What do Catholics believe in?

Question

What do they believe that makes them different than other Christian religions?

Answer 1

We believe in God, the Father Almighty,
the Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:

Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.

He descended into hell.
The third day He arose again from the dead.

He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty,
whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting.

What makes us differnt. WE are the church that Jesus founded. I have had hands laid on me by a bishop who said recieve the Holy spirit, this bishop had hands laid on him, by some one who had hands laid on him, by some one who had hands laid on him ... all the way back in an unbroken documented chain to one of the apostiles one who was actually in the room saw the risen Jesus lived and worked with Jesue and received the Holy spirti on pentecost. This is called Apsitolic succesion and not even the Luthern's nor the Anglican's can claim it anymore. marint Luther was a Catholic Bishop who broke away from the church. Henery the VIII is generally credited as having founded or started the anglican cheurch which again broke away from the catholic church. EVery other christian denomination or so called non-denomination either broke off of the Catholic church at some point in history or broke off from a sect that had preciously brok off of the CAtholic church. This is all history and it is all researchable. It is nop big secret. And non of these can claim apositlic succesion. This is why our tradition is so important to us we actually wlaked with Jesus were ther with Him in the garden when He suffered, took Him down from the cross and hwere there when He rose He came to see Peter the first Pope again, this is not secret it is researchable. Look for yourself. WE put togheter the new testoment officially in or around the 4th century throught three or four meeings or synods, I believe it was St; Augusitne who had a mjor inluence here. prior to that time we read the jewish bible and recited "our" experience wiht Jesus. St. John would get up at a Mass during the gosple protion and recite his "personal" experince with Jesus, etc. until we decided to write htese personl experiences down so they would not be forgotten. And we are tickled to share them with the Luthern's the angilcan's the penticsotals, the disiples of chuck smith, the presbetians, etc. we are happy to share our experiences with you all.
We believe that Mary the Blessed Mother of Jesus was born without original sin, and remained perfect thourhg her life, and that although she was awoman she was an extrordnary one chosend by God from the beigning of time for this honor.
Think about it the in the old testament the levites the chosen priests of God's chosen people they were the only one's who copuld go behind the curtain where the arc of the convenet was kept in which were the tablets that moses brought down wiht the ten commandments, and some of the manna that they ate in the desert.. One of these preists would have to go through a purification ritual to go behind the curtain to remove any stain of sin. They tied a cord to his leg that way if he were to not ufficiently purified and htose struct deas by God he could be pulled out without anyone lese having to risk goin in. Mary had God and carried God in her womb, if she had not been wihtout sin she owuld have been struck dead as urley as on of these levites, she mothered him. so, yes, because of this and the fact that we knew her we believe she weas ithout sin, and while we do not worship her we honor her as God's sacred vessel, and as one who lives in heaven wiht her son and delights in interceding for us, as she did when she asked Him to change the wtere into wine at cana.

Answer 2

For the most part we believe many of the same things as other Christians. There are a few points that we differ on. One is that Christ set Peter up as the steward of the Church. Others have filled in this position and is now called the Pope. It comes from the passage in Matthew where Jesus tells Peter what he binds on Earth is bond in Heaven. We also believe that Holy Eucharist is the Body Blood Soul and Divinity of Jesus. There are many biblical references Catholics site, John 6, I Corthintians 11, the last supper narratives to support this. We believe in the need to seek repentance as we sin as site in the Letter of James. We use the Greek Septaguent translation of the Old Testament whereas most Protestants use the Hebrew translations These seem to be the biggest sticking points today between Catholics and Protestant beliefs.

Answer 3

Catholics believe pretty much everything about Jesus that all other Christians believe. However, Catholics believe that Jesus really did establish a Church on earth and really did endow that Church with the Holy Spirit in order to help people know how to live a Christian life. Because of that, Catholics accept the authority of the Church as true and trustworthy and we believe that even though people who belong to the Church (including our authority figures) are not perfect and make mistakes, the Church and its teachings are still universally good and relevant. Protestants protest the authority of the Catholic Church and to varying degrees reject a measure of Catholic teachings in favor of their own theology. Any Christian Church who uses the Bible, however, is accepting the authority of the Catholic Church a little bit, because the New Testament was collected, verified, preserved, canonized and distributed by the Catholic Church.

Other than that, there are some little foibles, such as whether or not Christians who have died and gone to heaven are still actively participating in the Church (Catholics say yes, most Protestants say no), how many Sacraments there are (Catholics say 7, most Protestants accept only two of them or only one), etc.

Answer 4

+ Catholic Beliefs +

A summary of Catholic beliefs is contained in the Nicene Creed (from the year 325) as shown above.

For a complete description of what Catholics believe, see the Catechism of the Catholic Church: http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/index.htm

+ Similarities +

"What separates us as believers in Christ is much less than what unites us." (Pope John XXIII)

Almost all important doctrine is completely agreed upon between Catholic Christians and other Christians.

Here is the joint declaration of justification by Catholics (1999), Lutherans (1999), and Methodists (2006):

By grace alone, in faith in Christ's saving work and not because of any merit on our part, we are accepted by God and receive the Holy Spirit, who renews our hearts while equipping us and calling us to good works.

There are many minor doctrine issues and some major cultural traditional differences which, I believe, do not matter that much.

A Catholic worships and follows Christ in the tradition of Catholicism which, among other things, recognizes that Christ made Peter the leader of His new Church and Pope Benedict XVI is Peter's direct successor.

+ With love in Christ.

Answer 5

We believe in God, the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
and 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, one in Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he was born of the Virgin Mary,
and became man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered, died, and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in fulfilment of 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.
With the Father and the Son
he is worshipped and glorified.
He 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

Answer 6

They have the fullness of the Faith. ALL of the revelations that have been handed down. They truly receive Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and because of that we truly have a relationship with the Virgin Mary, our Mother (who is alive because Christ is alive) and all the Saints. It is a great mystery actually the difference between the Catholic and their Protestant brothers and sisters. It is a little like the difference between Joseph and Benjamin and the rest of Joseph's brothers. Joseph wanted Benjamin to stay with him while the others went out and did what Joseph told them to do and this is exactly what Jesus told Peter about John (the Catholic). He said "If I want him to remain forever, what's it to you" The Catholic Truly receives Jesus and the other denominations do not (Catholics of course are all religions that are in union with the Pope including the Orthodox and Byzantine and some Coptics and others. This is the "UNIVERSAL" Church.)

Answer 7

Just to be clear, Catholicism is a Christian religion. There's way to much to include here, I would encourage you to talk to a Catholic, or look it up. But basically, Catholics follow what is considered orthodox doctrine. Other Christian denominations broke away from Catholicism and the Orthodox Church, over doctrine and practice issues.

Answer 8

The Catholic Church was founded, authorized, empowered, and guaranteed by Jesus Christ, and was entusted with ALL his truth and ALL that he chose to reveal to mankind.

The Catholic Chuch has faithfully maintained that sacred deposit of faith for the benefit of all, and has also faithfully handed it down, unchanged, from generation to generation.

Jesus Christ still heads the church, the Holy Spirit is still the church's divine arbiter of truth, and the promises Jesus personally made to his church are everlasting, totally unqualified, and completely unbreakable.

Jesus founded only one church ... he did these things for no other person or group ... so if you're not Catholic ... the big question is ... WHY NOT?

http://home.inreach.com/~bstanley/believer.htm

Answer 9

The Catholic Church proclaims itself to be the Church that Jesus Christ died for, the Church that was established and built by the Apostles. Is that the true origin of the Catholic Church? On the contrary. Even a cursory reading of the New Testament will reveal that the Catholic Church does not have its origin in the teachings of Jesus, or His apostles. In the New Testament, there is no mention of the papacy, worship / adoration of Mary (or the immaculate conception of Mary, the perpetual virginity of Mary, the assumption of Mary, or Mary as co-redemptrix and mediatrix), petitioning saints in Heaven for their prayers, apostolic succession, the ordinances of the church functioning as sacraments, infant baptism, confession of sin to a priest, purgatory, indulgences, or the equal authority of church tradition and Scripture.

Answer 10

Pastor Billy says: antiquity, authenticity, authority.

additonal notes: in otherwords, doctrinal unity, ancient liturgy, apostolic authority, sacramental life. In Catholicism you find the fullness of your Christianity. It answers many of the questions other Christian communities are still sorting out or attempting to reinvent.

goto the ewtn audio library and search for "journey home" download any of the numerous testimonials from Protestant clergy who have become Catholic after years of discernment.