293 articles from the existing collection.
In Luke 12:32 , Jesus addresses His disciples, saying, “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” This statement occurs within a broader teaching on trust in God’s providence and detachment from material concerns. The term “little flock” evokes the imagery of a shepherd caring for a …
The Catholic Church presents continence as a vital aspect of chastity, a virtue that governs the proper use of human sexuality according to one’s state in life. In marriage, continence is not about suppressing desire but about ordering it toward the good of the spouse and the family. The Church teaches that human sexuality is a …
The Catholic Church has consistently taught that Baptism is the foundational sacrament for salvation. Instituted by Christ, it serves as the gateway to the other sacraments and the life of grace. The Church draws this understanding from John 3:5 , where Jesus declares, “Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter…
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 Church’s stance on divorce is grounded in its understanding of marriage as a sacred, indissoluble covenant. Marriage, in Catholic theology, is not merely a human contract but a divine institution established by God. This understanding is articulated in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 1601–1605), which desc…
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’s understanding of priestly authority to forgive sins is deeply rooted in the teachings of Jesus Christ as recorded in the New Testament. In John 20:23 , Jesus tells His disciples, “Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.” This passage is centr…
A sacrament is a visible rite established by Jesus Christ to impart grace to the faithful. The Catholic Church teaches that sacraments are not merely symbolic actions but effective signs that truly bring about the grace they signify (CCC 1127). This grace is a share in God’s divine life, enabling believers to grow in holiness. E…
The Catholic Church views marriage as a sacred covenant established by God, rooted in the mutual consent of the spouses. This understanding applies to all valid marriages, whether between Catholics or non-Catholics. For a marriage to be valid, it must meet certain conditions, such as free consent, the absence of impediments, and…
Marriage, in the Catholic tradition, is not merely a contract but a sacred covenant established by God. The Church teaches that Christ elevated marriage to the status of a sacrament, making it a visible sign of God’s grace ( Matthew 19:4-6 ). This sacramental nature requires that Catholics marry in the presence of a priest or de…
The New Testament provides evidence of a distinct rite involving the laying on of hands to confer the Holy Spirit, as seen in Acts 8:14-17 . In this passage, Peter and John travel to Samaria, where newly baptized believers had not yet received the Holy Spirit. The Apostles prayed for them, laid hands on them, and the Samaritans …
The Catholic Church holds that celibacy for priests and religious is a sacred commitment rooted in the example of Jesus Christ. Celibacy is not merely a discipline but a way of life that reflects a total gift of self to God and the Church. In the Latin Rite, priests take a vow of celibacy, while religious men and women profess v…
The Catholic Church teaches that Christ is fully present in both the consecrated bread and wine, a doctrine rooted in the concept of concomitance. This means that the whole Christ—body, blood, soul, and divinity—is received under either species. The practice of Communion under one kind reinforces this truth, emphasizing that rec…
The Sacrament of Confession, also referred to as Penance or Reconciliation, holds a central place in Catholic theology as a means of restoring individuals to God’s grace. It was instituted by Jesus Christ, as evidenced by his words to the apostles: “Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained…
Marriage, in its essence, is a covenant rooted in the natural order, established by God for the mutual support of spouses and the procreation of children. The Catholic Church teaches that this natural institution was elevated by Christ to the dignity of a sacrament for baptized Christians (CCC 1601). This sacramental character d…
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…
Because single men can give undivided attention to their duties, and have more time to study and know the law of God upon which they must base their advice. Then, too, people feel that one who has renounced earthly affections for the love of God has more opportunities of living a disinterested spiritual life, and that his words …
Yes. The penitent must tell fully and sincerely all his serious sins; he must be truly sorry for having committed them; determine to try to avoid them for the future; and promise to make good any injury to others whether by defamation of character or by theft of money or goods
The doctrine is not in the three Creeds you mention. But they do not contain the whole of Christian doctrine. They are partial statements insisting upon certain doctrines against special errors of those times. It is true that Pius IV. Included the doctrine in his profession of faith, but you are wrong when you say that there was…
Yes. Christ was God, and in St. Jn. XX., 21-23 we read these remarkable words, “As the Father hath sent Me I also send you. When He said this He breathed on them; and He said to them: Receive ye the Holy Ghost. Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.” Now Christ’s…
Immersion was never thought necessary in the Christian Church. After St. Peter’s first sermon three thousand people were baptized, and it is most unlikely that it could have been by immersion, above all in the light of recent research into the water supply available in Jerusalem itself at that time. The Didache, or Teaching of t…
I deny that it was anything like a universal practice. Some early Christians were specially endowed by God with the power of healing, in order that the Church might appeal to onlookers in a special way. But the Church has been built, and there is no need to show a stone from the quarry whence it was hewn in order to prove its ex…
If the Sisters conduct an institution, that institution is distinct and separate from the convent proper, and may be inspected at any time by any authorized person. But the right to inspect a public institution does not give the right to inspect the manager’s private home. Would you insist that he must show you the kitchen, dini…
It nowhere says that they were not, and implicitly demands that they should be.
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