Following The Truth: Ten Facts Most Catholics Don’t Know (But Should!) (Catholic or Open)

CE.cpm ^ | July 9th, 2010 | Gary Zimak

[Salvation]

Ten Facts Most Catholics Don’t Know (But Should!)

July 9th, 2010 by Gary Zimak

Every time I hear someone claim to be an “ex-Catholic”, a sense of sadness comes over me.  In just about every case, people leave the Catholic Faith due to a lack of understanding.  After all, if Catholics truly believed that they were members of the one, true Church founded by Christ (and necessary for their salvation), nobody would ever leave!  In an effort to help clarify what the Catholic Church teaches, I have compiled a list of 10 important facts that every Catholic should know.  More than simply Catholic trivia, these are important concepts that can help us to better understand and defend our beliefs.  In no particular order, these items have been compiled based upon my work at Following The Truth and my own study of the Catholic Faith.

1. Women Will Never Be Priests – Often incorrectly lumped in with the subject of married priests, this is a doctrine that has been infallibly decided and will not change.  In 1994, Pope John Paul II issued an Apostolic Letter, Ordinatio Sacerdotalis, in which he declared once and for all that “the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women and that this judgment is to be definitively held by all the Church’s faithful.”  Unlike the issue of married priests (which could possibly change), women’s ordination is an impossibility that will not happen.  It is not a “glass ceiling” or the Church’s attempt to hold back women.  Instead, it is an infallible recognition that men and women have different roles and that Christ instituted a male priesthood.

2. Fridays Are Still Days Of Penance – Ask almost anyone and they will tell you that Catholics are no longer required to abstain from meat on Fridays throughout the year.  However, the current Code of Canon Law (CIC) states that, with the exception of solemnities, “All Fridays through the year and the time of Lent are penitential days and times throughout the entire Church.” (CIC 1250)  Furthermore, “Abstinence from eating meat or another food according to the prescriptions of the conference of bishops is to be observed on Fridays throughout the year unless they are solemnities.” (CIC 1251)  In the United States, the bishops have declared that it is permissible to substitute some other form of penance, but we are still urged to fast from “something” in remembrance of the Lord’s death on the cross.

3. The Bible Is A Catholic Book – Did you ever wonder how the Bible came into being?  A little known, but easily documented fact is that the books of the Bible were compiled by the Catholic Church.  For many years after Christ ascended into Heaven, there was debate about which scriptural writings were inspired by God.  The canon of Scripture (the books of the Bible) was first formally decided at the Synod of Rome in 382.  This decision was upheld at the Councils of Hippo (393) and Carthage (397).  At these Catholic Church councils, the same 46 Old Testament and 27 New Testament books that appear in today’s Catholic Bibles were declared to be inspired by God.  As a side note, approximately 1200 years after this decision was made, Martin Luther and the Protestant reformers removed 7 books from the Old Testament.  As a result, most Protestant Bibles are still missing these 7 books.

4. The Mass Is The Same Sacrifice As Calvary – The biggest mistake that many Catholics make is treating the Holy Mass as “just another church service”, similar to those held by other religions.  In the Mass, Christ’s Sacrifice on the Cross is made present, its memory is celebrated and its saving power is applied.  The Council of Trent teaches that Christ left a visible sacrifice to His Church “in which that bloody sacrifice which was once offered on the Cross should be made present, its memory preserved to the end of the world, and its salvation-bringing power applied to the forgiveness of the sins which are daily committed by us.”  When we attend Mass, we are mystically transported to Calvary, where we can unite ourselves with the Lord’s Sacrifice to the Father!

5. Annulments Are Not Catholic Divorces – Unlike the legal process known as “divorce” (in which a marriage is terminated), a declaration of nullity (annulment) states that a valid marriage never existed.  This decision is based upon the finding that on the day that marriage vows were exchanged, some essential elements were lacking.  This process is completely in conformity with the Catholic teaching regarding the indissolubility of marriage.  Incidentally, the granting of an annulment does not render children illegitimate.

6. In Vitro Fertilization Is Morally Unacceptable – Many Catholics suffering from infertility utilize this process in the hopes of conceiving children, while remaining unaware that the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) declares it “morally unacceptable”(CCC 2377).  In the Vatican Instruction, Donum Vitae, the Church states “…in conformity with the traditional doctrine relating to the goods of marriage and the dignity of the person, the Church remains opposed from the moral point of view to homologous ‘in vitro’ fertilization. Such fertilization is in itself illicit and in opposition to the dignity of procreation and of the conjugal union, even when everything is done to avoid the death of the human embryo.”

7. There Is No Salvation Outside Of The Catholic Church – Originally stated by St. Cyprian, the Latin axiom “Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus” reminds us that there is no salvation outside of the Catholic Church.  This dogma was declared at the Fourth Lateran Council and is a source of confusion for Catholics and non-Catholics alike.  According to the Catechism, all salvation comes from Christ the Head through the Church which is His Body.  It does not mean that non-Catholics cannot achieve salvation.  Individuals who are unaware that the Catholic Church is the one, true Church may still achieve salvation through the merits of the Church, despite their lack of knowledge.

8. In An Emergency, Anyone Can Baptize – Although the ordinary ministers of Baptism are bishops, priests and deacons, anyone can baptize in an emergency, even a non-baptized person.  This extraordinary decision can be attributed to the necessity of Baptism for salvation and the Church’s desire to make it readily available to all.

9. Hell And Purgatory Still Exist –  Contrary to the belief of many Catholics, the Church still teaches that “the souls of those who die in a state of mortal sin, descend into hell, where they suffer the punishments of hell, eternal fire” (CCC 1035)  Furthermore, “all who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation, but after death they undergo purification, so to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven.” (CCC 1030)  This purification process, formally declared by the Church at the Councils of Florence and Trent, is known as Purgatory.

10. Catholics Don’t Worship Mary And The Saints – Many Catholics are confused about the role of the Blessed Mother and the Saints.  Should we pray to Mary and the Saints or should we go “right to the top” and pray to God?  In a nutshell, the Catholic Faith teaches that we must worship God alone.  Mary and the Saints are to be honored, not worshipped.  However, their intercession can be extremely powerful and emulating their virtues can put us on the road to Heaven.

While the above list only scratches the surface of the robust Catholic Faith, it provides a glimpse into the depth of Catholic teaching.  Further explanation on these and other topics can be found by examining the Code of Canon Law and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, both of which can be found online at the Vatican website (www.vatican.va).  Not only will studying the teachings of the Catholic Church enable us to better defend her when challenged, it will help us to become closer to Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who founded our Church 2,000 years ago.

[Quix]

I have scanned some of the pages in and posted them before.

Let me see if I can find them.

The thing is a devotional. Those lines are on their own.

Each page has 10 or so lines/quotes of such stuff. They are just that . . . quotes from RC’s of the modern era and back several hundred years or more.

[Heart-Rest]

That’s an excellent point. If they didn’t have these Church Councils guided by the Holy Spirit, they probably would have just shoved all those other extra-Biblical documents that were floating around back then into the New Testament too. (Like you are saying, the “New Agers” of today are inadvertently highlighting the importance and necessity of those early Church Councils.)

[Gargantua]

"...But, if the Blessed Virgin prays for that same person..."

And you call my reasoning "tortured?" Wow.

In case you didn't know it, the "blessed virgin" is dead, and can't pray for anyone. Me praying to God in the Name of Jesus as my "intercessor" is what the Bible tells me to do. Doing so does not make me the intercessor. I'm just one of the faithful following Biblical encouragement.

That your need to so distort clear fact (i.e., asserting that the deceased Mary "prays" for someone because you errantly ask her to) isn't a hint to you about how far off-base you are is the surest sign that you're in the Enemy's wretched grasp, and doing his vile work.

I will pray that the scales be removed from your eyes, and that your hardened heart be quickened to His perfect Word. I will not continue to dialogue with you, thus encouraging your sinful deceitfulness in this manner.

[Quix]

Here ya go:

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TITLE PAGE

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BACK OF TITLE PAGE

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[SAMPLE PAGE [B]

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SAMPLE PAGE [C]

[Salvation]

http://www.freerepublic.com/~religionmoderator/

From the Religion Moderator’s page:

Remember this:

The demeanor of the poster says more about his own confession than the post says about yours. When he is being rude or mean it drives people away from his confession and towards yours. That is of course if you can resist the urge to meet fire with fire, in which case neither confession is appealing to the lurkers. The poster who “turns the other cheek” wins every single time.
If the other guy is throwing spitwads at you on an “open” thread it probably means he has run out of ammunition. Take it as a backhanded compliment. You won, walk away.

Spiritual maturity is not a prerequisite for posting on the Religion Forum. If the other guy is being childish, be patient with him.

Abusive spammers contribute nothing other than their spam and they don’t last long on Free Republic.

http://www.freerepublic.com/~religionmoderator/

From the Religion Moderator’s page:

Remember this:

The demeanor of the poster says more about his own confession than the post says about yours. When he is being rude or mean it drives people away from his confession and towards yours. That is of course if you can resist the urge to meet fire with fire, in which case neither confession is appealing to the lurkers. The poster who “turns the other cheek” wins every single time.
If the other guy is throwing spitwads at you on an “open” thread it probably means he has run out of ammunition. Take it as a backhanded compliment. You won, walk away.

Spiritual maturity is not a prerequisite for posting on the Religion Forum. If the other guy is being childish, be patient with him.

Abusive spammers contribute nothing other than their spam and they don’t last long on Free Republic.

[cothrige]

In case you didn't know it, the "blessed virgin" is dead, and can't pray for anyone.

Sorry, but soul sleep is not biblical.

Me praying to God in the Name of Jesus as my "intercessor" is what the Bible tells me to do. Doing so does not make me the intercessor. I'm just one of the faithful following Biblical encouragement.

You declared outright that if the Blessed Virgin prays to our Lord for somebody else it is intercession, and so it seems hard to understand how the same thing being done by you isn't. There is no expiration date on Christian charity, and if we are taught to pray for others in this life we will do the same in the next.

That your need to so distort clear fact (i.e., asserting that the deceased Mary "prays" for someone because you errantly ask her to) isn't a hint to you about how far off-base you are is the surest sign that you're in the Enemy's wretched grasp, and doing his vile work.

This is evidence to you that I am doing the Devil's work? That I have faith that God's own people are with him? What a strange faith you have.

I will not continue to dialogue with you, thus encouraging your sinful deceitfulness in this manner.

Well, whatever makes you happy, but I will reply here anyway as it is the proper and respectful thing to do. I won't look for you to do the same. And your false and unchristian judgement of myself in terms of "sinful deceitfulness" weighs strongly against you. The time is short and you should be mindful.

[Quix]

THANKS for letting me know that y’all were familiar with that.

It’s virtually impossible to tell from y’all’s postings.

[Salvation]

I will pray for you, for despite all our trials of education with you, you still diwown the Blessed Virgin Mary.

I feel sorry for you at the moment of your death when you meet Jesus. What will he say to you?

“Go with the goats because you repeatedly disowned my Mother and in so doing you disowned me. Begone.”

[MHGinTN]

Number seven bothers me particularly since it conflates the Spiritual Bride with the man-made institution.

[NYer]

Advent series ping.

Not sure how this ties into Advent but totally enjoyed the post!

[Salvation]

**I was raised Catholic, through First Communion up to my Confirmation**

You are still a Catholic and always will be one, although you will have to answer for your inactive status at the present.

The word is “intercede”

The Blessed Virgin Mary and the saints are in heaven, much closer to Christ and God the Father and God the Holy Spirit than I am. So I ask them to pray for me. That’s what intercession/interceding is all about.

**Save your tortured mumbledygook **

I pity you at the moment you meet Christ when you die. Are you going to say you are sorry for “mumbledygooking” his Mother? Or will he say to you, “Go with the goats, you did not respect my Mother who brought me into the world at Christma. Begone to the darkness.” What will he say?

[Salvation]

It’s just the series I chose for Advent this year. Like I used Divine Mercy during Lent last year.

[Salvation]

Both of you read the Bible, right? Then why don't you believe this?

 

The Scripture Text Lk 1:26-38 

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered in her mind what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have favour with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give to Him the throne of His father  David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of His kingdom there will be no end.” And Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no husband?” And the angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, your kinswoman Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. (Lk 1:26-38 RSV) 

[Quix]

Not to the slightest degree.

You must also be reading a different ‘Bible.’

[Quix]

How anyone can leap from Luke to the kind of hideousness that’s in Ferraro

and still claim to be rational

is beyond me.

[boatbums]

1. Women Will Never Be Priests

I don't care about this. Catholics can make up whatever rules they want for their own church.

2. Fridays Are Still Days Of Penance

I don't believe "penance" is a Scriptural concept since Christ died to set us free from the curse of sin and its punishments. He bore our punishment on the cross and we stand before God clothed in the righteousness of Christ, not our own. We have no righteousness that can satisfy the penalty of sin, which is DEATH.

3. The Bible Is A Catholic Book

The Bible is the Divinely-inspired, God-breathed Holy Scriptures that HE ensured contains all truth necessary for our salvation and the doctrines we must know to live holy and God-honoring lives. The books that were added to the Jewish Old Testament, called Deuterocanonical or Apocryphal, were not considered Divinely inspired, but only "useful" for the church. They contain numerous errors in history, geography and contradict other unanimously agreed as God-breathed Holy Scripture. God would not allow fallible and erroneous books to be held up as binding upon Christians.

4. The Mass Is The Same Sacrifice As Calvary

Catholics can think this if they want, but it doesn't make it true. Christ died "once for all" according to Scripture and his sacrifice is efficacious for all who by faith trust in Him as Savior. There is no need to "make the sacrifice present" for it to be propitiatory for all time. "For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified." (Hebrews 10:14)

5. Annulments Are Not Catholic Divorces

Yet plenty of people are granted them, even those who have been married for decades and have brought children into the world. Again, Catholics can do what they want, but they shouldn't pretend something that is provably false.

6. In Vitro Fertilization Is Morally Unacceptable

Catholics can make whatever rules they want for their members. I personally agree that in vitro is morally wrong because it destroys human life in the pursuit of creating human life. God alone opens and closes the womb so perhaps those who are unable to conceive children of their own are meant to parent children who have lost their natural parents. God provides.

7. There Is No Salvation Outside Of The Catholic Church

There is no salvation outside of faith in Jesus Christ. Once one is "born again" by faith in Christ, they automatically become part of the Body of Christ, the Church of the Living God. The "Catholic Church" used to be known as the "universal", or catholic, church and represents the entire spiritually united called-out assembly of those sanctified by faith in Jesus Christ - the saints.

8. In An Emergency, Anyone Can Baptize

It is only by grace through faith that we are saved. We are baptized in the Holy Spirit when we are born again. The outward act or ordinance of water baptism is a first act of obedience to testify to others of identification with Christ, as followers of him.

9. Hell And Purgatory Still Exist

Purgatory NEVER existed. There is no Scripture reference to it nor doctrinal justification for it. We are washed clean in the blood of Christ and he bore the punishment for all our sins. Because of this, we do not suffer the consequences of our sins after we die. While we are still alive, God disciplines and chastises us as our Heavenly Father who loves his children and desires for us to live blessed and holy lives. Not just to honor him but for our own benefit as well. Sin leads to dishonor and could even include physical death if we resist God's chastisement, but we are not judged according to our iniquities. We do not and cannot pay for our sins because the "wages of sin is death" - spiritual death.

10. Catholics Don’t Worship Mary And The Saints

I know you say this, and I accept that it is not "technically" approved, but I don't see how you can blame others for thinking you do by the evidence. Prayers to Mary that extol her God-like attributes, altars and candles set up before her statues and images, songs of praise, dogmas about her sinlessness and bodily assumption to Heaven, names like Co-Redemptress, Co-Mediatrix and source of all grace certainly suggest much more than honor and blessedness. Again, Catholics can do want they want, but to declare that they are THE One, True, and Only Church of Jesus Christ that outside of "her" none can be saved is taking it too far. To create whatever dogmas they desire and then holding ALL Christians to obedience and submission to the "infallible" Pope of Rome under threat of eternal damnation is a deep error that threatens the unity of all of the true children of God.

[D-fendr]

If anything, the font size, color and repetition just make me speed up and skip to the next post.

Yep, me too - like if this guy had internet:

[Not gonna take it anymore]

Yeah it’s nice to have a clue who’s posting. lol

[Not gonna take it anymore]

Why, thank you. No one has every complimented me on dodging before.

[MarkBsnr]

Yep, me too - like if this guy had internet:

I wonder if he sees aliens, too.