Catholics believe in one loving and compassionate God who is with us in every moment of our existence. Being Catholic is a way of life in which we are united by our beliefs and our bond with each other. We believe that through the presence of the Holy Spirit, we embody the living presence of Jesus Christ.
The most important things about being a Catholic are to know that we are meant to not judge others, to treat others how we would like to be treated, to love God, to forgive others always, to ask for forgiveness when we are bad, and to be non-violent.
With nearly 1.3 billion members worldwide, the Catholic Church is the oldest and largest continually operating global organization. Jesus Christ founded the Catholic Church almost 2,000 years ago. During various disputes in the 1500s, some Catholics withdrew from the church. The term “Protestants” now refers to these groups. Protestants and Catholics alike identify in general as “Christians”.
The headquarters of the Catholic Church is based in Vatican City, which is inside Rome, Italy. It contains some of the most beautiful buildings in the world, decorated with paintings and statues.
The Greek word “katholicos,” which is frequently rendered as “universal,” is where the word “catholic” originates. The phrase “in keeping with the whole” is the more correct translation. About 50 years after Jesus’ death, the term “catholic” was first used to describe the church. They chose this name because it was challenging to organize this new church, and churches were beginning to sprout up all over the place. Without the Internet, phones, etc., it was challenging to organize these congregations, and some of them began to hold erroneous beliefs. A small group of very intelligent individuals began to gather them together and adopted the term “catholic” to characterize them, and started to make specific rules and documents so that everyone was in agreement.
Also, the new “catholic” church allowed anyone to join. This was never done before. Normally, the Romans, the Greeks, the Jews, etc., all had their own exclusive religions. The “catholic” church welcomed everyone.
For the first almost 300 years of the Catholic church, Catholics had to worship secretly and hide their religion. It was punishable by death to be a Catholic by the Romans up until 313 AD when it finally became a legal religion. We call Catholics that die for their religion “martyrs”.
The Catholic Church is frequently described as “Roman” in addition. This is because its headquarters are in Vatican City, an independent nation located in the heart of Rome, Italy. Those who identify as “Catholic” are typically referring to their affiliation with the Catholic Church.
There are Catholics all over the world, including in the Philippines, India, South Korea, Western Europe, Southern Europe, North America, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Oceania.
The Catholic Church is led by the Pope, who lives in Vatican City. Below him are Cardinals, Archbishops, Bishops, Priests, Deacons, etc. The Church is guided by the Holy Spirit, who also guides the Pope. The Holy Spirit is a person, that exists because of the love between God, the Father, and Jesus Christ, the Son.
Catholic priests, bishops, archbishops, cardinals, and the pope are all appointed by someone that was appointed by someone… going all the way back to St. Peter, who was appointed by Jesus to start his church, which is the Catholic church. Catholics call this “Apostolic Succession”, which only the Catholics can claim.
The first Pope was Saint Peter, one of the first followers of Jesus who were called “Apostles”. There were 12 Apostles, a word that means “One who is sent”. Jesus Christ would make Peter the “rock” (foundation) of the Church. The current pope is Pope Francis.
Catholics believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and a divine being. He died in order for us to live forever in heaven because of his love for all people.
The Catholic Church uses the term “Trinity” when referring to “God”. The Trinity is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. There is one God, but it has three elements. Think of it this way- you draw a line. It is just one thing, but now add two other lines and now form a triangle. A triangle is still one thing, just with three sides.
Ten Great Reasons to Become Catholic:
- The Faith is True.
- The Faith is Beautiful.
- The Faith is Good.
- Faith makes you Happy.
- You Join “A Cloud of Witnesses” (The Millions of faithful who came before us.)
- The Sacraments bring us close to Jesus.
- It’s filled with Sinners.
- A Faith for Everyone.
- The Catholic Faith is a Fighting Faith. (Non Violent, but always fighting for good)
- Mass brings Joy!
What are the 4 Major Beliefs of the Catholic Church?
- God Exists.
- God is at the same time one, and three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
- Man responds to God’s revelation by faith, believing God, and adhering to his will.
- Faith is necessary for Salvation, but we should do good as well.
Catholic Worship
The most important practices for Roman Catholics include making the sign of the cross, praying regularly, and receiving the Eucharist at Mass. Receiving the Eucharist is the most important practice of being a Catholic. It means “thanksgiving” and it brings us very close to Jesus Himself each time we receive it. Receiving it also forgives you of venial (minor, day to day) sins if you are truly sorry for them. Major sins that can keep you from salvation, called Mortal Sins, need to be confessed.
Catholic worship revolves around the gathering of local Catholics at a Mass. It is celebrated every day, but Catholics are required to attend on Sunday and on a few Holy Days of obligation. In the United States, the Holy Days of Obligation are Mary, Mother of God (January 1), The Assumption of Mary (August 15), The Immaculate Conception (of Mary) (December 8), The Ascension of Jesus (40 days after Easter), Christmas (December 25) and All Saints Day (November 1). These can be remembered by the following phrase: 3 for Mary, 2 for Jesus, and 1 for all the saints.
While all of these are Roman Catholic practices, many or all of them are also used by other Christian denominations.
The Virgin Mary,(Jesus’ mother) is referred to by Catholics as the “Mother of God” and “The Queen of Heaven,”. Catholics pray to her on a regular basis and ask her to intercede on our behalf for Jesus because she has a special relationship with Him and has always acted morally.
Sacraments
Baptism, Confirmation, Communion, Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and Marriage are the seven sacraments. The Holy Communion (receiving the Eucharist) is the most significant of the sacraments because, via the bread and wine, Jesus Christ becomes physically present. Transubstantiation, which occurs during Mass, makes this possible.
Catholics believe in the necessity of love, hope, and faith in order to gain salvation, but that these all come from grace, which is the love of God.
Catholics read and study the Bible. The Bible has 73 different books contained in it, so it is more like a library than a “book”. The Bible is divided into two major sections: The Old Testament is everything before Jesus came to us in person. It has 46 separate books in it. The New Testament starts when Jesus was “incarnated” a term for when God became a man and came to earth. There are 27 books in the New Testament.
The individual books in the Bible are often very different from each other. Some are like fairy tales, some like poems, some like songs, some are histories, and others are just letters written by very important people.
The “Gospels” are the first four books of the New Testament. They have four different writers, but all describe the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus. These four books are the most important books of the Bible to all Christians.
A person becomes a Catholic when they are baptized. As you continue to go to Mass, pray, and follow the Sacraments you are called a “practicing” Catholic.
Catholics don’t believe that only Catholics go to heaven. We do believe you need Jesus to go to heaven, but that can happen in many, many ways, and people are not punished for not having a chance to know about Jesus, but they still have to follow the good in their hearts that was put there by Jesus.