The word “catholic” means universal. Jesus created one universal church for all of mankind.
To belong to the church one must accept the gospel of Jesus as it was handed down in tradition and interpreted by the bishops in union with the pope. Fundamental in this divine tradition is the Bible, its text determined and disseminated by the church. Adherents must also accept the church as possessing the fullness of revelation, and the church, according to the Roman Catholic catechism, is the only Christian body that is “one, holy, catholic [universal], and apostolic.”
The doctrine of apostolic succession is one of the keystones of the Catholic faith; it holds that the pope (the vicar of Christ) and the bishops have in varying degrees the spiritual authority Jesus assigned to his apostles. The voice of the pope, either alone or in conjunction with his bishops in council, is regarded as infallible when speaking on matters of faith and morals taught in common with the bishops. Many features of the traditional teaching have been analyzed and restated, by the councils and by great theologians but all come from a common truth.
The chief teachings of the Catholic church are: God’s objective existence; God’s interest in individual human beings, who can enter into relations with God (through prayer); the Trinity; the divinity of Jesus; the immortality of the soul of each human being, each one being accountable at death for his or her actions in life, with the reward of heaven or hell; the resurrection of the dead; the historicity of the Gospels; and the divine commission of the church. In addition the Roman Catholic Church stresses that since the members, living and dead, share in each other’s merits, the Virgin Mary and other saints and the dead in purgatory are never forgotten.
The church is seen as having from God a system of conveying God’s grace direct to humanity. The ordinary Catholic frequents the sacraments of penance (required at least once a year) and the Eucharist (required once every Easter time). The Eucharist is the center of public worship, often embellished with solemn ceremony.
Private prayer is also regarded as essential; contemplation is the ideal and all believers are expected to devote some time to prayer that is more than requesting favors. Different methods of prayer are recommended. Self-renunciation is a necessary part of prayer.
The church teaches that the main motive for ethical behavior is the love of God. Nothing that God has created is evil in itself, but evil use may be made of it. The doctrine concerning persons not Catholic is that since God affords each human being light sufficient to attain salvation, all will be saved who persevere in what they believe to be good, regardless of ignorance. Only those will be damned who persist in what they know to be wrong; among these are persons who resist the church when they know it to be the one, true church.
-Credits: National Geographic, New York Times.
