Catholic Beliefs //

Threats to Marriage

Distraught Couple

Marriage today faces a number of threats. Divorce, redefinition, and infidelity undermine the status and special importance of marriage in a society. Continue reading

Vocation: A Calling From God

Peaceful Priest

God calls each of us to a particular vocation in life. The Catholic Church defines both particular vocations as three states of life: single, married, religious, and also a general vocation of all baptized believers. … Continue reading

Do Unbaptized Babies Go To Limbo?

St. Augustine of Canterbury

Limbo is a theory developed by Medieval theologians as the place where unbaptized persons go when they die. Limbo is not an official doctrine of the Catholic Church nor has it been rejected by the Church. … Continue reading

Are Sundays a Part of Lent?

Chocolate cake slice

Sundays in Lent are not considered part of the forty (40) days of the Lenten season and therefore one is not required to uphold one's Lenten penitence. For example, if you gave up eating desserts for Lent, you may have a piece of cake on a Sunday. … Continue reading

Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday Mass

Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent, celebrated next on March 5, 2014. The name "Ash Wednesday" comes from the blessed ashes that are applied to the forehead of the faithful who receive them as a sign of the beginning of the season of Lent, the … Continue reading

The Role of the Catechism of the Catholic Church

catechism-800x533

The Catechism of the Catholic Church is a teaching tool by which other teaching methods can be derived. It is a concise explanation of Catholic beliefs compiled from many documents written by bishops over the centuries. The Catechism is not … Continue reading

The Truth About Faith Alone, Works, and Salvation

Taking Notes on a Bible

The letters of Paul make mention several times of salvation by faith. There are passages in Romans, Ephesians, Titus, and Galatians just to name a few. To some these passages might appear like a pretty open and shut case in favor of a teaching that … Continue reading

The Original Sin

Adam and Eve Garden of Eden

Original Sin is the sin inherited by all humankind from Adam in his disobedience of God’s command not to eat from the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. The Original Sin event is referred to as “The Fall of Man.” … Continue reading

Do Catholics Read the Bible?

29thSunday

Did you know that the Catholic Church reads the entire Bible to her congregation over the span of three years? Of course we do; Catholics invented the Bible! … Continue reading

Pentecost

Holy Spirit Dove

Pentecost is the liturgical season after Easter which celebrates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Church, ushering in a new era for the people of God. In Acts 2:1-41 the Holy Spirit descended upon apostles in which they were able to speak … Continue reading

Can Catholics Believe in Horoscopes?

Horoscope

Horoscopes are a means of attempting to know the future through an astrologer’s interpretation of Sun sign astrology. The Catholic Church teaches against the use of horoscopes and other such fortune-telling practices such as astrology, palm … Continue reading

Mortal Sins

MortalSins

Mortal sins are sins of serious or grave matter. “Mortal” means death; they are sins that cause death to the soul. Mortal sins completely sever one’s relationship with God and the sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation (commonly called … Continue reading

Venial Sins

Venial Sins

Venial sins are less serious sins that do not cause death to the soul like mortal sins. Venial sins, while less serious in content or participation should be given strong attention because they lessen the love of God in the heart and weaken the power … Continue reading

Precepts of the Catholic Church

PriestElevatingEucharist

The Precepts of the Catholic Church are like a bare bones list of things you must do as a Catholic; they are like minimum membership requirements. The idea is to guarantee “the very necessary minimum in the spirit of prayer and moral effort, in the … Continue reading

Indulgences

PrayerHandsRosary

An indulgence is the remission of temporal punishment for sin in response to certain prayers or spiritual works. In common parlance an indulgence would reduce the time spent in purgatory if one should need to go there on one's way to heaven. An … Continue reading

How to Go to Confession

Child Goes to Confession

Wanting to go to confession is the first step in going to confession. Confessing your sins wipes the slate clean again with God and makes us stronger spiritually. Regularly going to confession is a way to grow in holiness. Knowing what to do in … Continue reading

The Catholic Church on Abortion

Ultrasound

Abortion is an issue of grave concern to Catholics because it concerns issues of human dignity. As Catholics, we believe that human dignity is rooted in God. Our dignity comes from the very fact that we were created by God in the image and likeness … Continue reading

Old Apostle’s Creed

Below is the text of the Apostle's Creed prior to the liturgical changes in Advent 2011. I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth;I believe in Jesus Christ His only Son our Lord; He was conceived by the power of the Holy … Continue reading

Catholic Marriage

WeddingKneelingBeforeEucharist

Marriage, also known as matrimony, is a sacrament in the Catholic Church; it is the union of one male to one female in order to come closer to God and is the appropriate venue in which to bear children. Marriage is a sacred covenant between each … Continue reading

Marriage Preparation in the Catholic Church

Wedding Rings

Preparing for marriage in the Catholic Church usually begins by contacting the parish of your choice in which you wish to get married. Most often this would be one of the spouse’s home parish or the parish that one or both currently attend. You … Continue reading

Old Nicene Creed

Below is the text of the Nicene Creed prior to the liturgical changes in Advent 2011. We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of … Continue reading

Good Friday

Jesus On the Cross

Good Friday is the second day of the Easter Triduum and the day that Catholics and other Christians throughout the world commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus. According to Mark 15:42 Jesus died "on the day of preparation, the day before the sabbath." … Continue reading

Can a Catholic Marry a Non-Catholic?

Wedding Rings

The Catholic Church does not forbid Catholics from marrying people who are not Catholic. It has been the practice of the Church to marry non-Catholics and Catholics for quite some time. The Church refers to these types of marriages as … Continue reading

Meaning of the Term “Catholic”

The Catholic Church is not just another denomination within Christianity, it is the universal community established by Jesus. The word catholic literally means "universal." Catholic has its origins in Greek from kata meaning "concerning" and holou … Continue reading

Relics of Saints

Relics are objects associated with saints. The word relic comes from the Latin word reliquiae, meaning "remains." A relic could be a bone from the saint or it could be a piece of clothing the saint wore. … Continue reading

Holy Days of Obligation

The Holy See has set ten days of the year as Holy Days of Obligation. A Holy Day of Obligation is a day in which all Catholics are required to attend Mass to celebrate a particular occasion in the faith. … Continue reading

What is the Catholic Church?

The Catholic Church is a global community of believers founded by Jesus Christ over two-thousand years ago. There are over 1 billion Catholics on earth. The Catholic Church is made up on many people from diverse cultural backgrounds. Sometimes the … Continue reading

Can Catholics Be Cremated?

For much of history the Catholic Church banned cremation as a choice for dead Catholics, but in 1963 the Vatican lifted the ban. Cremation is now an acceptable practice for Catholics, but only if done for the right reasons. … Continue reading

Voting Catholic

If you live in a country where you elect government officials (like in the United States) then you know voting is an important part of citizenship. Moreover, if you are Catholic, you have a duty to vote in accordance with your Catholic beliefs; we … Continue reading

The Basis of Catholic Belief

Jesus On the Cross

Catholic beliefs and doctrines have their roots in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ who founded the Catholic Church nearly 2,000 years ago. These beliefs have been codified in a few different sources, namely Scripture and Tradition. Ah, yes, … Continue reading

A History of Confirmation

What Confirmation is not Some say that the sacrament is a confirmation of faith, a pledge of sorts to God, and a sign of adulthood in the Church. The problem with this line of thinking is that it makes the sacrament something that we do to God … Continue reading

Five Great Ideas for Advent

Advent Wreath and Candles

Advent is the season of preparation for Christmas. It is a waiting period for the celebration of the anniversary of Jesus coming into the world. Here are some great ideas for you (and your family) to get into the spirit of Advent! … Continue reading

Where is Purgatory in the Bible?

PrayerHandsRosary

The Bible does not mention the exact word "purgatory," but instead it makes reference to a place which can be understood as what is referred to as purgatory. To claim that purgatory does not exist because the exact word does not appear in Scripture … Continue reading

Five Easy Ways to Understand the Bible

The Scriptures are a diverse compilation of writings encompassing a few thousand years of human history. Here are 5 ways to help make the Bible easier for you to understand. … Continue reading

How to Dispose of Religious Items

As a Catholic, collecting sacramentals such as votive candles, religious pictures, rosaries (which sometimes break), medals, palm branches and other misc. religious items is fairly common. What do you do if you are unsure if they are blessed? … Continue reading

Why Do Catholics Have Sacraments?

Suppose someone were to ask the following, "if we are saved by the finished work of Jesus on the cross, why do I even need the sacraments? Isn't it blasphemy to add to what Jesus did and say that we need to go through a series of rituals in order … Continue reading

Divorce, Annulments, and Remarriage

Couple in Strife

What does the Catholic Church really teach about divorce? Isn't an annulment just a Catholic divorce? If I am Catholic and divorced can I remarry? Can a divorced Catholic receive communion? These are common questions that we answer. … Continue reading

Who is God?

At the very core of the Catholic faith is the belief in God. Without the belief in God there is no belief in the rest of the Catholic faith. You either believe in God or you don't - it's the foundational argument of our religion. … Continue reading

And God Said, “Take a Break”

"Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day." - God The third and final Commandment pertaining specifically to loving God with our total mind, heart and soul is also a commandment designed for us. It gives us an opportunity to rest, relax, regroup and … Continue reading

Hail Mary? Why Not Hail Jesus?

"Should you be saying 'hail mary'? Or Hail Jesus Christ Our Lord and Saviour? Why is Mary mentioned so much? It should be Jesus. And how is Mary holy? Holy means set aside from the rest. Mary was just as normal as me and you. She was not holy. GOD is … Continue reading

Using God’s Name

"You shall not take the name of the Lord, your God, in vain." - God Crying out the name of Jesus Christ as a profanity when one is mad seems to be a popular expression, however it is a problem if this is the only time we call upon our Lord. … Continue reading

Putting God First

"I, the Lord, am your God. You shall have no other gods before me." - God "Of course I don't worship anyone other than God," you might say. But how often do you pray? How often do you let God take care of the work or do you just take matters into … Continue reading

A Framework for Christian Life

The Ten Commandments, sometimes referred to as the Decalogue, can be seen as a legislative body of rules. From the time when God issued them on Mount Sinai to Moses (Exodus 20:2-17) that is how some people practiced them. However, Jesus came to … Continue reading

Church Structural Roles

There are many roles within the Catholic Church for both ordained and non-ordained people. A non-ordained person is typically referred to as a lay person, or one who is not a member of the clergy. One who is ordained is someone who has received the … Continue reading

Why Gay Marriage is Impossible

Marriage is intrinsically linked to sex so it is important that one has a good grasp of the role of sexual intercourse before one can delve into the topic of same-sex marriage. … Continue reading

The Role of Sexual Intercourse

Sexual intercourse was designed by God to unify a married couple and to further participate in God's ongoing creation. Marriage is the union of a male and female for the rest of their lives. This is not just a Catholic definition, but a … Continue reading

How Was the Bible Written and Created?

Divine inspiration Contrary to popular belief the Bible was not written by God whispering into the ears of the human authors to write what he wanted written, but rather the Scriptures are inspired by God. The Holy Spirit guided the authors to be … Continue reading

The Purpose of Mass

Mass

Why do we have Mass? We have Mass to worship and to receive God's grace, to unify with him and with other worshipers through the sacrament of the Eucharist. As a sacrament, it is that Jesus himself acting through the Eucharist, and supplies … Continue reading

John, A Gospel Apart

Editor's note: All Scripture references are from the Gospel of John unless otherwise noted. The Gospel of John was written after the followers of Jesus had been expelled from the synagogues (AD 85) and continued to be persecuted by the Jewish … Continue reading

What is the Papacy?

Pope in Crowd

Matthew's gospel ends with Jesus saying: "I am with you always until the end of the world" (28:20b). The apostles believed that the risen Lord would never leave them without guidance. The Church was to be indestructible because Jesus said to … Continue reading

Saints Are Only Sinners Who Keep Trying

"Saints are only sinners who keep trying." Those are the words of Mother Teresa of Calcutta (a Saint if there ever was one). What wonderful consolation is found in those words. It speaks to God and His unfathomable mercy and His strong desire … Continue reading

Catholic Assurance of Salvation

Have you been saved? Do you know if you are going to heaven? I'm sure many people reading this have seen or heard of this before. A funny thing is this "assurance" of salvation. … Continue reading

The Real Presence

In the Church the Eucharist occupies a unique place as the "Sacrament of sacraments." All the other sacraments are ordered to it as their end. The word eucharist is derived from the Greek word which means thanksgiving. Jesus himself gave thanks at … Continue reading

Matthew, the Gospel of the Church

Editor's note: All Scripture references are from the Gospel of Matthew unless other wise noted. It stood first in the oldest biblical codices probably because of its churchly concerns. It is the only gospel having the the word "church" in it and … Continue reading

Who Was Paul of the New Testament?

Saint Paul is more in the spotlight than any other figure in the early Church. Of many others, even the apostles who were closest to Jesus, we know very little. In some cases we know nothing more than their name. This is to some extent true … Continue reading

Why Are Catholic Bibles Different?

The Catholic New Testament canon is identical to that of the Protestants other than some minor translation differences. Our difference lies in the contents of the Old Testament where we have Tobit, Judith, 1 and 2 Maccabees, Wisdom, Sirach, … Continue reading

Mark, the First Catechism

Editor's note: All Scripture references are from the Gospel of Mark unless other wise noted. The first writings of the New Testament were the letters of St. Paul. The author of Mark's gospel ventured into new territory when he wrote his … Continue reading

Bishops, Priests and Deacons

The Old Testament Priesthood The first mention of a priestly figure in the Old Testament was that of Melchizedek the king of Salem (Jerusalem), a Canaanite and a priest of the God Most High. He met Abraham with bread and wine and a blessing to … Continue reading

What are the Gospels?

Until recently the Gospels were thought to be biographies of Jesus. However scholars now agree that they are catechisms of teachings concerning the risen Lord written to increase the faith of the readers. Each writer chose special material … Continue reading

Luke, the Gospel of Social Justice

Editor's note: All Scripture references are from the Gospel of Luke unless other wise noted. The Gospel of Luke appears as part one of a two volume work, Luke-Acts, dedicated to someone named Theophilus (1:3; Acts 1;1) Today they are separated. … Continue reading

Mary in the Scriptures

Mary in the Old Testament She appears as a prototype of the second Eve in the creation narrative. After human-kind sins in the Garden of Eden, God says to the serpent (Satan), "I will put enmity you and the woman and between your offspring and … Continue reading

Brothers of Jesus?

Recently an archeological find of great importance to Bible scholars was announced in the press. An ossuary (bone box) surfaced as part of a private collection with the inscription "James the son of Joseph, the brother of Jesus." In June 2003 the … Continue reading

Daniel, Revelation and the Rapture Myth

The books of Daniel and Revelation are of the apocalyptic genre, a unique literary form peculiar to the age in which they were written. Often described as crisis literature, they clearly were spawned during times of great stress in history when the … Continue reading

Why Infant Baptism?

Since the Reformation much ink has flowed from the pens of writers discussing the pros and cons of infant baptism. The main argument has centered on what the Bible does or does not teach. This is a fallacious contention for the simple reason that … Continue reading

What is the Bible?

The Bible is a library of some of the religious literature of ancient Israel and of the Christian Church. Like any library it contains a great variety of literary forms. There is history, saga, tales of tribal heroes, and legends about the … Continue reading

CHRISTmas

The Christmas holiday season tends to be what most people look forward to every year. Listen to songs that croon lines such as, "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas..." and "It's the most wonderful time of the year..." and my point will be … Continue reading

Saint Worship…Or Is It?

(ABOUTCATHOLICS.COM) - Accused of worshipping things other than Jesus, Catholics take a lot of heat on their teaching of praying to saints (defined as dead Christians known to be in heaven by the Church). … Continue reading

The Church is Apostolic

Catholics have sometimes been heard to speak of the four marks of the church. In fact, we state our belief in them every time we say the Nicene Creed at mass, when we state that we believe in "one, holy, catholic and apostolic church." Catholics … Continue reading

The Church is Catholic

Catholics have sometimes been heard to speak of the four marks of the church. In fact, we state our belief in them every time we say the Nicene Creed at mass, when we state that we believe in "one, holy, catholic and apostolic church." Catholics … Continue reading

A Clarification of Good Works

A grave misunderstanding about Catholicism is the notion of good works. The term good works seems to have a negative connotation to it in certain other Christian circles. … Continue reading

The Church is Holy

Catholics have sometimes been heard to speak of the four marks of the church. In fact, we state our belief in them every time we say the Nicene Creed at mass, when we state that we believe in "one, holy, catholic and apostolic church." Catholics … Continue reading

The Church is One

Catholics have sometimes been heard to speak of the four marks of the church. In fact, we state our belief in them every time we say the Nicene Creed at mass, when we state that we believe in "one, holy, catholic and apostolic church." Catholics … Continue reading

Catholics Claim They Eat Jesus!

(ABOUTCATHOLICS.COM) - Those Catholics are at it again - they say that at mass they are actually eating the body and blood of Jesus Christ, citing passages from the Bible such as John 6:52 and Luke 24:2. … Continue reading

Revelation: Symbols and Numbers

The Book of Revelation is written in a style very rich in symbols and images. Numbers are used frequently throughout the book. This is not going to be an exhaustive breakdown of all of the symbols and numbers but, rather, a demonstration of some … Continue reading

By the Bible Alone?

Do Catholics follow the Bible? Catholics have used the Scriptures for their faith for as long as they have existed. The Bible has not always existed in its current form. In fact, it was not put together as a compiled work until well into the 4th … Continue reading

Reading the Bible

Reading the Bible can be a daunting task, but the goal of many organizations over the years has been to make it easier for the common person to read and understand its message and God's word. … Continue reading

Confession in the Bible

The sacraments are all instituted by Christ and can be found in the Bible. However, the way that these sacraments are to be conveyed is not necessarily in the Bible. … Continue reading

The Salvation Drive

Salvation is, without a doubt, one of the most controversial topics in all of Christendom. Very few seem to have a handle on it. In fact, it has been found that those who struggle with how we are "saved" often fall into two diametricaly opposed … Continue reading

Mary in the Bible

There are some that say that the Bible really says very little about Mary. However, that is quite contrary to the truth. There are actually a lot of references to Our Lady. For some of these references, you have to do a little bit of digging. … Continue reading

Holy Orders: A Special Priesthood

Holy Orders, in the Catholic Church, is the sacrament through which men are ordained as deacons, priests and bishops. It maintains the continuity of the apostles whereby each ordained person is ordained by a successor of an original apostle of … Continue reading

Anointing of the Sick

What is Anointing of the Sick? Anointing of the Sick is a sacrament which gives one grace as strengthening, and peace and courage to overcome the difficulties that are associated with disease, illness and dying. … Continue reading

Penance and Reconciliation (Confession)

What is the purpose of the sacrament? If someone was baptized why do they need to be reconciled to God? This question poses some serious responses and these responses are not short. Fortunately, Jesus left the Catholic Church with an answer. … Continue reading

The Eucharist

When was the first Eucharist celebrated? The Christian tradition holds and the Catholic faith will always uphold that the first Eucharist was the Last Supper. At that moment Christ changed the bread that they ate and the wine that they drank into … Continue reading

Catholic Confirmation Explained

Young woman is confirmed by priest

Confirmation is a sacrament of initiation which completes baptism through sealing in Holy Spirit and anoints the recipient as priest, prophet, and king. … Continue reading

A Guide to Catholic Baptism

Who can receive a Catholic baptism? Anyone who has not already been baptized can receive Baptism in the Catholic Church. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that "Every person not yet baptized and only such a person is able to be baptized," … Continue reading

Lent in the Catholic Church

Jesus

What is Lent? The season of Lent is a Catholic liturgical season consisting of forty days of fasting, prayer, and penitence beginning at Ash Wednesday and concluding at sundown on Holy Thursday. The official liturgical color for the season of Lent … Continue reading

Lenten Regulations

During Lent the Christian faithful are to do penance through prayer, fasting, abstinence and by exercising works of piety and charity. All Fridays through the year, and especially during Lent, are penitential days. … Continue reading

Why Must We Go to Mass Every Sunday?

Each and every Sunday over a billion Catholics worldwide are obliged to attend Sunday mass at a parish near them. Why? For starters it is a precept of the Catholic Church, one of the most basic things the Church requires of Catholics. Code of Canon … Continue reading

Explaining Purgatory

Purgatory is an intermediate state of purification between death and heaven for those who die with small sins for an amount of time appropriate to the amount and severity of the sins as deemed by God to remove the temporal effects of sin. It is the … Continue reading

A Simple Defense of Infant Baptism

The Bible contains many "rules and regulations" concerning baptism. All of these "rules and regulations" in the Bible regarding baptism are for adults since that in the entire Bible the people that are speaking and interacting are an adult, or they … Continue reading

Did God Intend for Only One Church?

The answer is yes. God did intend for there to be one united Church led by leadership that Christ set forward before and after His death and resurrection. Let me show you some Scriptural proof for these statements, which are very much in favor of … Continue reading

Apostle’s Creed

I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; he … Continue reading

Athanasian Creed (Trinitarian Creed)

Whoever desires to be saved should above all hold to the catholic faith. Anyone who does not keep it whole and unbroken will doubtless perish eternally. Now this is the catholic faith: That we worship one God in trinity and the trinity in … Continue reading

Nicene Creed

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 … Continue reading

Alphabetical List of Patron Saints

The following is the list of Catholic patron saints. If a date of observance is still celebrated in the current Liturgical Calendar, the date follows the name of the patron saint. If a day is not celebrated in the current calendar, the date of … Continue reading

Christian Morality

Basis of Catholic Christian Moral Teachings The basis of all Catholic Christian morality is our belief in the God who created all things and in Jesus who taught us even better how to live. We believe we are created in God's image and that we, and … Continue reading

Sacramentals

Sacramentals are "sacred signs instituted by the Church that dispose people to receive the chief effects of the sacraments and they make holy various occasions in human life (Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy). … Continue reading

Proof and Reason for the Papal Office

Scripture In the Old Testament, when God established His Covenant with the nation of Israel, He provided for a living, continuing authority in the Mosaic priesthood (see 2 Chr 19:11; Mal 2:7.) This authority did not end when the OT Scripture was … Continue reading

The Origin of the Papacy

Let us first begin explaining where the pope, his authority, and his power came from by using the word of God itself, the Holy Bible. Catholics mainly use Matthew 16:13-19 to prove the establishment and the existence of the papacy. … Continue reading