What Catholics believe
WHAT DO CATHOLICS BELIEVE?
Whether you are a "Cradle Catholic" and no longer attend a Catholic church, or you’ve never known much about the Catholic faith or someone with different beliefs, you may have questions about what Catholics believe. The information below will help you understand the Holy Roman Catholic Church.
What are the core beliefs of the Catholic faith?
The core beliefs of the Catholic faith are found in the Nicene Creed. Here’s what it says:
I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible.
I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified who has spoken through the prophets.
I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Who started the Catholic Church?
We are the original Christian Church, which began when Jesus himself when he said to the Apostle Peter, “You are the rock on which I will build my church. The gates of hell will not prevail against it.” Every pope since then has been part of an unbroken line of succession since Peter, the first pope.
Are Catholics Christian?
Yes.
What does the word “Catholic” mean?
The word “Catholic” is Greek and it means “universal.” It is a way of expressing how many different people, churches and traditions come together into one Church and believe the same thing. It’s sort of like the first-century way of saying “nondenominational.”
What does the Church mean by “sacred tradition”?
In the early Church, the Gospel was preached by those who had known Christ, or who had known his Apostles. The Apostles handed on their preaching and writing to all generations through bishops, who continue to preach the truth revealed in the Gospel. This living transmission of the Word of God is called tradition, which is distinct from Scripture but closely tied to it. Tradition infuses the entire life of the Church, and along with Scripture, comprises the deposit of the Word of God.
Why do Catholics tell their sins to a priest?
The sacrament of reconciliation (also called penance or confession) was created by Jesus himself when he said, "‘As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.’ And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained’" (John 20:21–23). The idea of confessing our sins to another person is also in the Bible. In James 5:18, the Apostle tells us, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed.” The sacrament of reconciliation is known in the Church as a sacrament of healing.
Is Catholicism another Christian denomination?
No. Catholicism is Christianity, and Christianity is Catholicism. Protestants divide into denominations, not Catholics.
What makes a Christian Catholic?
A Catholic is a Christian who subscribes to the teachings of the Catholic Church and regularly participates in the sacraments of the same Church. When a Christian stops doing these things, he moves away from Catholicism. Some Catholics boast of rejecting certain Church teachings. These are sometimes called “Cafeteria Catholics,” but they’re really just dissidents who are moving toward outright Protestantism. In contrast, a Protestant is a Christian who subscribes to core Catholic teachings (Trinity, Incarnation, Bible, etc.), but rejects many of the Catholic Church’s other teachings (Pope, Hierarchy, Mary, Saints, Sacraments, Purgatory, etc.).
Are there different types of Catholics?
Yes. The Catholic Church is a unity of 24 different churches, each having their own rite and form of practice. The Roman Church, the largest of them all, has multiple rites, uses, and forms within itself. There are many ways of being Catholic, but all Catholics are in union with the Pope and believe the same things.
Are all Catholics in regular status with Rome?
No. Some are in irregular status, but they are still Catholic, such as the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) for example.
Is everyone who calls themselves Catholic really Catholic?
No. Some are schismatics, which means they have left communion with the Pope, and some have gone off to create an entirely new version of Christianity, but these are rare and obscure groups.
Are Catholics also citizens of the Vatican city-state?
No. We Catholics are citizens of the countries in which we reside. Being Catholic does not give us duel citizenship with the Vatican city-state.
Are Catholic loyalties torn between their country and the Catholic Church?
No. We Catholics are citizens of the countries in which we reside. That means our civil loyalties are tied to our countries. We have no civil loyalties to the Vatican or to our local dioceses or parishes. We do, however, have religious loyalties to our Church, our dioceses and our parishes, just as any other Christian has religious loyalties to his denomination and church. But we are no more torn in civil loyalties than a Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, or any other Christian would be.
WORSHIP
What happens at a Catholic Mass?
Early in the history of the Church, there was the belief that when Jesus said at the Last Supper, “Take this and eat – this is my body; take this and drink – this is my blood,” he was giving us the gift of his real presence in the form of bread and wine. We call this the Eucharist – a name that comes from the Greek word for thanksgiving. The Catholic Mass is a Eucharistic celebration and a celebration of God’s word in Scriptures.
Do Catholics worship Mary?
No.
We pray to Mary through traditional prayers such as the Hail Mary and the rosary as well as through conversational prayers of intercession.
Mary is the greatest among the saints. At the Annunciation, Mary said “yes” to God and became the Mother of Jesus, the eternal Son of God incarnate. We believe in Mary’s Immaculate Conception (that she was without sin from the moment of her conception and she remained “full of grace” by the saving work of the son she was to bear) and that, because of her sinless state, she was assumed bodily into heaven. The Church also teaches that Mary is ever-virgin – before and after the birth of Jesus.
Mary embraced her vocation of being God’s partner in the work of redemption. Mary is the mother of Jesus, who is God. Jesus made her sinless from her first moment of existence in her mother's womb because of the singular role she was to play in our salvation. No other human person offers as vital and direct a link in the coming of Christ. The Magnificat, or Canticle of Mary, is the longest set of words uttered by a woman in the New Testament.
Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you,” But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end. (Luke 1:28-33)
Do Catholics worship the Pope?
No. As Vicar of Jesus Christ, the Pope governs the Catholic Church as its supreme head. The Pope, as Bishop of Rome, is the chief pastor and shepherd of the whole Church. We believe that the Pope is the successor of Peter, and his bishops are successors of the Twelve Apostles.
It is clear throughout that it is a question of the bishops acting in conjunction with their head, never of the bishops acting independently of the Pope. In the latter instance, without the action of the head, the bishops are not able to act as a College: this is clear from the concept of "College." This hierarchical communion of all the bishops with the Supreme Pontiff is certainly firmly established in Tradition. (Lumen Gentium, Note of Explanation)
In the Acts of the Apostles, we come to know Peter is the head of the early church. When Peter is given the “keys to the kingdom,” Christ is establishing the divine office of leadership over the church. The permanence of the office of the Pope is essential to the everlasting nature of the church.
"The Roman Pontiff, head of the college of bishops, enjoys this infallibility in virtue of his office, when, as supreme pastor and teacher of all the faithful – who confirms his brethren in the faith – he proclaims by a definitive act a doctrine pertaining to faith or morals…The infallibility promised to the Church is also present in the body of bishops when, together with Peter's successor, they exercise the supreme Magisterium," above all in an Ecumenical Council. When the Church through its supreme Magisterium proposes a doctrine "for belief as being divinely revealed," and as the teaching of Christ, the definitions "must be adhered to with the obedience of faith." This infallibility extends as far as the deposit of divine Revelation itself. (CCC 891)
Divine assistance is also given to the successors of the apostles, teaching in communion with the successor of Peter, and, in a particular way, to the bishop of Rome, pastor of the whole Church, when, without arriving at an infallible definition and without pronouncing in a "definitive manner," they propose in the exercise of the ordinary Magisterium a teaching that leads to better understanding of Revelation in matters of faith and morals. To this ordinary teaching the faithful "are to adhere to it with religious assent" which, though distinct from the assent of faith, is nonetheless an extension of it. (CCC 892)
Christian Unity
Unity is essential for the followers of Jesus. John’s gospel reminds us, “The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me.” (John 17:22-23)
The Catholic Church is united under the leadership of the Bishop of Rome, the Pope. Historical breaks and schisms have left us fractured, with the Eastern Orthodox churches no longer in full unity with Roman Catholicism. Beginning with John XXIII and continuing through the papacy of John Paul II and our current pope, the movement to come together in full Christian unity has been underway.
Do Catholics worship the Saints?
No.
All believers, living and dead are a part of the Communion of Saints. The Catechism says, "We believe in the communion of all the faithful of Christ, those who are pilgrims on earth, the dead who are being purified, and the blessed in heaven, all together forming one Church; and we believe that in this communion, the merciful love of God and his saints is always [attentive] to our prayers" (CCC 962).
The saints are exemplars of how to follow Christ; they teach us how to live faithful and holy lives. The saints are our advocates and intercessors, and they are also friends and mentors.
The Saints in Scripture
In scripture, Paul addresses many of his letters to the various local communities under the title of “saints:” Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Ephesians, etc. The term “saints” was also applied to those whom Christians served. In 1 Corinthians we read that Paul made a collection in Corinth for the relief of the saints in Jerusalem.
Paul also talks about the Communion of Saints in that each of us participates by baptism in the one Body of Christ. In his letter to the Romans, Paul tells us “For as in one body we have many parts, and all the parts do not have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ and individually parts of one another. Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us” (Romans 12:4-6).
Paul is very clear that members of this common body had obligations to build up the community – these members were called “saints.” This is connected with the Jewish idea of being a holy nation, a covenanted people. The “saints” are those who have inherited the covenant.
Martyrs
As Christianity developed, the word saint came to be used more commonly to designate specific individuals who were held to be exemplars of the faith, and who were commemorated or venerated as inspirations to other Christians.
At the beginning of our Church’s history, many witnessed to their faith by giving their lives. Many of the followers of Christ were martyred rather horrendously. Some early saints were stoned, as was Stephen. In the Acts of the Apostles, we read: “They threw him out of the city, and began to stone him….As they were stoning Stephen, he called out, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ Then he fell to his knees and cried out in a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them;’ and when he said this, he fell asleep” (Acts 7:58-60).
Tradition has it that Peter chose to be crucified upside down and that St. Paul was beheaded. Ignatius of Antioch was "ground like wheat" by the teeth of animals. Perpetua and Felicity, two young women, had to wait until after Felicity's baby was born before they could face the lions. During this time Perpetua wrote down her thoughts, giving us a firsthand account of martyrdom.
Tertullian rightly said that the blood of the martyrs was the seed of the Church.
Canonization
Since the 10th century, the Church has officially applied the standard of holiness of life to certain individuals who lived exemplary Christian lives and through a lengthy process of prayer and study have declared that the individual is in heaven. Contrary to the belief of some, the Church does not "create" saints, but simply applies the standard of gospel holiness to those God permits the Church to know are in heaven. Canonization is a process that includes the calling forth of witnesses, verification of miracles and other holy actions and much research and scrutiny
Do Catholics worship statues?
No.
Who do Catholics worship?
Catholics worship the One and Only God, who is the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.) He is ONE God, in three divine Persons, and his name is YHWH or Yahweh. The second Person of this Trinity (the Son) came to earth and took on humanity. His name is Yeshua (meaning: “Yahweh Saves”). In English, we pronounce his name as “Jesus.” He is called the “Christ,” which means “Messiah” or “Anointed One.”
Do Catholics worship the Eucharist?
Yes. Because according to his own words, it is Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity.
Do Catholics believe the bread and wine (served during communion) literally become the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ?
Yes, when properly consecrated by a Catholic priest, Catholics really do believe that this bread and wine become the Eucharist, which is Greek for “Thanksgiving.” We believe it really is Jesus Christ, physically and bodily present, and therefore we worship this Eucharist as Jesus Christ in the flesh.
Do Catholics see this transubstantiation of the communion elements as symbolic or representative?
No.
Do Catholics see this transubstantiation of the communion elements as literal?
Yes.
What is meant by literal?
The bread becomes human flesh, and it is alive. The wine becomes human blood, and it is still very much alive.
Do Catholics believe they taste flesh and blood when they receive communion?
No. Part of the miracle of this transubstantiation is that the appearance (or accidents) of bread and wine remain. Appearance (or accidents) means the sight, sound, feel, smell and taste of bread and wine, down to the molecular level.
How long does the Eucharist remain human flesh and blood?
Once consumed, the Eucharist is digested and absorbed into the body. Traditionally, it is understood this process takes no more than 20 minutes. When it is not consumed, the Eucharist remains so long as it holds together under the appearance (accidents) of bread and wine. When the Eucharist is not consumed, and it’s locked away in a tabernacle, this could last a long time.
When the “bread” portion of the Eucharist is placed in a monstrance for viewing, do Catholics really worship this?
Yes. Absolutely. Because it is the living body (as well as blood, soul, and divinity) of Jesus Christ.
Do Catholics believe all communion services, in all Christian churches, produce the Eucharist?
No. In order to confect the Eucharist, one must have the authority of a validly ordained Catholic priest. Protestant ministers don’t have this. Therefore, they do not confect the Eucharist. When they bless bread and wine, it really does remain bread and wine. Holy Communion really is just symbolic when Protestants engage in it, and most of them will tell you that.
Source: Walpole.net