Reddit reviews Catechism of the Catholic Church: Complete and Updated
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complete summary of what catholics throughout the world believe
> I have no idea if this post contains anything insulting/against the rules/breaking some secret taboo. I just want to become closer to the family of the man I love.
This last sentence just made me smile so big today. We're a pretty thick skinned bunch, and hearing that you want to come into this with an open heart and mind, prompted by a man and family whom you love, is an occasion for joy. Welcome! We're happy to have you here. Please stick around and ask as many questions as you wish!
I want to make this offer at the beginning of this post, so it doesn't get buried. As you embark upon this journey, please feel free to keep my username handy and DM with any specific questions that trip you up or pique your curiosity. I mean that, I'm happy to be a resource in addition to all the wonderful folks who help this subreddit tick.
I'm a cradle Catholic, 28 years old, and I, too, feel like there's an eternity's worth of stuff to discover about the faith. It's always overwhelming.
I'm going to first echo /u/Trubea's sentiments, Catholicism For Dummies is an excellent resource book and worth picking up.
Given that your SO has been sharing lots of biblical stories with you it would also make sense to buy a Bible. I'd recommend the following for a very readable Bible with awesome footnotes, and the Catechism of the Catholic Church as a teaching companion to reference against. It may take time to dig really deeply into those, but eventually you'll want them.
Two YouTube channels (finally I'm recommending something free, right?) where you'll find great short videos on what the Church teaches, pop culture, and everything in between are found here:
Also, I've noticed you seem to be drawn to the "beauty" of the faith. The aforementioned Bishop Barron has some great media that I think you'd really enjoy.
Before I recommend too many more options that break the bank, I'll leave you with that. :) There are lots of free resources to learn about the Catholic Church online, as well. The teachings, the stories, the lives of the saints, the miracles, you name it! Just let us know what is piquing your interest the most, and we'll do our best to direct you to something awesome on it.
In the present, will say a prayer for your journey. Peace to you!
These are all very good and very in-depth questions that require time to answer. I am limited, so I will point you in the direction of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. It is available for free online in many places, notably through the USCCB.
I highly recommend getting your hands on one and taking some time to research what the Church says on many of the topics you ask, re: heaven/hell/purgatory, sin, hell, the crucifixion, and the deposit of Faith.
I'll also point you to my good friend Jimmy Akin and encourage you to search through some of his articles there about the questions you have. He's faithful to the Magisterium and spot-on in everything he writes.
>What are the essential beliefs that all Catholics share?
The Nicene Creed.
>Are Catholics allowed to not necessarily believe in an afterlife, or disagree on some of the questions I ask in this post?
If you accept the teachings of Christ, you necessarily accept the belief in an afterlife.
Godspeed in your search for the Truth.
You don't have to toss your KJV. As a convert from Protestantism, I still have mine as well. For studying, I would suggest the Ignatius Bible (RSV-CE) and you will probably be given another Bible in RCIA. You should definitely pick up The Catechism of the Catholic Church if you don't have one already. You will be given one of these in RCIA as well. It would answer a ton of your questions (and of course, this subreddit as well, heh)
Next, there is Catholic Answers, one of the best online resources to find what you need.
about the music, yeah, if you feel some negativity like anger from your music you might want to tone it down. it will be hard if it's your favorite but do what you think is best.
I think that's wonderful. As a former Protestant I would only sound a word of caution about what one can learn of the Catholic Church from non-Catholic sources. My own experience was that the non-Catholic sources according to which I had formed my judgment of the Catholic Church didn't always present Catholic belief or theology accurately.
I don't know how well or how accurately the book you're reading presents Catholic theology and practice--it may be perfectly adequate. Only I would suggest, as others here already have, that you supplement this reading with the new Catechism, or other books written by Catholics or for Catholics.
Another good resource is the online Catholic Encyclopedia. It has in-depth articles about just about any subject pertinent to the Church (as of 1913, that is).
>TL;DR I'm a Catholic who doesn't understand Catholicism
You know, as unfortunate as it is, the reality is that you will find many Catholic adults who have no clue what the Catholic Faith teaches.
Do you have an active youth group? If so, you may want to consider joining the youth group and becoming an active member. Also see if they will give you a Catechism of the Catholic Church for free. I hand those suckers out all of the time.
>I still don't really know what confirmation means. They did a horrible job at educating me, I basically sat there through general religious education, all of which I knew before, and then after 2 years, I got some oil on my forehead. I know that it basically means that I'm an adult in the church, but not quite sure what that entitles...
Again, unfortunately the adults that were "teaching" you probably had no clue what Confirmation is either. But a correction would be that you are not "an adult" in the Church. This is a common misconception in the American Catholic Church, mostly because the norm for Christian Rites of Initiation for many Dioceses separate Baptism and Confirmation. In many other places around the world, a child receives Baptism and Confirmation at the same time.
Now, the Catechism says: 1308 Although Confirmation is sometimes called the "sacrament of Christian maturity," we must not confuse adult faith with the adult age of natural growth, nor forget that the baptismal grace is a grace of free, unmerited election and does not need "ratification" to become effective. St. Thomas reminds us of this:
Age of body does not determine age of soul. Even in childhood man can attain spiritual maturity: as the book of Wisdom says: "For old age is not honored for length of time, or measured by number of years. "Many children, through the strength of the Holy Spirit they have received, have bravely fought for Christ even to the shedding of their blood.
I understand Confirmation as a completion of Baptism. The minister of Confirmation seals you with the Holy Spirit and "unlocks" the "full power" and blessing that was started in your soul in Baptism.
>As far as I can tell, most of the Dogmas of the Catholic church are pretty reasonable, so I don't have a problem with many of them.
Good!
>However, what gets me is the "Pick and Choose" part of the dogmas. I understand why that is there (people that pick and choose believing in core Catholic beliefs), but I'm pretty sure that the word of the clergy isn't 100% accurate with the wishes of God, since there has been corruption before, in the long history of the church, and in the recent history of the church.
I am not quite certain what you are asking here. Catholics cannot "pick and choose" which Dogmas to follow and which to not follow. Dogmas are essential to our Faith.
You are correct that sometimes the Clergy will make mistakes and they will not preach the fullness of Truth to their parishes. We can trust the Magisterium, though.
There has been corruption in the people of the Church, yes. The recent scandals still sting all of us Catholics to the Core of our being. I, myself, am still trying to reconcile how the most respected of our Fold could betray us in such a way. But I know that the reasons behind the pedophilia scandal are many and they are varied and they are not exclusive to the Catholic Church.
I also understand that 50 years ago, Bishops sincerely did not know how to handle allegations of this magnitude and did what they thought was best. In many cases, the Bishops had their priest sent to a psychologist and listened to what the psychologist told them. You would think that common sense would tell the Bishops to hand the accused clergy over to the local authorities for an investigation, but we have to remember that it was a very different time back then. I do not make excuses for the bishops or priests, nor do I presume that I can even entertain the thought of justifying their actions; not at all. But I do know that there is always more to the story than what we hear reported on the news.
>Though I can't think of a specific thing for the prior statement, an example I previously felt about this was purgatory. I heard that it was worse than hell, but a Religion teacher at my school enlightened me by asking me the question: "If we don't know what it is, just that it is a spiritual cleansing, couldn't it be relaxing as a day of personal cleansing, such as at a spa?"
I do not know who told you Purgatory was worse than hell. They were clearly wrong. Purgatory is a part of Heaven. But I do not think it is relaxing as a day of cleansing, like the spa. I think it is very painful. We must suffer to rid ourselves of "self" so that we might love God more.
>At my church, every sermon is about politics, with a radical right-wing viewpoint on it in general. Is it like that everywhere?
Not at all. In fact, many parishes in my area refuse to comment on politics. Instead, they comment on morality, which should guide the way we vote and participate in government.
>What is the official Catholic stance on gay people? My church is SUPER anti-gay, but I have a few openly gay friends at school, and nobody gives a crap. I understand that they aren't allowed marriage because of the Catholic definition of marriage, but would the church condemn another type of union under a different title for political and financial reasons? Chaste, of course...
Read Same Sex Attraction: Church Teaching and Pastoral Practice to understand more on the subject. But you may also notice that nobody at your school "gives a crap" if their friends are having sex, or getting pregnant, or having abortions. Does this justify their behavior?
The Church would indeed condemn any union between a same-sex couple. Why? Because the Church does not look only at the material reasons for the union (political, financial). The Church cares more for the spirituality of the persons involved and wants the salvation of their souls. How can these people be saved if they believe that their immoral actions are sanctioned by the government? How can these people come to know, love, and serve Christ in this life if they think they are doing nothing wrong? The Church teaches that homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered. Nothing will ever make those actions "good."
>I understand the process of confession and the method, but I'm a bit unclear about what I'm supposed to confess. It's impossible for me to remember every transgression that I make, so I generally try to focus on major ones (10 commandments), with a generalized perspective, (I'm sure I did this at some point in time). I feel kinda awkward asking about this anywhere else but reddit...
You confess all the sins that you can recall. It is a good practice for you to do an examination of conscience each night before you go to bed so that you might be able to make a better confession on your next visit. It is very good to start with the Ten Commandments. The Church recommends you confess every mortal sin first, then your venial sins. Finding a good examination of conscience to aid your prayer might help.
>Catholics don't believe that the bible is 100% true, literal translation, do they? I've heard it both ways, but I'm more comfortable with the definition of the bible being a message of spiritual truth, not literal truth.
No, Catholics do believe that the Bible is the "100% true, literal translation." "Literal" just means that whatever we interpret or translate belongs to a literary work. Many people confuse "literal" with "literalistic", which would say that everything is written down exactly as it happened and does not take into account a contextual analysis of the text (which may be poetry or song or parable).
I do not know what you are attempting to distinguish between spiritual truth and literal truth, though. Truth is Truth.
I feel you would thoroughly enjoy F.J. Sheed's, Theology for Beginners. It's a fantastic read and will help you on your journey.
>What are the fundamental teachings/laws that I must abide by? Basically, how do I actually go about being a true Catholic?
Get your hands on a Catechism of the Catholic Church. An assent to all the Church teaches and believes and holds as True is necessary.
Get the USA edition of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. It's very cheap and it will give a complete picture of the Catholic teachings about everything, which are widely misrepresented. Not theology per se, but it will help you to understand exactly what is really being rejected (often unwittingly or at best clumsily) by many theologians, so you can make up your own mind.
Catechism:
Web
Print
It can be a bit daunting due to its length, but the Catechism of the Catholic Church is a text describing the beliefs which the Church officially considers doctrinal. There's the regular Catechism text, but also a Compendium and a Catechism for Adults if the regular Catechism is too long or too dense of a read right now. The parish you contacted might have a copy of the Catechism you can borrow/keep if you ask.
Other good "starter" books on Catholicism include:
Also be aware that the Catholic Bible has a few more books than the Protestant one, so also see if you can get ahold of one. Catholic Bible translations include the New American Bible, the Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (also the NRSV-CE), the New Jerusalem Bible (less common here in America), and the traditional Douay-Rheims translation--the Douay Rheims is to Catholicism as the King James Version is to Protestant Christianity.
I'm a layman, and I read this one. I'm still reading it. You don't need to read it cover-to-cover, as it can be read by topic. Your local library may have one or check used book stores too.
Free one here
It's shorter than Tolkien.
I was raised Evangelical... converted to Catholic in adulthood. There are a number of books that I could recommend. Here are some of my favorites - in order of importance/preference.
Ignatius Catholic Study Bible (only the NT though, they are currently working on OT)
Catechism of the Catholic Church
Catholicism and Fundamentalism (written in the 80's, but still very relevant and the best Catholic apologetics book to defend the faith that I've ever read)
Works of G.K. Chesterton Vol 3 (This volume explains why he converted from Anglican to Catholic)
Rome Sweet Home
The Fathers Know Best
Born Fundamentalist, Born Again Catholic
Surprised By Truth
I would recommend watching masses on a Catholic TV Network such as EWTN and Catholictv so that you understand what the liturgy of The Church is , then go to a service in person.
I would also get a copy of the NABRE (New American Bible Revised Edition) and a copy of The Catechism Of The Catholic Church.
You can read The Catechism online however
> What are the sacraments? Where can I find them in scripture?
Catholicism isn't a sola scriptura religion (and, really, sola scriptura wasn't meant to eliminate other sources of knowledge such as Tradition, but that's how it's ended up for a lot of denominations). Sometimes, there are things that logic and reasoning bring you to.
That said, Baptism, Reconciliation (Confession), and the Eucharist are extremely clear from scripture [Matt 28:19] [John 20:22-23] [Luke 22:19].
Someone else already discussed confirmation but I'll add this: [ccc 1286-1289].
Jesus teaches about marriage very definitively to the point of referencing Genesis and the insoluble union of becoming one flesh. He also performed His first public miracle at a wedding. (Interesting side note: the sacrament of marriage is conferred upon one another by the bridge and groom. The Church merely witnesses.)
I'm going to refer you to the Catechism for Holy Orders since I don't have the skill to summarize it for you. Although that implies I'm doing a good job summarizing the others, which probably isn't the case.
Jesus publicly healed the sick, sometimes using sacramentals to anoint them even though He clearly didn't need to [John 9:6-7]. And Jesus' ministry was certainly a healing ministry for both body and soul.
> Do Catholics worship Mary?
No. We honor Mary as the mother of God. I think the biggest thing that causes so much confusion for many Christians is that they equate prayer with worship. To pray is to ask, as in "pray tell". So we ask Mary to intercede on our behalf with her Son, just as she did for the bride and groom at Cana [John 2:1-5].
>So do you pray to Saints? How do we know they are in heaven now? I always thought everyone was at rest waiting for judgement day.
The modern process for declaring that someone is in heaven requires authenticated miracles that could only be attributed to the intercession of someone who is dead (there's more to it than just that, but that's the logical basis for the declaration). There are most assuredly some that have been declared saints in the past that were done so more for political reasons than theological, so I don't really know what their exact standing would be. The Church has been given no knowledge about who isn't in heaven - only those that are. [Luke 23:43] [Mark 9:2-4]
> I'd always thought that meant making images of angels or the trinity was forbidden but correct me if I am wrong.
And yet, [Exodus 25:18-20].
> -Not that is particularly matter to me personally, but I am curious as to whether Catholics believe the images to be aesthetically accurate.
I don't actually know if there's an official Church teaching on that particular item, but I'm personally fairly certain the Jesus wasn't a white guy with blue eyes. Obviously I could be wrong. There are definitely people in the Middle East that vary a lot in complexion, hair color, and eye color. I suppose the various representations of Jesus are more about helping you to identify with Him on a more personal level; hence Him looking more like people in the region that the images were made: white Jesus in Europe, black Jesus in Africa, semetic Jesus in the Middle East. I haven't actually seen an Asian Jesus, but I'm sure He's out there.
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Wow! A lot of great questions. I think you would benefit greatly by purchasing the Catechism of the Catholic Church - CCC for short. It's also available online. I would tell you to follow the links in the part that Catebot will provide from the bot callout I did, but those links aren't working correctly anymore and I haven't made it a priority to fix them. :(
I also checked your posting history and while I don't have experience with the turmoil you're going through, feel free to PM me if you just need to talk. I did go through a similar search as you are including Judaism and very seriously considered converting prior to returning to Catholicism (raised Catholic, never confirmed, drifted away but never completely stopped believing, various Christian denominations, mysticism, etc.). I will pray that your search for the Truth is fruitful: [Phil 1:4-6].
edit: Huh. My instance of versebot scanned my post but chose not to quote any verses. Weird. I'm going to put them all together in a separate comment and call out the official bot.
Well, one good place to start would be Fr John Hardon's The Catholic Catechism (not to be confused with the later, official Catechism of the Catholic Church). It isn't an apologetic book designed to win you over—Fr Hardon's intended audience is Catholics who want to know more about their own religion—but he does make a point of tying things back to biblical revelation.
If you are up for a book with more of a crusading spirit, with less space invested in explaining common Christian doctrines like the Trinity and the Incarnation, there's Catholicism and Fundamentalism by Karl Keating.
I am also a Christian with mostly Baptist family who is considering entering the Catholic Church. I'll second (or third or fourth) Rome Sweet Home by Scott Hahn. I also enjoyed his Hail, Holy Queen. It really helped me to understand the Church's view of Mary. Just watch out for the puns. Hahn loves him some terrible puns.
I can tell you that reading the early Church Fathers was what really moved me away from Protestantism. I saw that the Church of the first millennium looked a lot more Catholic than I ever imagined. New Advent has an index of them here. New Advent is also the home of the online Catholic Encyclopedia. Lots of really good stuff there, although it is almost 100 years old.
I'm going to go out on a limb here and recommend the catholic.com Catholic Answers forum. I wouldn't visit unless you really enjoy debate and don't get frustrated easily, but I have had more questions answered by reading some of the debates there between Catholics and Protestants than almost anywhere else. Just be aware that it's a large forum and quality varies. I know there are people here who don't like Catholic Answers at all because of how rowdy it can get, but it has been a huge help to me.
Visit Word on Fire. Father Barron is awesome, and WOF's videos are really informative. If you have the chance, check out their Catholicism series. EWTN runs them occasionally. It's a really great show.
Good luck with your journey. It's a big transition, but it's so beautiful.
EDIT: I forgot to add that I have a copy of the catechism. I have this one. It's pretty dense in spots, but I have found it a HUGE help. I would also recommend a Catholic study Bible. I am actually using an Orthodox study Bible at the moment, and it's great to have the deuterocanonical books included.
We are not capable of comprehending some things.
"But here's an 846-page description of the things we know we're right about. Now available on Kindle and iPhone!"
Sickening.
Otherwise I suggest you rethink why you don't believe in God.
You don't need a reason not to believe in something for which there is no evidence.
Token Catholic chiming in with the suggestion that you have a look at the Catholic faith. I'm converting from Protestantism because I find Catholicism to be more consistent with historical Christianity and more intellectually satisfying. I almost became Anglican last year, but it just seemed so incomplete compared to the richness of Catholicism, no offense to Anglicans intended. The main things that drew me in were apostolic succession, the consistency and unity of the Church, and my rejection of sola scriptura as illogical and self-contradicting.
Catholic Answers has a lot of great resources. If this piques your interest, I also recommend you take a look at the Catechism online or buy your own hard copy. I also recommend you check out some of Scott Hahn's books; he is also a convert and his books are accessible, but thorough. And, if you aren't already completely overwhelmed with information, you may use this website to find a parish.
I wish you well on your spiritual journey. I hope you find a place where you feel welcome and comfortable, and get to know the Lord.
Edited to add: You can't get more personal in your relationship with Jesus than through the Eucharist.
"But I would not believe in the Gospel, had not the authority of the Catholic Church already moved me."
If you get your hands on the Catechism of the Catholic Church (http://www.amazon.com/Catechism-Catholic-Church-U-S/dp/0385479670/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1411907813&sr=1-1&keywords=catechism+of+the+catholic+church) you can find deep answers to most, if not all, of your questions. There's no better place to go to be nearer to Jesus than the Catholic Church (the 7 Sacraments are essential - especially the Eucharist).
http://johnpaulthewriter.com/2/post/2014/07/the-way-and-the-truth-and-the-life.html
You're asking for the Catechism.
I have used this version http://www.amazon.com/Catechism-Catholic-Church-U-S/dp/0385479670/ref=pd_sim_b_2 since I was in 7th grade (Catholic school lifer here!) and it's the one from the USCCB. I love it, it's my go-to. The one you have is also in keeping with the Magesterium, though note that since 1994, some language may have changed. The teachings are always consistent, but their are some occasional "tweaks" to wording (as English is always changing!).
Fenelon is required reading in school for me (bachelors of the arts, theological studies) so we're pretty much BFFs now. I'd also recommend Henri de Lubac and Hans Urs von Balthasar, and not just because they've got cool names. :)
Don't worry, none of us are experts, really. There's always room to grow and learn.
A) No, if you don't agree with the pope, you're not catholic, per catholic dogma, but I wouldn't expect you to understand what that is, as you belong to a catholic-in-name-only church.
B) You're required, as a catholic, to follow all catholic dogma, the first and foremost teaching of that dogma being that the pope is infallible (always right/a representation of Jesus) during certain situations.
This is the most basic copy of the Catechism. A book that rivals the Bible in it's importance to Catholics. Essentially an outline of how to live your live. If you ever actually listened the Pope, you'd hear him reference it often.
I don't agree with any of this, mind you, but don't down vote me just because you're too lazy to understand your own religion.
Awesome!!!
>As I am very new to the faith, I was wondering if I could receive some advice/answers from people here. What would the best writing be to look at for talks through various denominations. Do I need a specific denomination? What other Christian works would be good to read in order to gain a better understanding of the relationship with God and general Christian concepts (I have already ordered a collection of C. S. Lewis’s works as a start).
Well, I would of course want you to join the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. Some great resources, in general, include Bishop Barron (anything by him, he's fantastic), Peter Kreeft's works, and Scott Hahn's works. C.S. Lewis, who was highly influenced by Tolkien and Chesterton, both Catholic, is a fantastic starting point. [This] (https://www.amazon.com/Why-Be-Catholic-Important-Question/dp/0307986438) book, [this] (https://www.amazon.com/Lambs-Supper-Mass-Heaven-Earth/dp/0385496591) book, and [this] (https://www.amazon.com/Catechism-Catholic-Church-Complete-Updated/dp/0385479670) Catechism aregreat reading resources. I'd recommend getting a kindle if you don't have one so you can do what I did and just pour through tons of books. If you have a past with Orthodoxy, check out the Orthodox Way by Metropolitan Kallistos Ware as well as the Eastern Catholic Churches. [This] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/057803834X/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1493667291&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=origins+of+catholic+christianity&dpPl=1&dpID=41bsQ2nPSxL&ref=plSrch) book, as well as the other two parts of it, are very interesting as well, and include part I, the Crucified Rabbi, part II, the Catholic Paul, and part III, the Eternal City. Sorry for the boatload of information; Bishop Barron, overall, is the best place to start. You can find him on YouTube.
I'd also recommend that you go on the sidebar to each and every denominational subreddit and ask them why they think they are the True Church. The one thing I can't recommend enough is to not make a grocery list of doctrines you like and then pick the denomination that suits you best. That isn't how Christianity works; there is one Pillar and Bulwark of Truth, one Body of Christ, and one Church-- the next step for you is figuring out which one it is. You'd probably want to start with Catholicism or Orthodoxy, the two Churches that can directly trace their roots back to the Apostles, yet sadly one split from the other in 1054.
If you haven't yet, get a good, solid Bible (preferably one with the original canon, not the Lutheran one) and start reading the Gospels prayerfully, as well as the Epistles. For the epistles especially, keep in mind the audience of the letter and the context. For the New Testament, the Ignatius Study Bible is incredible; however, the Old Testament has yet to come out. You can get a bundle deal on Amazon with the Catechism and a Study Bible.
God bless, and we'll keep praying for you on your journey!