Michael Brooks
Motives of credibility are the rational grounds for accepting divine revelation and the Catholic Church's divine establishment. These include miracles, prophecies, and the Church's growth and endurance over millennia, which serve as external proofs of divine intervention. They are discussed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church and provide a reasonable basis for faith in the Church's teachings. The miracles of Christ and the saints, as well as prophecies, are considered the most certain signs of divine revelation, surpassing human intellect and providing credibility to the Church's claims. The Church's survival through crises, persecution, and internal dissension further adds to its credibility. These motives of credibility are accessible to human reason and provide a defensible argument for the Church's divine origination.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Miracles | Miracles of Christ and the saints, Marian apparitions |
| Prophecies | Fulfilled prophecies, Biblical prophets' knowledge of the future |
| Fulfillment | Fulfillment found in Christ, Christ fulfills loftiest aspirations of the human person |
| Church's growth and holiness | Church's vitality and fidelity, Church's growth over two millennia |
| Church's fruitfulness and stability | Church's endurance of persecution and internal dissension over two thousand years |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
Miracles of Christ and the saints
Miracles are a key part of the Catholic Church's "motives of credibility". These miracles include those performed by Christ and those performed by saints.
Miracles of Christ
Christ performed many miracles during his life, including healing a man born blind and feeding 5,000 people with only seven loaves of bread and a few fishes. One of the most important miracles in Christian theology is the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. This miracle is seen as proof of Christ's power over life and death and is a source of hope for Christians who believe that they too will be resurrected.
Christ also demonstrated his power over nature. For example, in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus calmed a storm while sailing on the Sea of Galilee with his disciples. This miracle not only showed his power over the elements but also symbolised his ability to bring peace and calm to life's troubles.
Miracles of Saints
Saints are also believed to have performed miracles, often attributed to the power of God working through them. These include miraculous healings, such as the cure of Phil McCord's eye issue through the intercession of St. Mother Theodore Guerin. This miracle led to Mother Theodore's canonisation as a saint.
Other miracles associated with saints include stigmata, prophecy, levitation, bilocation, and incorrupt bodies. For example, St. Charbel's body remained incorrupt even after his death, a sign of God's preservation.
These miracles of the saints are seen as further evidence of the Catholic Church's "motives of credibility", demonstrating God's ongoing work in the world through his saints.
Catholic and Anglican Hymns: Similarities and Differences
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Fulfilled prophecies
According to Catholic doctrine, prophecies are a type of foreknowledge and foretelling of future events, revealing hidden truths that cannot be known through reason alone. Motives of credibility are what make belief in Divine Revelation and its transmission through the Church reasonable. These include miracles, prophecies, and the fulfilment found in Christ.
The Bible contains many prophecies concerning the Messiah's sufferings and death, which Christians believe were fulfilled by Jesus Christ. For example, Isaiah 53:2-5 describes a figure who is "despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief". Jesus is said to have firmly defended this prophecy, knowing that his messianic mission was to suffer and die as the "servant of Yahweh".
The fulfilment of Messianic prophecies is a central tenet of Christian faith. Andrew, the first of Jesus' apostles, recognised Jesus as the Messiah and informed his brother Simon, stating, "We have found the Messiah" (John 1:41). Jesus' contemporaries were convinced that he fulfilled the truth about the Messiah, and his followers believed that he fulfilled their loftiest aspirations, bringing truth, happiness, peace, virtue, freedom, love, and meaning to their existence.
The Catholic Church acknowledges the Apocalypse as the last prophetic work inspired by God. While the Church has not declared any subsequent works as prophetic, it recognises numerous saints with prophetic gifts. These include private prophecies, some of which have been verified by events, while others remain open to interpretation.
In summary, fulfilled prophecies are a critical aspect of the motives of credibility in Catholicism. These prophecies, found in the Bible and through saints, relate to both personal and global events, including the end of the world and the Day of Judgment.
Premarital Counseling: Catholic Couples' Commitment Before Marriage
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Church's growth and endurance
The Catholic Church has endured and grown over two millennia, reaching every continent and almost every tribe and nation. This growth and endurance are despite internal and external crises, including great turmoil, incredible persecution, and internal dissension. The Church has survived self-inflicted wounds, such as having three popes at one time, and endured exile from Rome for seventy years.
The Church's endurance and growth are attributed to its divine origination and approval. G.K. Chesterton noted that only an institution with divine approbation could have endured the trials and self-inflicted wounds suffered by the Catholic Church. The Church's continuous fidelity and vibrancy, or its "continuous war against corrosive influences," are thus seen as motives of credibility.
The Church's endurance and growth are also attributed to the miracles of Christ and the saints, which are discussed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. These miracles, found in the Bible and extra-biblical records, provide external proofs of divine revelation. They defy the laws of nature and exhibit God's intervention, serving as powerful tools to move people towards belief.
Evangelists and teachers within the Church are encouraged to share miraculous stories, even with the expectation of being "fact-checked" or encountering skeptics. These stories, especially those with medical data and information, lend credibility to the Church's teachings and provide rational motives of credibility.
In conclusion, the Catholic Church's growth and endurance are supported by its divine origination and the miracles associated with it. The Church's ability to withstand crises and reach a global scale serves as motives of credibility, reinforcing the belief in the accuracy of its teachings.
Natural Law: A Guide for Catholics
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Holiness and sublimity of scripture
The holiness and sublimity of scripture are among the motives of credibility for Catholic faith. Motives of credibility are what make belief in Divine Revelation and its transmission through the teachings of the Church reasonable. They include miracles, prophecies, the fulfilment found in Christ, and the continuous fidelity and vibrancy of the Church.
The holiness of scripture refers to its sanctity, or the outcome of sanctification, which is a divine act by which God freely justifies and claims us for Himself. By our resulting sanctity, we claim God as our Beginning and our End. Holiness is the virtue by which a man's mind applies itself and all its acts to God. It is the virtue by which we make all our acts subservient to God.
The sublimity of scripture refers to its beauty in the highest degree. The sublimity of scripture may be the greatest within a certain class or category, or it may be the greatest in the physical or moral order. The Creator is sublime above all creatures, and His sublimity is taught by revelation, which condemns those who practice idolatry.
The holiness and sublimity of scripture are not the only motives of credibility for Catholic faith. Miracles, such as those of Christ and his saints, also offer proof of revelation because they defy the laws of nature and exhibit God's intervention. Prophecies are also considered motives of credibility, as they are verified by their fulfilment.
It is important to note that some people may disagree with the idea that miracles and prophecies should be considered motives of credibility. They may argue that these things are not proof of anything and can be found in other religions as well.
Understanding the Catholic Calendar: A Guide
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Miracles of Marian apparitions
Marian apparitions are reported supernatural appearances of Mary, the mother of Jesus. They are considered by believers to be expressions of Mary's ongoing motherly care for the church. Apparitions are often accompanied by other alleged supernatural phenomena, such as medical cures. However, such miraculous events are not considered the purpose of Marian apparitions, but are alleged to exist primarily to validate and draw attention to the Christian message.
One of the most well-known Marian apparitions is that of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which occurred in the 16th century to St. Juan Diego, a widower and now saint. She instructed him to get the bishop to build a church upon Mount Tepeyacac. Juan Diego was told to pick flowers that were growing nearby and carry them in his tilma (a type of outer garment or cloak typical to that time) and deliver them to the bishop. When Juan Diego revealed the flowers, the bishop knew a miracle had taken place. Not only had he delivered flowers that were out of season, but his cloak was imprinted with a beautiful image of what we know today as Our Lady of Guadalupe. The bishop agreed to build a church in honour of the apparition, and it has become a very popular place of pilgrimage for people across the world.
Another well-known apparition is Our Lady of La Salette, which appeared only once, unlike many other Marian apparitions. Our Lady of Fatima (1917) was witnessed by three seers, but miraculous phenomena were reported by a crowd of approximately 70,000 people, and even by others located miles away. In other cases, large groups of people claim to see Mary, as in the case of Our Lady of La Vang (Vietnam, c. 1800). Some modern mass apparitions, claimed to have been witnessed by hundreds of thousands, include Our Lady of Zeitoun (Egypt, 1968-1971).
One of the most recent Marian apparitions, Our Lady of Kibeho or “Mother of the Word”, appeared to three children in the early 1980s. She continued to visit the children throughout the decade, and the name she identified herself with, Mother of the Word, is said to be synonymous with the title, “Mother of God”.
Marian apparitions can be approved by the Holy See based on informal indicators of endorsement, and lists of "Vatican-approved Marian apparitions" vary widely depending on the criteria used. Apparitions can be approved by the local bishop, but this does not imply endorsement of the supernaturality of the apparition itself. In the Catholic Church, approval of a Marian apparition is relatively rare, and the majority of investigated apparitions are rejected as fraudulent or otherwise false.
Hell and Catholics: Who Believes?
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
Motives of credibility are the rational grounds for accepting divine revelation and the Catholic Church's divine establishment. These include miracles, prophecies, the sublimity of sacred scripture, and the Church's growth and endurance.
Miracles are events that defy the laws of nature, thus exhibiting God's intervention. They include the miracles of Christ and the saints, such as healings, visions, and apparitions. Miracles serve as external proofs of God's revelation, testifying to his existence and the accuracy of the Church's teachings.
Prophecies in the Bible are predictions made by biblical prophets who possess knowledge of future events. The fulfillment of these prophecies validates Christ's claim to be the Messiah and confirms the establishment of the Church as a divine institution.
The Catholic Church has endured incredible persecution, internal dissension, and self-inflicted wounds over two millennia while still achieving global reach. This survival and growth despite challenges are seen as evidence of divine approbation, suggesting that faith in the Church's divine origination is reasonable and defensible.
![A Question of Faith [DVD]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81M0I2oEwwS._AC_UY218_.jpg)
