Why do Catholics believe in Apostolic Tradition?
Catholics believe in Apostolic Tradition because we understand divine revelation as having been received through the twin channels of Sacred Scripture (the word of God in written form), and Tradition (the word of God in spoken form—the preaching and practice of the Apostles). This belief is substantiated by Saint Paul's advice to Christians: "Stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by letter" (2 Thess. 2:15; italics added). ...
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Why do Catholics believe in the authority of the Church?
Catholics believe in the authority of the Church because the Church's authority was given to her by Jesus Christ, who said to her, "He who hears you hears me" (Luke 10:16). Before ascending to heaven, He declared to the Apostles: "All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am ...
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Why do Catholics baptize infants?
Catholics baptize infants because this practice is scripturally sound and has been handed down to us through Sacred Tradition. Historically, the practice of Infant Baptism was not contested until the Anabaptists did so in the 16th century, in opposition to the leaders of mainline Protestantism. The truth is, there is neither an explicit command in the Bible to baptize children, nor a prohibition against it. In fact, that the Bible shows John the Baptist receiving the Holy Spirit ...
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Why do Catholics believe we are born again through Baptism?
Catholics believe we are born again through Baptism because this truth is explicitly expressed in Sacred Scripture and maintained by Sacred Tradition. The New Testament identifies Baptism as the ordinary means by which believers receive sanctifying grace, God's gift of eternal life. "Truly, truly, I say to you," the Lord Jesus Christ declares, "unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God" (John 3:5). Jesus Himself, though sinless, condescends to be ...
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Why do Catholics call priests "father"?
Catholics call priests "father" because this practice has come down to us from the Apostles. To many Protestants, this statement may seem to fly in the face of Jesus' command in the Gospels: "Call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven" (Matt. 23:9). In this instance, however, as He often did, the Lord was teaching through hyperbole in order to underscore the fact that life and wisdom come to us, not from human beings, but from God ...
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Why do Catholics confess their sins to a priest?
Catholics confess their sins to a priest because to confess to Christ's representative and hear back in a human voice, "Your sins are forgiven; go in peace," facilitates for us a more powerful experience of the Lord's love and mercy. The Catholic priest's power to forgive sins in Christ's name flows from our Risen Lord's declaration to the Apostles: “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained" ...
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Why is doctrine so important to Catholics?
Doctrine is so important to Catholics because Jesus said, “The truth will make you free” (John 8:32). If the truth frees us, then error binds us. Thus, while one may sincerely love Jesus, if he believes something false about Him he is not yet as free as the Lord desires him to be. Christian doctrine, in safeguarding against error, gives us the freedom to know and love Jesus in the fullest sense. ...
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Why do Catholics believe the Eucharist is the Body and Blood of Jesus?
Catholics believe the Eucharist is the Body and Blood of Jesus because He plainly said of the Eucharist at the Last Supper: "This is my body. ... This is my blood" (Matt. 26:26, 28). Jesus also taught in His famous Bread of Life Sermon: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is food ...
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Why do Catholics believe works are necessary for salvation?
Catholics believe works are necessary for salvation because Jesus said so. Our Savior affirmed this, revealing how He will say to the righteous on Judgment Day: "Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to ...
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Why do Catholics believe indulgences?
Catholics believe in indulgences because even after a sin has been forgiven wounds remain that need to be healed. Perhaps the most controversial aspect of the Church’s teaching on purgatory is her practice of praying for the release of the souls there. All Christians understand that believers on earth are joined to one another through prayer (cf. Rom. 12:5; 1 Cor. 12:12ff.; Eph. 1:22-23, et al.). Like the soul itself, this prayer link survives death, for death is ...
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Why do Catholics venerate Mary?
Catholics venerate Mary because she helps us to understand more fully who Jesus is. This is indicated by her last spoken words in Sacred Scripture: "Do whatever he tells you" (John 2:5). Everything that the Church teaches helps us to know Jesus better. The Church's teachings define for us who He is, and who He is not. This is especially truth of her teachings on Mary, which strongly substantiate what we believe about Jesus—that He was at once true God and true man. That ...
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Why do Catholics believe the Mass is a sacrifice?
Catholics believe the Mass is a sacrifice because we see it as the New Covenant fulfillment of the Old Passover rite, in which we make no longer a symbolic offering to God, but a real offering: Jesus Christ, "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29).The sacrifice of the Mass is not a different sacrifice from Calvary, but the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ on the Cross. Nor does Jesus die again at every Mass. Rather, His one death from 2,000 years ago is ...
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Why do Catholics distinguish between mortal and venial sin?
Catholics distinguish between mortal and venial sin because this distinction has been divinely revealed. We find it clearly stated in Sacred Scripture, where the Apostle John writes, “If any one sees his brother committing what is not a mortal sin, he will ask, and God will give him life for those whose sin is not mortal. There is sin which is mortal; I do not say that one is to pray for that. All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin which is not mortal” (1 John 5:16-17). ...
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Why do Catholics follow the Pope?
Catholics follow the Pope because he is the successor of Saint Peter upon whom Jesus Christ promised to build His Church, giving Him the keys of the kingdom of heaven. The importance of obedience in our walk with the Lord cannot be overstated. Having redeemed us, He calls us to walk with Him in obedience on the path to heaven. Obedience to God includes obedience to His Church (cf. John 13:20). This call to obey the Lord’s subordinates is really a kind of test for ...
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Why do Catholics believe the Pope is infallible?
Catholics believe the pope is infallible because Jesus Christ promised that "the powers of death" would not prevail against the Church He would build on Peter (cf. Matt. 16:18-19). Catholics view Peter's successor, the Bishop of Rome or the Pope, as possessing the charism of infallibility: the divine protection of the Holy Spirit preventing him from officially teaching error. This gift is necessary in light of Christ’s promise in Matthew 16:19; for if God is to confirm in heaven the ...
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Why do Catholics believe Peter was in Rome?
Catholics believe Peter was in Rome because the evidence from Scripture, Apostolic Tradition, history and archaeology is overwhelming. Opponents of the papacy have denied Peter was in Rome because the Bible does not explicitly record his activity there. Yet Peter himself indicates his presence in Rome in Scripture in the concluding words of his First Letter, saying, “She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings; and so does my son Mark” (5:13). ...
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Why do Catholics believe in purgatory?
Catholics believe in purgatory because we take seriously the Lord's command: "Strive for peace with all men, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord" (Heb. 12:14). Properly understood, purgatory has nothing to do with the forgiveness of sins. We call the souls there, in fact, the "holy souls" because their sins have already been forgiven by the merits of Christ's Cross and they are destined for heaven. At the same time, they retain a certain attachment to their ...
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Why do Catholics pray to the saints?
Catholics pray to the saints because the Bible tells us we are "surrounded" by a "great cloud of witnesses, ... the assembly of the first-born who are enrolled in heaven, ... the spirits of just men made perfect" (Heb. 12:1, 23). This cloud of witnesses is watching over us and cheering us on to victory. According to the writer of Hebrews, honoring the saints, our elder brothers and sisters in Christ, is not contrary to faith in Christ. For him, honoring the saints increases our ...
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