Sarah Mitchell
The Catholic Church has a wide range of doctrines, which are formal and established beliefs based on the Bible, also known as dogmas. These doctrines are considered binding, with members expected to accept and adhere to them. The central doctrines of the Catholic Church revolve around the Holy Trinity, God the Creator, and the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, which are essential to the Christian faith. Over time, the Church has produced catechisms that summarise its teachings, and the number of sacraments, or rituals, has been standardised to seven. The Catholic faith has evolved over centuries, with doctrines being formally established as the need arose, and the Church's understanding of God and grace sets it apart from other denominations.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Core doctrines | Trinity and God the Creator |
| Central figure | Jesus |
| Salvation | Reconciliation with God through Jesus' death and resurrection |
| Promise | Eternal life in heaven |
| Creed | The Nicene Creed, The Apostles' Creed, The Chalcedonian Creed |
| Sacraments | Baptism, Confirmation, The Eucharist, Reconciliation (Penance), Anointing of the Sick, Marriage, Holy Orders |
| Bible | The main religious text of Catholicism, also referred to as the Sacred Scripture |
| Bible sections | The Old Testament and the New Testament |
| Bible books | 46 books in the Old Testament, four Gospels in the New Testament |
| God | Transcendental, omnipotent, incomprehensible, incarnational, eternal, triune (Holy Trinity) |
| Grace | A gift from God, available in everyday life and sacred rituals, necessary for the salvation of the soul |
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What You'll Learn
The Holy Trinity
The Nicene Creed, formulated at the Councils of Nicaea and Constantinople in 325 and 381, respectively, sets out the main principles of Catholic Christian belief. It was ratified as the universal creed of Christendom by the Council of Ephesus in 431. The creed is recited at Sunday Masses and is the core statement of belief in many Christian churches. The Nicene Creed and the Apostles' Creed summarise the major teachings of the Catholic Church.
The Council's definitions concerning the Trinity are as easy as one, two, three, four. There is one nature in God, two processions, three persons, and four relations that constitute the Blessed Trinity. The Son proceeds from the Father, and the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. These two processions are foundational to the four relations that constitute the three persons in God. The Father actively and eternally generates the Son, constituting the person of God, the Father. The Son is passively generated by the Father, constituting the person of the Son. The Father and the Son actively spirate the Holy Spirit, constituting the third person in the Blessed Trinity.
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Sacraments
Baptism
Baptism is seen as the sacrament of admission to the faith, bringing sanctifying grace to the person being baptized. In Catholicism, the baptism of infants is the most common form, but unbaptized children or adults who wish to join the faith must also receive this sacrament. The priest usually sprinkles or pours holy water on the recipient's head while reciting: "I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." The old self is said to die in the waters, and a new self emerges, mirroring the death and resurrection of Christ.
Confirmation
Confirmation is the third sacrament of initiation and serves to "confirm" a baptized person in their faith. The rite of confirmation can occur as early as age seven for children who were baptized as infants but is commonly received around age thirteen for those who were baptized as children. It is performed immediately after baptism for adult converts. In the Acts of the Apostles, Baptism, Laying of the Hands (Confirmation/Chrismation), and Breaking of the Bread (the Eucharist) are administered to the faithful within a short span of time.
Eucharist
The Eucharist, or Holy Communion, is another sacrament of initiation and can be received daily if desired. It is the central rite of Catholic worship. The consecrated elements of bread and wine are transubstantiated into the body and blood of Christ, and the congregation then shares in this sacred meal. A baptized child's First Communion is usually celebrated around age seven or eight and is preceded by their first confession (the sacrament of Reconciliation).
Reconciliation (Penance)
Reconciliation, also known as Penance, is one of the sacraments of healing. It is often a prerequisite for receiving the Eucharist, as Catholics are expected to be in a state of grace to receive Communion worthily.
Anointing of the Sick
The Anointing of the Sick is the other sacrament of healing. It is a ritual of healing appropriate for any serious illness and is not just for those near death.
Holy Orders
Holy Orders is one of the sacraments of service. It is the sacrament by which a priest is ordained.
Matrimony
Matrimony, or marriage, is the other sacrament of service and is seen as a sacrament of service to others and to the community of the Church. It is one of the seven holy sacraments that are seen as mystical channels of divine grace, instituted by Christ.
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Salvation
The Catholic Church does not endorse a particular interpretation of salvation, but it does have a lot to say about salvation and how it is worked out. The Church teaches that salvation comes through Jesus alone, since he is the "one mediator between God and man".
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that "Believing in Jesus Christ and in the One who sent him for our salvation is necessary for obtaining that salvation". This is not the same as the fundamentalist view, where saving faith is merely trusting in the finished work of Christ for salvation. In Catholic theology, the object of trust is "God" rather than the death of Christ, and the nature of this trust emphasizes assent to teaching rather than reliance on the Son of God.
The Catholic Church teaches that the saving grace won by Jesus is offered as a free gift, accessible through repentance, faith, and baptism. Repentance shows a willingness to turn from things that keep us from God, and baptism renews us, filling us with the grace necessary to have faith and to live it.
The Church rejects Pelagianism, a 5th-century heresy from the theologian Pelagius, which states that humans can save themselves. The Church has definitively rejected this proposal, stating that our salvation needs to come from someone who is authentically one of us (fully human) and from God (who is fully divine). This is realized in the person of Jesus.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church also states that "as often as the sacrifice of the cross is celebrated on an altar, the work of our redemption is carried on". This is in contrast to the Catholic Bible, which teaches that "by this [i.e., God's 'will'], we have been consecrated through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all".
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The Bible
The Gospels are a major part of the New Testament. There are four Gospels, each believed to be passed down by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. They are considered especially important as they detail the life story of Jesus during his time on Earth. The New Testament also mentions several resurrection appearances of Jesus to his twelve apostles and disciples, including more than five hundred brethren at once, before his Ascension.
The death and resurrection of Jesus are essential doctrines of the Christian faith. Through these acts, sinful humans can be reconciled to God and offered salvation and the promise of eternal life in heaven. This is the core Christian belief. The Bible also contains the books of the Hebrew Bible, or Old Testament, from which Catholicism derives its belief in original sin.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church stipulates the official doctrinal positions and teachings held by the Roman Catholic Church. The Church has formal and established beliefs (known as dogmas) on the basis of the Bible. These dogmas are binding, meaning that members of the Catholic Church are generally expected to accept them. The fundamentals of these dogmas are based on the Church's creed, which is a declaration of beliefs that are essential to the Church. The two main creeds of the Catholic Church are the Nicene Creed and the Apostles' Creed. These are usually spoken at Sunday Mass and on holy days. The Apostles' Creed was developed between the 2nd and 9th centuries and its central doctrines are those of the Trinity and God the Creator. The Nicene Creed, meanwhile, sets out the main principles of Catholic Christian belief.
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Catechism
Catholicism is a Christian religion that has been evolving for many centuries. Its theology is based on canonical scripture and sacred tradition, interpreted by the Catholic Church's magisterium. The core Christian belief is that Jesus' death and resurrection reconciled sinful humans with God, offering salvation and the promise of eternal life in heaven.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church is a text that stipulates the official doctrinal positions and teachings held by the Church. The Catholic Church has also produced catechisms that summarise its teachings, including the official Catechism of the Catholic Church published in 1992. The Church's doctrine and dogma are often sophisticated and complex, with fundamentals based on its creed, a declaration of essential beliefs.
The two main creeds of the Catholic Church are the Nicene Creed and the Apostles' Creed, which are spoken at Sunday Mass and on holy days. The Nicene Creed was formulated at the Councils of Nicaea and Constantinople in 325 and 381, respectively, and ratified as the universal creed of Christendom in 431. It sets out the main principles of Catholic Christian belief, including the central doctrines of the Trinity and God the Creator. The Apostles' Creed, on the other hand, is used as a summary of Christian doctrine for baptismal candidates and asks parents and godparents of infants to be baptised to recite it, signifying their acceptance of the Church's basic doctrines.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church also includes teachings on the sacraments, which are outward signs instituted by Jesus Christ that are productive of inner grace. There are seven sacraments in total, including baptism, confirmation, the Eucharist, reconciliation (penance), anointing of the sick, marriage, and holy orders. These sacraments were confirmed by the Council of Trent against Protestant reformers, who recognised only two sacraments.
Additionally, the Catechism addresses the nature of God, who is understood as transcendental, omnipotent, incarnational, and eternal. God is also understood as triune, or one God in three forms: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit. This concept is known as the Holy Trinity and is another fundamental belief of the Catholic Church.
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Frequently asked questions
The central Catholic doctrines are those of the Trinity and God the Creator. The Holy Trinity consists of God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit (the presence of God). These are three manifestations of God, not three distinct gods.
The two main creeds of the Catholic Church are the Nicene Creed and the Apostles' Creed. These are recited at Sunday Mass and on holy days.
The sacraments are outward signs instituted by Jesus Christ that are productive of inner grace. There are seven sacraments: baptism, confirmation, the Eucharist, reconciliation (penance), anointing of the sick, marriage, and holy orders.
