teachings because a group of people chose not to follow it. That was the point I was trying to make.
Hi Brittany! I just stumbled on your blog from a friend who posted it…what a great space you have here! I am a lifelong Catholic myself and over the years have re-discovered and fallen in love with the faith. Let me know if you ever want to talk or ask questions…I do have a series on my blog where different Catholic women write on why they are Catholic or what the love most, perhaps it would be helpful on your journey of faith?
God bless you!! 🙂
Thanks, Patty! I’ll be sure to check it out!
It’s a little disingenuous to say ‘Catholics don’t believe only catholics can go to heaven. Saying ‘God can choose to save people who’ve never heard of the Catholic church’ doesn’t really address the question that’s usually being asked. At least the author is honest enough to go beyond the misleading headline: The Catholic Church teaches that those who reject the Catholic Church are doomed.
Well, Catholics pretty much refuse to say who is going to Heaven and Hell for sure, since it’s not up to them and they don’t want to presume to know what God would say. So they would just say “This is the normative means… but God is not bound, because He’s God and He can do anything He wants.”
That makes sense as far as questions about people who’ve never heard of Jesus or the RCC. (I agree – I’m pretty sure that God accepts anyone who comes to Him with a contrite heart and a genuine wish to be forgiven.) But I can’t plead ignorance – I know more than a little about the church, and I reject a lot of it. Doesn’t Catholic Doctrine say that I’m doomed – because I’ve never had the Sacraments from an authorized, official priest?
That is a fantastic question. I actually asked a very similar question, since the Catechism says you have to believe, be baptized, receive the Eucharist… for salvation, and I’ve never done the last one. The priest said I would still be considered Christian, just not “in full communion with the Church.” I assume that means I would still go to Heaven… but if the Catholic church is definitely wrong, I guess their opinion wouldn’t matter much anyways 🙂
I’m sure you have heard the old argument about the thief on the cross who underwent none of the man-made rituals, yet was still going with the Lord to heaven. Because he BELIEVED. Jesus asked us to do the eucharist to remember Him. It was symbolic, and he said nothing about it being necessary to salvation. Baptism, as well, bears no mystic power. It is an outward symbol of an inner change showing our acceptance of conversion to the Father’s will, so as believers it is something we CHOOSE to do in obedience, but these things are not necessary to salvation and to teach otherwise is to contradict many scriptures.
That’s what I thought too! Until I started reading the Scriptures for myself and found SO many verses that said otherwise. I was really surprised. You can read more here, if you’re curious:
https://equippinggodlywomen.com/faith/faith-alone-enough/
https://equippinggodlywomen.com/faith/is-the-eucharist-really-just-a-symbol/
https://equippinggodlywomen.com/faith/is-the-eucharist-really-just-a-symbol/
Thanks for the article. It’s very informative. My only real issue is trying to determine who does and doesn’t get to heaven. By saying people who have rejected the “correct” teachings of the Catholic Church, it seems as if they are saying that men such as Francis Chan and Billy Graham may be going to Hell. I struggle with that concept in Christianity as a whole…not just Catholicism. I find it hard to accept that Gandhi is in Hell, and Mother Teresa is in Heaven with basically the same resume’ on earth.
I don’t believe the church teaches that people who reject *Catholic* teaching are going to Hell. In fact, the Catholic church does say that Protestants who believe to the best of their ability and don’t have any reason or knowledge to believe that they need to convert to Catholicism are just fine. It’s not about choosing a denomination; it’s about following Jesus, and I believe they are. I wouldn’t worry about their salvation in the slightest.
Who I would worry about it someone who thought that all you had to do was say a one-time prayer who then never changed his or her life at all after the fact. Or someone who was so caught up in the rules that they forgot all about the relationship. If we’ve got the basics and we are genuinely striving to do our very best, that hopefully should be enough, Protestant or Catholic.
I am a Protestant. I attend a Russian speaking Baptist church. A Facebook friend shared this article and this was my response:
Those actually just scratch the surface. With all due respect to my Catholic friends, but I disagree with them because many of the official teachings of the Catholic Church in the Catechisms do not at all line up with the Bible. Here is a message you can listen to where the speaker reads certain catechisms and directly compares them to Scripture: http://markcahill.org/teachings/sermons/
Scroll down to the one that says “Roman Catholicism vs. The Bible”. In that message the speaker compares the official 1994 Catholic catechism to the Bible. Those aren’t simple myths, they are official Catholic teachings.
I just listened to the sermon I posted above. I decided to spend some time and write a response to some of these myths and some other Catholic catechisms. All of what I write is not meant to bash or demean Catholics, I want to have a meaningful, respectful conversation.
If you are Catholic, please either listen to the above sermon or read my comments. I really want to hear what you think. If it is too much to read, please at least read the last one that I post. I think it is the most important.
Yes, you are right. These myths do barely scratch the surface. My intention with this post wasn’t to dive deep into all the teachings, but simply to address a few common misconceptions before really diving into the series so that people would listen a little more open-mindedly. In other words, I didn’t want people to miss all of the good things I had to share because they were hung up on a small detail that simply wasn’t true.
I’ve read all of your comments and you’ve given me a LOT to think about–thank you!! Know that while I might have little to say on many of your points now, it’s only because I’m off to research and question and think!
(and for the record–I’m not Catholic (or Protestant) — just seeking the truth. You can find out more of my background in the intro post of this series)