223 articles from the existing collection.
Jesus’s teachings form the cornerstone of Christian faith, as they reveal God’s plan for humanity’s salvation. These teachings, found primarily in the Gospels, are not merely historical records but divine truths inspired by the Holy Spirit. The Catholic Church holds that scripture, as the inspired word of God, must be approached…
The Catholic Church holds that the Fall of Man is a foundational doctrine, rooted in the opening chapters of Genesis . The narrative describes Adam and Eve, the first humans, living in harmony with God in Eden. Their disobedience, prompted by the serpent’s temptation, led to the loss of original holiness and justice. This event,…
The New Testament teaches that true religion begins with faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and Savior of humanity. This faith is not merely intellectual assent but a living trust that shapes one’s entire life. John 3:16 underscores that belief in Jesus leads to eternal life, emphasizing the centrality of faith. However, fa…
The question of reading Scripture in the vernacular has roots in the Church’s long history of balancing accessibility with fidelity to doctrine. In the early Church, Scripture was often read in languages like Greek and Latin, which were widely understood at the time. As Latin became the liturgical and scholarly language of the W…
The four Gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John—are foundational to the Christian faith, serving as divinely inspired accounts of Jesus Christ’s life and mission. The Catholic Church holds that these texts, written under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, convey the truth necessary for salvation (CCC 107). Each Gospel writer, or ev…
Catholic theology defines angels as spiritual, non-corporeal beings created by God to serve specific purposes in His divine plan. The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains that angels are distinct from humans, possessing intelligence, will, and immortality, yet they remain creatures subordinate to God (CCC 329). Their existe…
The concept of creative evolution, as proposed by thinkers like Henri Bergson, suggests that life progresses through a vital force or élan vital that drives the development of new forms without requiring a divine creator. This view implies that evolution itself has the power to generate being from non-being. Such a perspective i…
The Gospels do not provide a comprehensive record of everything Jesus said or did, as noted in John 21:25 , which states that many things Jesus did were not written down. The evangelists, guided by the Holy Spirit, selected events and teachings to convey the truth of Christ’s identity and mission. The absence of recorded stateme…
The Jewish people in the first century lived under Roman occupation, fostering a deep yearning for a messiah who would liberate them politically and restore Israel’s glory. Many expected a warrior-king, akin to David, who would overthrow oppressors and establish a visible kingdom. Jesus’ miracles, such as healing the sick or rai…
The Douay Version, completed in 1610, emerged during a tumultuous period for English Catholics. Following the Protestant Reformation, Catholics in England faced persecution, and access to Scripture in the vernacular was limited. The translation was undertaken by English Catholic scholars exiled in Douai and Rheims, France, under…
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 firmly holds that the early Christian community was a unified body, not divided into separate Jewish and Gentile sections with distinct heads. Christ established one Church, as evidenced by his prayer for unity in John 17:20-21 . The apostles, under Peter’s leadership, worked together to spread the Gospel to …
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…
St. Matthew’s Gospel, written primarily for a Jewish-Christian audience, emphasizes Jesus as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies. The account of the dead rising at Christ’s death ( Matthew 27:52-53 ) is part of a series of extraordinary signs accompanying the crucifixion, including the darkening of the sky and the tearin…
The Catholic Church teaches that the religion of Christ is the fulfillment of the religion revealed through Moses, not its rejection. The Mosaic Law, given to the Israelites, contained fundamental moral and religious truths rooted in God’s covenant with His people. These truths, such as the worship of one God and the moral prece…
The narrative of Moses striking the rock appears in two key passages of the Old Testament: Exodus 17:1–7 and Numbers 20:1–13 . In both accounts, the Israelites, wandering in the desert, faced a dire shortage of water. Their complaints against Moses and God reflected their desperation and lack of trust. God instructed Moses to st…
I have just shown that five reputable historians record the events, the four Evangelists and St. Paul. Their books are as historical as any others. Tacitus, the Roman historian, writing about 70 years after the death of Christ, mentions Him. Also Josephus, the Jewish historian. Also Roman historians were not much concerned with …
He was sincere. He was not a mere humanitarian. The humanitarian is merely kind to his fellow men from motives of human and natural sympathy, not from motives of religion. St. Paul tells us the uselessness of humanitarianism from the religious point of view when he writes, “If I should distribute all my goods to feed the poor, a…
Catholic tradition is not a mere matter of rumor and report. It is down in black and white in documents as historical as any other documents, beginning from the year 97 with the declaration of the fact by Clement. It would not matter if Scripture did not give any evidence on this point. However it does. St. Peter ends his first …
I maintain that it contains part of God’s full revelation. All that is contained in the Bible has been revealed by God, although further information is given us in other ways. That the Bible contains very mysterious doctrines I admit.
It is not certain that the contour of the country was the same then as now. Some authorities say that the Red Sea swept much farther inland in earlier times, including even the bitter lakes. In any case, under God’s direction, the Jews were led away from the dry sections we now know, as described in Numbers ch. 33, that He might…
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.
Catholics are quite free to possess and read approved versions of the Bible. As you cannot have searched every Catholic home in the country I can but wonder at your credulity in thinking that Catholics do not have Bibles in their homes.
St. Paul did not believe that the end was near. In 1 Thess. IV., 16, he says that the Lord will certainly come again, adding, “Then we who are alive, who are left, shall be taken up together with them in the clouds to meet Christ.” But he does not say that he himself and his listeners would still be living when Christ comes. He …
Your optional contribution helps keep these resources free to read.
