The Catholic Church does not merely preserve a static set of rules but claims to be the living continuation of Jesus Christ on earth, a concept known as the Mystical Body of Christ. This understanding transforms the institution from a simple organization into a spiritual organism where the faithful on earth, the souls in Purgatory, and the saints in Heaven exist in a single communion. The Church teaches that it is the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic community founded by Jesus, governed by the successor of Peter and the College of Bishops in communion with him. This structure is not merely administrative but theological, asserting that the Church possesses the fullness of the means of salvation. The Nicene Creed, formulated at the Councils of Nicaea and Constantinople in 325 and 381 respectively, serves as the universal creed of Christendom, setting out the main principles of belief that have been recited at Sunday Masses for centuries. The Church believes that God revealed himself gradually, beginning in the Old Testament and completing this revelation by sending his son, Jesus Christ, to Earth as a man. This revelation started with Adam and Eve and was not broken off by their original sin, but rather God promised to send a redeemer. The Church understands the living tradition to contain its doctrine on faith and morals and to be protected from error, at times through infallibly defined teaching. The most recent ecumenical council to define such doctrine was the Second Vatican Council, which ran from 1962 to 1965, though twice in history the pope defined a dogma after consultation with all the bishops without calling a council. The Church believes that the gates of hell will not prevail against it, a promise given to Peter, ensuring that the Church will never defect from the truth. This belief in apostolic succession means that the pope and Catholic bishops are the spiritual successors of the original twelve apostles, through the historically unbroken chain of consecration known as Holy Orders. The Church teaches that it is the continuing presence of Jesus on earth, and thus the Virgin Mary and the Saints are alive and part of the living church, interceding with the Father for the faithful.
Sacraments and Grace
At the heart of Catholic worship lies the belief that God's grace flows into the person who receives the sacraments with the proper disposition. There are seven sacraments instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church: Baptism, Confirmation, the Eucharist, Penance, the Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and Matrimony. The Eucharist is considered the source and summit of the Christian life, where Catholics believe that the bread and wine brought to the altar are changed, or transubstantiated, through the power of the Holy Spirit into the true body, blood, soul, and divinity of Christ. This is not a re-sacrifice of Jesus, but a re-presentation of his sacrifice in an unbloody manner, making the single sacrifice of the Cross present again. Baptism is the sacramental act of cleansing that admits one as a full member of the Church and is conferred only once in a lifetime. The Church considers infant Baptism an immemorial tradition, with explicit testimony to this practice from the second century on. Penance or Reconciliation is the principal means by which Catholics obtain forgiveness for subsequent sin, based on Jesus' words to his disciples in the Gospel of John. A penitent confesses his sins to a priest who may then offer advice or impose a particular penance to be performed, and the priest administers absolution, formally forgiving the person's sins. The priest is forbidden under penalty of excommunication to reveal any matter heard under the seal of the confessional. The Anointing of the Sick is performed only by a priest, involving the anointing of the head and hands of the ill person with oil while saying the prayers of the Church. In the Eastern Catholic Churches, these are often called the holy mysteries rather than the sacraments, and the Divine Liturgy is used in place of Mass. The liturgical action is seen as transcending time and uniting the participants with those already in the heavenly kingdom. The belief is that by partaking of the Communion bread and wine, the Body and Blood of Christ, they together become the body of Christ on earth, the Church.
The central mystery of Catholic faith is the Holy Trinity, the belief in one God in three distinct persons or hypostases: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The word trias, from which Trinity is derived, is first seen in the works of Theophilus of Antioch, who wrote of the Trinity of God, His Word, and His Wisdom. The term may have been in use before this time, and afterwards it appears in Tertullian and in many passages of Origen. According to the doctrine, God is not divided in the sense that each person has a third of the whole; rather, each person is considered to be fully God. The distinction lies in their relations: the Father being unbegotten, the Son being eternal yet begotten of the Father, and the Holy Spirit proceeding from the Father and the Son. The Son, Jesus Christ, is true God and true man, fully divine and fully human. Catholics believe that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born from the Virgin Mary. Little of Jesus's childhood is recorded in the canonical gospels, but infancy gospels were popular in antiquity. His adulthood, especially the week before his death, is well documented in the gospels contained within the New Testament. The biblical accounts of Jesus's ministry include his baptism, healings, teaching, and going about doing good. As true God, he defeated death and rose to life again, ascended to Heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. The Holy Spirit, the bond of love between Father and Son, is present in the hearts of humankind. Jesus told his apostles that after his death and resurrection, he would send them the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, who will teach them everything and remind them of all that he told them. Catholics formally ask for and receive the Holy Spirit through the sacrament of Confirmation, sometimes called the sacrament of Christian maturity, which brings an increase and deepening of the grace received at Baptism. The corresponding fruits of the Holy Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. To be validly confirmed, a person must be in a state of grace, meaning they cannot be conscious of having committed a mortal sin.
Sin and Salvation
Catholic soteriology, the branch of doctrinal theology that deals with salvation through Christ, teaches that eternal life and divine life cannot be merited but are a free gift of God. The crucifixion of Jesus is explained as an atoning sacrifice which takes away the sins of the world. One's reception of salvation is related to justification. The Church teaches that human nature is not evil, since God creates no evil thing, but humanity continues in or is inclined to sin, a condition known as concupiscence. Grace from God is needed to be able to repent and believe in the gospel. Christians classify certain behaviors and acts to be sinful, which means that these certain acts are a violation of conscience or divine law. Catholics make a distinction between two types of sin: mortal sin, a grave violation of God's law that turns man away from God, and venial sin, which does not set us in direct opposition to the will and friendship of God. Mortal sin, if not redeemed by repentance, can cause exclusion from Christ's kingdom and the eternal death of hell. The Church teaches that as signified by the passion of Jesus and his crucifixion, all people have an opportunity for forgiveness and freedom from sin, and so can be reconciled to God. Sinning according to the Greek word in scripture, amartia, means falling short of the mark, succumbing to our imperfection. People can sin by failing to obey the Ten Commandments, failing to love God, and failing to love other people. Some sins are more serious than others, ranging from lesser, venial sins, to grave, mortal sins that sever a person's relationship with God. The Church teaches that God predestines no one to hell and no one can determine whether anyone else has been condemned. Catholicism teaches that God's mercy is such that a person can repent even at the point of death and be saved, like the good thief who was crucified next to Jesus. The Church believes that the fate of those in Purgatory can be affected by the actions of the living, and that prayers for the dead and indulgences can decrease the duration of time the dead would spend in Purgatory. An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven. Historically, the practice of granting indulgences and the widespread abuses, which led to their being seen as increasingly bound up with money, were a source of controversy that was the immediate occasion of the Protestant Reformation in Germany and Switzerland.
The Afterlife and Judgment
The Nicene Creed ends with the hope for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Accordingly, the Church teaches that each person will appear before the judgment seat of Christ immediately after death and receive a particular judgment based on the deeds of their earthly life. The final judgment will bring an end to human history and mark the beginning of a new heaven and earth in which righteousness dwells and God will reign forever. There are three states of afterlife in Catholic belief: Heaven, Purgatory, and Hell. Heaven is a time of glorious union with God and a life of unspeakable joy that lasts forever. Purgatory is a temporary state of purification for those who, although saved, are not free enough from sin to enter directly into Heaven. It is a state requiring purgation of sin through God's mercy aided by the prayers of others. Finally, those who freely chose a life of sin and selfishness, were not sorry for their sins, and had no intention of changing their ways go to Hell, an everlasting separation from God. The Church teaches that no one is condemned to Hell without freely deciding to reject God's love. At the second coming of Christ at the end of time, all who have died will be resurrected bodily from the dead for the Last Judgment, whereupon Jesus will fully establish the Kingdom of God in fulfillment of scriptural prophecies. The Church believes that the Church exists simultaneously on earth, in Purgatory, and in Heaven, and thus Mary, the mother of Jesus, and the other saints are alive and part of the living church. This unity of the church in heaven and on earth is called the communion of saints. The Church teaches that the Saints do not cease to intercede with the Father for us, and so by their fraternal concern is our weakness greatly helped. The Church believes that the Church will never defect from the truth, and bases this on Jesus' telling Peter that the gates of hell will not prevail against the Church. The Church teaches that the Church is the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church founded by Jesus, and that it is the continuing presence of Jesus on earth.
Ministry and Authority
Men become bishops, priests, or deacons through the sacrament of Holy Orders. Candidates to the priesthood must have a college degree in addition to another four years of theological training, including pastoral theology. The Catholic Church, following the example of Christ and Apostolic tradition, ordains only males. The Church teaches that, apart from ministry reserved for priests, women should participate in all aspects in the Church's life and leadership. The bishops are believed to possess the fullness of Catholic priesthood; priests and deacons participate in the ministry of the bishop. As a body, the College of Bishops are considered the successors of the Apostles. The pope, cardinals, patriarchs, primates, archbishops, and metropolitans are all bishops and members of the Catholic Church episcopate or College of Bishops. Only bishops can perform the sacrament of Holy Orders. Many bishops head a diocese, which is divided into parishes. A parish is usually staffed by at least one priest. Beyond their pastoral activity, a priest may perform other functions, including study, research, teaching, or office work. They may also be rectors or chaplains. Permanent deacons, those who do not seek priestly ordination, preach and teach. They may also baptize, lead the faithful in prayer, witness marriages, and conduct wake and funeral services. While deacons may be married, only celibate men are ordained as priests in the Latin Church. Protestant clergy who have converted to the Catholic Church are sometimes excepted from this rule. The Eastern Catholic Churches ordain both celibate and married men. Within the lands of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, the largest Eastern Catholic Church, where 90% of the diocesan priests in Ukraine are married, priests' children often became priests and married within their social group, establishing a tightly knit hereditary caste. All rites of the Catholic Church maintain the ancient tradition that, after ordination, marriage is not allowed. A married priest whose wife dies may not remarry. The pope is the spiritual head and leader of the Catholic Church who makes use of the Roman Curia to assist him in governing. He is elected by the College of Cardinals who may choose from any male member of the church but who must be ordained a bishop before taking office. Since the 15th century, a current cardinal has always been elected. The Church teaches that the Church is the continuing presence of Jesus on earth, and thus the Virgin Mary and the Saints are alive and part of the living church.
Devotion and Social Teaching
Catholics venerate Mary with many titles such as Blessed Virgin, Mother of God, Help of Christians, and Mother of the Faithful. She is given special honor and devotion above all other saints but this honor and devotion differs essentially from the adoration given to God. Catholics do not worship Mary but honor her as mother of God, mother of the church, and as a spiritual mother to each believer in Christ. She is called the greatest of the saints, the first disciple, and Queen of Heaven. Catholic belief encourages following her example of holiness. Prayers and devotions asking for her intercession, such as the Rosary, the Hail Mary, and the Memorare are common Catholic practice. The Church devotes several liturgical feasts to Mary, mainly the Immaculate Conception, Mary, Mother of God, the Visitation, the Assumption, the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and in the Americas the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Pilgrimages to Marian shrines like Lourdes, France, and Fátima, Portugal, are also a common form of devotion and prayer. Catholic social teaching is based on the teaching of Jesus and commits Catholics to the welfare of all others. Although the Catholic Church operates numerous social ministries throughout the world, individual Catholics are also required to practice spiritual and corporal works of mercy. Corporal works of mercy include feeding the hungry, welcoming strangers, immigrants or refugees, clothing the naked, taking care of the sick and visiting those in prison. Spiritual works require Catholics to share their knowledge with others, comfort those who suffer, have patience, forgive those who hurt them, give advice and correction to those who need it, and pray for the living and the dead. The Church teaches that the Church is the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church founded by Jesus, and that it is the continuing presence of Jesus on earth. The Church believes that the Church exists simultaneously on earth, in Purgatory, and in Heaven, and thus Mary, the mother of Jesus, and the other saints are alive and part of the living church. This unity of the church in heaven and on earth is called the communion of saints. The Church teaches that the Saints do not cease to intercede with the Father for us, and so by their fraternal concern is our weakness greatly helped.