Zach —

One does not have to believe in any particular stigmata to be a Catholic. Many stigmata are indeed false, in one way or another. Some appear true, but they are not necessary for salvation or for faith. They are simply a sign one can choose to pay attention to or not. However, one should not a priori say that God cannot do a particular thing, such as work a particular miracle in a person. He can certainly give gifts to His friends, and even to His enemies.

Saints have been said to have stigmata, to levitate, to work miracles, and even to bilocate.
They do not brag on such things, and even attempt to hide them in humility. St. Francis was known to have the stigmata, and suffered much from them but, as I said, you do not have to believe in any private revelation but only in the public Divine Revelation, which closed with the death of the last Apostle, John.

Mary Ann

Dear Zach,

Thanks for the question.

In addition to the fine comments my colleague has made, I wanted to commend you on your last
question.

You said:

• If I don't believe in everything the Church teaches, why bother going?

Good point, you shouldn't. As Mary Ann has pointed out, believing in a stigmata is not part of public revelation which Catholics must believe.

Seeing you may be preparing to take RCIA classes in the near future, I would encourage you to consider buying a cheap copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church to learn everything we believe as faithful Catholics.

Under each boxed format for the Catechism you want, you will see, below the box, an option to buy a used version, which many times, is not really used but close to new.

Mike

Zach,

To underscore some points made by my colleagues, all you must believe to be Catholic, is what the Magisterium of the Church teaches, which is summed up very nicely in the Catechism of the Catholic Church that Mike is offering you. This includes essential teachings on faith, morals, and worship.

Regarding things like Marian apparitions, stigmatas, and other private revelations that may have occurred through the centuries, that were made public, even though some are approved by the Church as being reasonable to hold and be devoted to; one does not have to believe these things to obtain salvation or remain a good Catholic. In a sense they are optional.

Peace,

Paul

Zach,

The Eucharist is the sacramental presence of the living Christ, in His Whole Being:

• Body
• Blood
• Soul, and
• Divinity.

The nature of the bread and wine are changed to that of the living Incarnate Son of God.
The sight, taste, touch, smell and all physical properties remain those of bread and wine.

Mary Ann

Zach,

The bread and wine in their substance become:

• the substance
• the reality of the living Christ.

We are not cannibals. We do not eat a separate dead body and blood. We consume the living Christ in a sacramental sign. Read the Catechism. If you do not want to believe this, read John 6.

If you do not want to believe the words and promise of Christ (After all, t is a gift to commune with God through the human nature of Christ), then you do not have to. Most of the early disciples left when Christ taught it to them. (John 6:66)

Mary Ann

Zach,

It is actually more crazy that God would:

1. create anything, and
2. become a human being.
   

Think about it. What the senses take as crazy, God can easily make happen. He becomes Bread for us in order to spiritually nourish us.

Paul