St. Paul of the Cross Catholic Church, North Palm Beach, FL

ADULT EDUCATION

Sister Sara Cannon, CSJ, Coordinator        email Sister Sara

RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults)

Call Sister Sara at 626-1873 for further information. 

 

OUTREACH IN FAITH

THE CATHOLIC CHURCH: QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

  1. Who founded the Catholic Church?

Jesus Christ.  Mt. 16:18-19 All the apostles and early church Fathers were Catholic, under the authority of Peter and his successors, appointed under the direction of the Holy Spirit.  Acts 20:28

  1. What is the connection between the Catholic Church and the Jewish religion?

There is an intimate connection between the Catholic Church and the Jewish religion.  Jesus, a Jew, did not come to abolish the Hebrew Testament (the Law and the Prophets), but to fulfill them.  The followers of “The Way,” as the early Church was referred to, were called by Jesus to fulfill the Jewish command found in Deut. 6:4-9 and Lev. 19:18,34 to love God with all your heart and soul and strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself.  Jesus called both Jew and Gentile to live under the reign of God. Jn. 17:20-23, Mt. 10:5-8

  1. Is the Catholic Church Christian?

Yes.  A Christian is a follower of Christ, who is the head of the Catholic Church.

  1. Is the Catholic Church Bible-based?

Yes.  Mt. 16:18-19 The Word of God is an integral part of Catholic life and practice.  All our major prayers are scriptural in content or basis.  The Church Council at Constantinople in the 4th Century determined which scriptures were inspired by the Holy Spirit.  St. Jerome, a Catholic bishop, compiled the first Bible (the collection of these writings), called the Vulgate, which was the only official Bible in Christendom for over a thousand years.

  1. Are Catholics born again Christians?

Yes.  A Christian, by definition, is born again in the Holy Spirit by virtue of Baptism.  Jn. 3:5

  1. What are the marks of the Catholic Church?

The Catholic Church is One, Jn. 10:16, 1 Cor. 12:12-13, 20, 27; Holy, Eph. 5:25-27; Catholic, Mt. 24:14, Mk. 16:15, Acts 1:8; and Apostolic, Mt. 28:18-20.

  1. Who is the Pope?

The person whom Jesus calls to lead His Church on earth at every point in time.  God protects him from all doctrinal and moral error when he teaches officially for the entire Church. Mt. 16:18-19.

  1. What is the Magisterium of the Church?

The Magisterium is the official teaching office of the Church and is comprised of the pope and the bishops.  Their task is to guarantee that the People of God abide in the truth and to preserve them from error.  Christ endows this teaching office with the charism of infallibility in matters of faith and morals.

9. Do Catholics practice the Ten Commandments?

            Yes.  They are a basic part of every Catholic’s moral beliefs and practices.  Catholics believe the         Commandments are God’s decrees for all people.

  1.  What is the Mass?

The Mass is the primary act of public worship of God.  It is a reenactment of the one and only sacrificial death of Jesus Christ on Calvary.  It is celebrated by ordained priests in perpetuity of Jesus’ command, “Do this in memory of Me.”  Lk. 22:19.

  1. What is a Sacrament?

 

A Sacrament is a powerful means of Grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us.  The Sacraments mark us with God’s life and aid us to be faithful to His mind and will.

Seven Sacraments were instituted by Christ:  Baptism,  Jn. 3:5, Acts 2:28;  Reconciliation, Jn. 20:22-23; Eucharist, Mk. 14:22-24, Jn. 6:51-58; Confirmation, Jn. 20:22, Acts 8:15-17; Anointing of the Sick, Mk. 6:13, Jas. 5:14-15; Matrimony, Mt. 19:4-6; and Holy Orders, Mt. 19:11-12, Acts 13:2-3.

 

  1. How do Catholics view Mary?

Catholics view Mary as the singular woman chosen by God to bear Christ to the world; as the woman Christ gave us to be our spiritual mother on earth; as a woman who is full of Grace and who always leads us to Christ; as our most powerful intercessor before the throne of God.  We honor her above all other women as God’s most perfect creature.

  1. What is the Rosary?

The Rosary is a collection of prayers, all scripturally based, that reflect on the life of Christ and the person of His Mother, Mary.

  1. What is an annulment?

An annulment is a decree of nullity whereby the diocesan Church Tribunal declares that what supposedly was a valid marriage was defective in some way at the time the couple exchanged vows.  It is not a dissolution of a valid marriage, but a decree that a valid marriage never existed.  In other words, a binding sacramental marriage, with Christ at the center and head of the marriage, was not fully understood and accepted by one or both parties, and thus a valid marriage never existed. 

A practicing Catholic who is the beneficiary of such a decree is free to marry in the Church.

  1. What is Purgatory?

Purgatory is a temporal state after death whereby a soul is fully purged of any imperfections of mind and will that are still present at death.  Is. 6:7, 2 Mac. 12:46, 1 Cor. 3:11-15, 2 Pet. 2:9.

  1. Why do Catholic churches/homes often have statues of saints in places of honor?

The saints are visible reminders of holiness.  Catholics believe that the saints intercede for them in Heaven, helping them to become more like Christ.

Would you like to learn more about the Catholic Faith?  Do you still have unanswered questions?  Call us at 561/626-1873, or e-mail us at faithquest@paulcross.org for a prompt and courteous response.

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