605 articles from the existing collection.
The Catholic Church has long upheld the compatibility of faith and reason, viewing them as two wings that elevate the human person toward truth. This perspective is rooted in the belief that God is the source of all truth, and thus, no genuine inquiry can lead away from Him. The Church encourages Catholics to explore its teachin…
The concept of religion as a debt to God is central to Catholic theology, grounded in the understanding that humanity owes its existence and salvation to the Creator. Catholics believe that God, as the source of all life, has given humanity the gift of creation, free will, and redemption through Jesus Christ. This divine generos…
Lot, the nephew of Abraham, appears in Genesis 13–19 as a man who received divine favor in certain respects. He prospered materially, gaining wealth and livestock while accompanying Abraham. When conflict arose over land, Abraham allowed Lot to choose his territory, and Lot selected the fertile Jordan Valley near Sodom ( Genesis…
The Catholic Church draws heavily on Scripture to inform its stance on alcohol consumption. In Proverbs 20:1 , the warning that “wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging” highlights the dangers of excessive drinking, which can lead to foolish behavior and loss of self-control. This aligns with the Church’s broader teaching on te…
Jesus’ words in Luke 9:58 —that the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head—highlight the radical poverty He embraced during His earthly ministry. This statement responded to a would-be disciple, underscoring the cost of following Him. Jesus traveled without a fixed home, relying on the hospitality of others, as seen in His stays…
The Third Commandment, as outlined in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 2168–2195), instructs believers to keep the Lord’s Day holy. This commandment originates in the Mosaic Law, specifically Exodus 20:8–11 , which mandates a day of rest and worship. For Christians, Sunday replaces the Jewish Sabbath, commemorating Chri…
The Catholic Church’s prohibition of Freemasonry began in the 18th century, with Pope Clement XII’s apostolic constitution In Eminenti in 1738. This document condemned Freemasonry for its secretive nature and its promotion of ideas contrary to Catholic teaching. The Church saw Freemasonry as a potential threat to the spiritual w…
Authentic Catholic faith is not merely an intellectual assent to God’s existence but a complete surrender to His will and teachings. The Church emphasizes that faith involves trusting in God’s revelation, as found in Scripture and Tradition, and living in accordance with it. This includes accepting difficult truths, such as the …
Catholic theology firmly teaches that God is love, and His act of creation stems from His desire to share that love with others (CCC 1). Human beings are not accidents or burdens but are intentionally created in God’s image and likeness ( Genesis 1:26-27 ). This foundational truth counters any notion that God seeks to punish peo…
The Catholic Church traces its origins to Jesus Christ, who established it as the foundation of His salvific mission. In Matthew 16:18 , Christ declares, “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church.” This passage underscores Peter’s role as the first pope, a position the Church has maintained through apostolic succes…
The Catholic Church has long held that state authority is a natural and necessary component of human society, rooted in the need to promote the common good. This perspective is grounded in the belief that humans are social beings who require organized structures to live in harmony and justice. The Church does not view the state …
The Catholic Church claims a divine origin, established by Jesus Christ Himself, as recorded in Matthew 16:18 , where He declares Peter the rock upon which the Church is built. This foundational moment is not merely historical but carries a theological promise of endurance. The Church’s indefectibility, a core Catholic doctrine,…
The holiness of the Catholic Church is not a human achievement but a divine gift, established by Jesus Christ as the means of salvation for humanity. The Church is described as the Body of Christ, with Christ as its head, guiding it through the Holy Spirit. This divine origin sets the Church apart from any institution that could…
The Catholic doctrine of purgatory holds that souls who die in God’s grace but are not yet fully purified undergo a process of cleansing before entering heaven. This belief is grounded in the Church’s teaching on the necessity of holiness for eternal communion with God ( Catechism of the Catholic Church , 1030–1032). Prayers for…
Such an objection recalls the words of Judas, “Why was it not sold and given to the poor?” Jn. XII., 5. In any case, the lavish generosity of the Catholic Church in the worship of God does not interfere with her work for the poor. She is the most active of all Churches in that work. No other Church has so many institutions, hosp…
Doctors are not infallible, and irreligious doctors are often only too ready to please women by telling them that they are unable to fulfill the duties of motherhood. And as a matter of fact contraception normally has a worse effect upon a woman’s health than childbirth. She becomes a neurasthenic wreck in the end. But in any ca…
Hostility towards freedom to do wrong, or express false blasphemies and irreligious doctrines is not a crime. It would be a crime to be indifferent to these things. True religion gives freedom from error, and freedom to love and serve God.
If a Protestant wants to marry a Catholic, and his conscience does not protest against it, he may sign the promise in regard to the children. But if the Protestant really believed the Catholic faith to be evil, and that his personal religion was the only true religion, then he has no right to promise that any of his children wil…
Angels are purely spiritual beings. A brick is a purely material being. Man, with body and soul, is partly material and partly spiritual. God has no material body, and is purely spiritual. To complete the external manifestations of His perfections, He created beings of a purely spiritual nature—angels. The angels, then, are defi…
That is not true. No man has the right to alienate his life. Men have got the right to alienate their goods. And gambling is not stealing. If I take from Brown a dollar belonging to Brown against his will, I steal. But if we mutually agree to each putting a dollar in a hat and drawing lots as to which of us shall have the two do…
He did. And the Pope demands independence of any earthly king’s authority precisely that Caesar, with his worldly power, may not interfere with the things that belong to God.
Some misguided writers have spoken of a female Pope named Joan, who was supposed to have reigned from 855 to 857 A.D. But never was a greater hoax put over a credulous public. Voltaire laughed at the gullibility of fools who believed this tale. The Encyclopaedia Brittanica says that she is a pure myth. Chambers Encyclopaedia cal…
I do. You notice words only, paying little or no attention to the legal substance of those words. To simplify the wording whilst retaining the full sense is certainly not to change the commandment. If you say, “He is under an obligation not to give expression to his thoughts at the present moment,” I do not change the substance …
You are in a quandary. Catholics remain Catholics because they do not think, yet thinking led me to become a Catholic! However, Catholics are free to think as much as they like about religion, and the more the better. The Catholic Church merely keeps them from thinking wrongly. Protestants are free to think whatever they like, a…
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