What are the main beliefs of Catholicism?

Question

I really don't know a lot about any church. I did not grow up in church, and started attending a Church of God-Protestant- when I was in High School. Any and all information would be wonderful. Do they pray to Mary? Why? Why is communion given at ever service? How do you become a member of Catholicism? How/when can you become baptised? I'm trying to learn as much as possible. I'm ignorant, so please enlighten me.

What are sacraments? what do i have to do to join the catholic church? what is the process for baptism?

Answer 1

We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.
We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, light from light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary
and became truly human.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father [and the Son],
who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.



Here is link to answer your questions
http://www.anawim.pair.com/CATHOLICS/

Answer 2

I ve always grown up in Catholicism. There was not one mass I missed on Sundays. Sometimes it was an obligation, but now its something I would miss entirely.

It is universal. What does that mean? I had oportunity to visit many different countries and what I found was that the most important thing that made me feel at home was the church. No matter what language they use, it is understandable because throughout the world the celebration of the eucharist is exactly the same. It is something that unites people all over the world. I ve never realized this untill I had to travel.

Another important thing in the eucharist - it is a simple piece of unleaven bread, but at the same time it is the creator that you will meet one day. This says two things:

1. a lot about the personality of God, that knows no limits in reclaiming a soul, even to humble himself into something seemingly so simple as a piece of bread (the creator of the universe in a humble piece of bread.)

2. Second, It shows the worth of humanty to whom God wants to to be so close as to be eaten by them in order to give them life.

What is the hardest for people to accept about Catholicism is the infallability of the Pope. But that doesnt mean that the Pope is perfect. What it means is that in order to preserve the faith throughout the centuries, we must have a dogma that is untouched by sin. So in matters of dogma, the Pope is guided by Christ to not make mistakes. For this reason, the church dogma survived in order to bring people closer to God. It survived even the "bad popes". How? because it is not the Popes who lead the church but Christ, through the descendant of Peter.

So to me, this is Catholicism: it is like the treasure mentioned in the bible - once someone saw the value, their eye is opened and they want to get it. And to understand it takes a lifetime.

Answer 3

We love Mary, she is our Mother. We love Jesus most of all, he is the Church's spouse. He is present in the Holy Eucharist at every Mass. There is a Mass at most Church's every day. If you love someone wouldn't you want to be with them every day? I don't just mean talk to them but, physically be with them. This is Holy Communion. Catholicism is what Jesus wanted. The Gospels of Mathew, Mark, and Luke, are all pretty much the same (the other denominations), then there is John, the Catholic,....Richer, deeper, more revelations, more mystery, more of everything. John who stands beneath the cross with Mary , our Mother at every Mass. That's the Catholic.

Answer 4

Ok, the Apostle's creed is one place to start (or the Nicene creed).
You have to take classes before you can be baptized. As an adult, you are usually baptized and confirmed in the same service. You must confess your sins to a priest before you receive communion.
You also must go to confession at least once a year during the Lenten season (this is an absolute minimum). No one prays to Mary. They ask for her intercession (would she take their request to God since she is the Mother of God). Communion is given at every service because Mass is basically the reenactment of the Last Supper. You are receiving the body and blood of Christ, his final sacrifice for humanity.
Catholicism is a very dogmatic religion and very complex. It has lovely practices and practices that don't make much sense.......like everything. If you study it and it makes sense then go for it. I was raised Catholic, questioned everything and choose to practice Buddhism. I appreciate my 'roots' but it's not for me. I wish you well.

Answer 5

What does "catholic" mean?

830 The word "catholic" means "universal," in the sense of "according to the totality" or "in keeping with the whole." The Church is catholic in a double sense:

First, the Church is catholic because Christ is present in her. "Where there is Christ Jesus, there is the Catholic Church."307 In her subsists the fullness of Christ's body united with its head; this implies that she receives from him "the fullness of the means of salvation"308 which he has willed: correct and complete confession of faith, full sacramental life, and ordained ministry in apostolic succession. The Church was, in this fundamental sense, catholic on the day of Pentecost309 and will always be so until the day of the Parousia.

831 Secondly, the Church is catholic because she has been sent out by Christ on a mission to the whole of the human race:310


All men are called to belong to the new People of God. This People, therefore, while remaining one and only one, is to be spread throughout the whole world and to all ages in order that the design of God's will may be fulfilled: he made human nature one in the beginning and has decreed that all his children who were scattered should be finally gathered together as one. . . . The character of universality which adorns the People of God is a gift from the Lord himself whereby the Catholic Church ceaselessly and efficaciously seeks for the return of all humanity and all its goods, under Christ the Head in the unity of his Spirit.311

Each particular Church is "catholic"

832 "The Church of Christ is really present in all legitimately organized local groups of the faithful, which, in so far as they are united to their pastors, are also quite appropriately called Churches in the New Testament. . . . In them the faithful are gathered together through the preaching of the Gospel of Christ, and the mystery of the Lord's Supper is celebrated. . . . In these communities, though they may often be small and poor, or existing in the diaspora, Christ is present, through whose power and influence the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church is constituted."312

833 The phrase "particular Church," which is first of all the diocese (or eparchy), refers to a community of the Christian faithful in communion of faith and sacraments with their bishop ordained in apostolic succession.313 These particular Churches "are constituted after the model of the universal Church; it is in these and formed out of them that the one and unique Catholic Church exists."314

834 Particular Churches are fully catholic through their communion with one of them, the Church of Rome "which presides in charity."315 "For with this church, by reason of its pre-eminence, the whole Church, that is the faithful everywhere, must necessarily be in accord."316 Indeed, "from the incarnate Word's descent to us, all Christian churches everywhere have held and hold the great Church that is here [at Rome] to be their only basis and foundation since, according to the Savior's promise, the gates of hell have never prevailed against her."317

835 "Let us be very careful not to conceive of the universal Church as the simple sum, or . . . the more or less anomalous federation of essentially different particular churches. In the mind of the Lord the Church is universal by vocation and mission, but when she put down her roots in a variety of cultural, social, and human terrains, she takes on different external expressions and appearances in each part of the world."318 The rich variety of ecclesiastical disciplines, liturgical rites, and theological and spiritual heritages proper to the local churches "unified in a common effort, shows all the more resplendently the catholicity of the undivided Church."319

Who belongs to the Catholic Church?

836 "All men are called to this catholic unity of the People of God. . . . And to it, in different ways, belong or are ordered: the Catholic faithful, others who believe in Christ, and finally all mankind, called by God's grace to salvation."320

837 "Fully incorporated into the society of the Church are those who, possessing the Spirit of Christ, accept all the means of salvation given to the Church together with her entire organization, and who - by the bonds constituted by the profession of faith, the sacraments, ecclesiastical government, and communion - are joined in the visible structure of the Church of Christ, who rules her through the Supreme Pontiff and the bishops. Even though incorporated into the Church, one who does not however persevere in charity is not saved. He remains indeed in the bosom of the Church, but 'in body' not 'in heart.'"321

838 "The Church knows that she is joined in many ways to the baptized who are honored by the name of Christian, but do not profess the Catholic faith in its entirety or have not preserved unity or communion under the successor of Peter."322 Those "who believe in Christ and have been properly baptized are put in a certain, although imperfect, communion with the Catholic Church."323 With the Orthodox Churches, this communion is so profound "that it lacks little to attain the fullness that would permit a common celebration of the Lord's Eucharist."324

Answer 6

they put more enforce on the woman figure Mother Goddess.
Mary mother of Jesus for her immaculate conception

Answer 7

Idolotry...paganism....false doctrine....the best description of the catholic church is found in the description of the apostate church of revelation