199 articles from the existing collection.
The Catholic Church’s claim to holiness rests on its foundation by Jesus Christ, who established it as the means to continue his redemptive work. According to Catholic teaching, Christ entrusted the apostles with authority to teach, sanctify, and govern, a mission perpetuated through apostolic succession. This divine origin sets…
The Catholic Church promotes ecumenism, which seeks to foster unity among Christians while acknowledging theological differences. The Second Vatican Council’s Decree on Ecumenism ( Unitatis Redintegratio ) emphasizes that all baptized Christians share a real, though imperfect, communion. Protestants attending Catholic services c…
The Catholic Church operates a multifaceted financial system that spans parishes, dioceses, and the Vatican, relying on diverse income sources. Local parishes collect weekly offerings from parishioners, which form the backbone of operational funds for clergy salaries, building maintenance, and community programs. Dioceses assess…
St. Augustine of Hippo, a fourth-century bishop and theologian, profoundly shaped Christian thought through his writings and teachings. Born in 354 AD in Thagaste, North Africa, Augustine’s journey from a life of sin to conversion is well-documented in his Confessions . This personal experience of repentance and grace deeply inf…
The Catholic understanding of God’s expectations begins with the purpose of human creation, which is clearly articulated in Scripture. In Isaiah 43:7 , God declares that He created humanity for His glory, indicating that every person is meant to reflect divine goodness and honor Him. This foundational truth shapes the Catholic v…
The quest for happiness is a universal human experience, yet many struggle to find lasting fulfillment. Catholic teaching asserts that true happiness, or beatitude, is not found in fleeting pleasures but in communion with God. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 1716–1729) explains that the Beatitudes, as taught by Jesus i…
The Mass is the central act of Catholic worship, where the faithful participate in the re-presentation of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. It is not merely a gathering or ritual but a profound encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 1324) describes the Eucharist as the “source and summit”…
The Catholic Church has long been recognized as a primary authority in matters of Christian faith, rooted in its establishment by Jesus Christ. This role is not merely historical but theological, grounded in the belief that Christ entrusted the Church with the mission to preserve and interpret divine revelation. The Church’s tea…
The Catholic Church teaches that every human person is a composite of body and soul, forming a single nature. The soul is the spiritual component, distinct from the material body, and is created immediately by God at the moment of conception. It is not subject to corruption or decay, unlike the physical body. This belief is grou…
The Catholic Church defines robbery as a form of theft, specifically the unjust taking of another’s property by force or threat (CCC 2408). This definition inherently excludes consent, as robbery presupposes an act against the victim’s will. The seventh commandment, which prohibits stealing, forms the foundation for this teachin…
Intelligence manifests in various forms, such as mathematical precision, legal reasoning, or scientific discovery. Many individuals who excel in these areas may not prioritize religion, often due to a lack of exposure or interest. Catholicism acknowledges the value of intellectual pursuits, as they reflect the human capacity for…
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 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,…
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.
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…
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…
Only in the matter with which the first sin was connected was Adam constituted the supernatural head of the race. After his sin as head of supernaturally elevated human nature, he sinned as a private individual and independently of God’s universal decree for the human race as such.
In heaven we shall be with Christ and as Christ. This supposes conditions of which we have no experience on earth. It is little use guessing. We have but to accept the fact that there is a heaven, avoiding sin and serving God in order that we may attain to it. Speculate about heaven as we will, we must not miss our eternal happi…
What do you mean by no half-measures? For the man who cannot resist getting drunk, I admit that there are no half-measures. He must inflict rigorous prohibition on himself, and if necessary the law must forbid him to be served with Irink. If you mean that prohibition must be inflicted on everybody, I deny your issertion. Such pr…
You are wasting your prayers. The Catholic Church, even if our country became entirely Catholic, would not wish to assume purely civil government. Free and easy divorce laws would be repealed; the sale of birth-control requirements would be prohibited; and various other un-Christian liberties would be withdrawn. But where legisl…
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