is a bear Catholic
Obviously! Rhetorical question in response to a question where the answer is an emphatic yes.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Do I want a raise? Is a bear Catholic?”
“Is a bear Catholic? I always drink coffee in the morning.”
“When my friend asked if I was excited about the vacation, I laughed and said, 'Is a bear Catholic?'”
“If you ask my brother if he wants a free ticket to the championship game, he will just say, 'Is a bear Catholic?'”
“The chef looked at me like I was crazy when I asked if the secret sauce was spicy and replied, 'Is a bear Catholic?'”
“When the journalist asked if the politician intended to honor his campaign promises, the candidate replied with a smirk, 'Is a bear Catholic?'”
The phrase is a deliberate contamination of two established rhetorical questions, "is the Pope Catholic?" and "does a bear shit in the woods?". It functions as an intensified affirmative by merging the religious identity of the Pope with the biological habits of the bear. A similar linguistic collision, "does the Pope shit in the woods?", is also recorded.
- 01
average bear
The norm; an average person; Used in comparisons
- 02
bad news bears
Said of someone or something that will bring disaster or bad fortune to one.
- 03
bear a hand
To make haste; to help quickly.
- 04
bear away the bell
To be superior in something.
- 05
bear fruit
To produce good results; to yield benefits; to succeed.
- 06
bear in mind
To hold (something) in the memory; to remember; also, to be mindful of or pay attention to (something); to consider; to note.
- 07
bear oneself
To behave and conduct oneself in a particular manner.
- 08
bear the brunt
To endure the worst part of something.
Last updated August 10, 2026