What do Catholics think about the rapture?

Christ HAS Died. Christ IS Risen. Christ WILL come again. Those in history who have determined exact dates and places have been discredited and have mocked the Lord's Words that neither the angels nor the Son of Man but only the Father know the time of "The End". Jesus was telling his apostles that His Revelation to them and Their responsibility to Him did not include knowing the day nor the hour of His Return. There is not much teaching on this subject in the earliest successors to the apostles because these Church Fathers understood what had been said by the Lord.(Acts of Apostles 1). The restoration of the Kingdom to Israel was still a concern to those who followed the Lord through his Passion and Death. The resurrection of the dead which accompanied the Lord's resurrection was seen correctly as a sign that the End Times were already in place(Matthew 27: Temple's Curtain Ripped; Earthquake; opened tombs; appearances of departed) The few remote quotations that come from those times were in response to crisis that happened to the status quo . People assumed that the times in which they were living were more evil, more unfaithful, more dangerous than any other in the Church's History. Thus Jesus had to have been referring to THEIR time when his word referenced by Paul was enshrined in Scripture.( 1 Thessalonians 4). Note that Paul was responding to a question about people who had died already being disadvantaged when the Lord Returns. Paul proposed the full Family Reunion of all in Christ("in the air" Realm of the Divine). People should not be worried but be always ready for the Lord's return. After the Split between Catholic and Orthodox(1054). After the Split Between Catholic and Protestant(1517) and during other times of social, political and economic upheaval some assumed that the return of the Lord was on a certain day in their own time. Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh day Adventists, Latter Day Saints andChristian Scientists got started in our own country in similar fashion. The USA has a particular tendency stemming from the time of the Pilgrims called "exceptionalism" which believes that this country has the role of ushering in Christ's return. Thus we introduce the Return of Jesus to the World and then escape from any Suffering(tribulation) occasioned by the opposition to the Master. We like to chart the Anti-Christs; Note the Great Apostasy; and Retreat into our bunkers with this information as a "Get Out of Jail Card" for our efforts. Jesus Example hardly matters.

The Late Great Planet Earth series of the 1970-'s and the 1980's Novels builds upon this American Exceptionalism Idea and promotes Our Times as the End. When Jesus' Discourse recorded in Matthew 24 was delivered He was answering the exceptionalism of his own time when his contemporaries believed the Temple was somehow their assurance of safety and security. The end of the Temple would be the End of an Era but was unimaginable to those who had asked Jesus the question. To say that it would be nothing but a pile of rubble was a wake up call. Perseverance and Fidelity was called for in the face of what would happen. His followers were to hang on as the old order collapse and the New Order would arise. Later when Rome persecuted the Chruch the same caution was exercised when the death of the Apostles prompted the recording of their memoirs in the Gospels. Later when the Roman Empire collapsed Jesus' Word assured the Church what to do. Hang on and Proclaim the Message to these New Outsiders Now. Persons are Living Gospels; Living Sacraments. Since the Lord's Glorification with the Father Persons Of Faith Matter.

Believers have to learn to put their Faith not in passing agendas or persons but in God alone. Schism, Heresy, Scandal, Defection, Apostasy, and Sin have plagued all of human History. (Matt 25)We must have oil in our lamps, our trust invested, and our activity person centered to prepare for the Lord's Return. And He will surprise us. We won't know that being about the work of caring for others is in fact caring for Christ and the Best Way of Honoring the Gospel.

I find it odd that people would believe that everybody and their dog would get "raptured" but God doesn't have the power to "rapture" the body of Jesus' mother. It's a bogus doctrine invented by a fundamentalist preacher in the 1800's. Before that, no Christian on the planet ever heard of such a thing.

For a full article on the Rapture , see http://www.catholic.com/library/Rapture.asp

May 21, 2011 will come and go like any other day.

And yes, this end time preoccupation isn't healthy, but it makes for sensationalism that sells books and movies to people who are really running from God because they are running from suffering.

Belief in the Rapture is not generally accepted by most Catholics because the Church does not feel that there is enough evidence in Scripture to support it. The same thing is true of predictions or prophecies that give a specific date for Christ's return, since the Bible says that no man knows that time.

As far as I'm concerned, I think we should always be ready to stand before God, whether through a supernatural event like the Rapture or through our own mortality. Frequent Confessions, wearing our Lady's Scapular, daily Mass, and plenty of prayer are good ways to be ready for that time, no matter when it occurs.

God bless!

I'm Catholic. Catholics do believe that Jesus will come again, as he told us he would. But we do not claim to know when that will be. In the past, many people have felt that we were near the end times and obviously they were wrong. Someday, someone will be right! But over focusing on that does not seem to be in keeping with Jesus' message.

The reality is that none of us can know if we as individuals will even live until May 21, 2011. True faith in God and trust in Christ seems to call for a quiet acceptance that the length of our lives is truly uncertain.

>>> From what I know, catholics do believe in the Rapture. Christ told us to heal the sick and many other things, but He told us to preach the kingdom as well. We need to do "all." May 21st is just a day. God will come when He gets ready. If He does come on May 21st, it won't be because someone put it on a billboard. People always need to be ready for the Rapture because it will be very soon !!

The rapture doesn't make sense. Why would God remove His witnesses from Earth at the time He needs them the most?

We should always do our best to live up to the example of Jesus. Perhaps we should always believe that the end times are near, but that is also no reason to frighten people about it, either.

Nothing.

I did my Theology degree at a Roman Catholic seminary, and the word "Rapture" was never even mentioned once that I can recall. RC's (Anglicans, Lutherans, and many others) do not accept this idea at all.

We were taught that we will not know when the end is coming; Jesus was pretty clear about that. While there might be signs, he will come "like a thief in the night."

The word 'rapture' isn't in the bible. It's a popular concept that gained widespread approval from a guy named Darby in the eighteenth century, based on a few obscure passages. It's not even mentioned in the Book of Revelations. I personally don't believe in a 'get out of jail free' card. Things will happen as they happen, the way I see it. I think it was Christ who told us that such a great time of trouble will be upon us, that he shortened the days for us, so that some could still survive. (I'm paraphrasing) I have no idea what anyone else believes about it.

We have some end-time beliefs, but nothing good enough to make movies out of. We don't believe in secular millenialsim for example. We do know there wil be a great Apostasy near the end. Things will be quite turbulent and testing of Christians who will go to heaven because at the end there will be no Purgatory, hence living in those days will purge you of all your sinfulness.

untrue