About Catholic Beliefs

When most people think of Catholicism, they think of the Roman Catholic Church. This article will deal with some of the beliefs that set the Catholic Church apart from other branches of Christianity.

Christianity

A Christian is simply someone who follows Christ's teachings: While there are many faiths and branches of Christianity, one does not need to belong to one to be a Christian. Christianity is a very wide term and next to useless as a classification--anyone from a Mormon to a Catholic to a German Baptist can be called a Christian, and their practices and dogma are practically mutually exclusive. Some of the key differences to Catholicism are their beliefs about the Eucharist, their confessional practices and the heavily organized nature of the Church.

Eucharist

While the Catholic Church is not unique in using the Eucharist, they do believe that it is actually the body and blood of Christ. Other beliefs may use the Eucharist as a metaphor for the body of Christ, but the Catholic Church insists that, once the Eucharist is consecrated by a priest who acts in the role of Jesus (in persona Christi) it literally becomes the body and blood of Christ. In recent times, the Church has insisted on using wheat flour and grape wine, as was likely served at the Last Supper, but throughout history, the Eucharist has been performed with the wine and flour (usually barley) most common to the region.

Confession

As it is human nature to falter, Catholics believe that confession--acknowledging misdeeds before a priest and taking steps to rectify them--helps to purge the soul of sin. It is important to note that the priest alone does not absolve a person of his sins, but rather offers his forgiveness in place of God. The Roman Catholic Church advises confession at least once a year, although frequent confessions are advisable. Pope John Paul II was well known to frequently confess his sins to a priest.

Priesthood

As it is one of the oldest organized religions, Catholicism also has the largest established hierarchy. At the top is the Episcopate, a group consisting of the Pope, his cardinals, bishops and patriarchs, among others. They head the Church, as well as its different branches (such as the Armenian Catholic Church and the Syrian Catholic Church). Below the Episcopate are the Presbyteratium and the Diaconate, priests and deacons that most people are likely to interact with. The priest (pastor or vicar) is the leader of the congregation. Deacons assist priests, but report directly to bishops.

The Papacy

The Pope is the leader of the Catholic Church. According to tradition, the position of Pope traces itself back to Peter, one of Christ's apostles. As of 2009, the Pope is Benedict XVI. The Pope leads the Church by establishing certain kinds of dogma and hais the last word on church doctrine. The Pope can exercise papal infallibility, meaning that he can declare something to be the will of the Church and, by virtue of his position, cannot even possibly be wrong. It has only been used once since its inception.