What Are the Beliefs of the Catholics?
The Roman Catholic Church includes 1.166 billion baptized Catholics worldwide, according to the 2010 Pontifical Yearbook. Catholics comprise 23.9 percent of American adults, and the Church's hierarchical structure assigns final authority in matters of faith and morals to the office of the Pope. While the popes approve core beliefs, some beliefs are commonly held among Catholics of various ethnic groups. Knowing what Catholics believe can help you understand one of the largest denominations of Christianity.
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The Mass
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Catholic church services center around the sacrifice of the Mass. Typical Sunday services for Catholics involve a liturgical service that is broken into two parts. The first part, the liturgy of the word, consists of scheduled readings from the Old Testament, the Psalms, the New Testament and the Gospels. After reading the Gospel, the priest gives a short sermon. Then begins the liturgy of the Eucharist. Catholics hold that the Eucharist becomes the real Body and Blood of Jesus Christ during the Consecration. After Consecration, the priest distributes the Eucharist to the congregants and finally concludes the Mass with a prayer.
The Creed
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The Nicene Creed remains the concise expression of Christian belief; it is recited as part of every Mass. It consists of four main portions: Belief in God the Father, belief in God the Son, belief in God the Holy Spirit and belief in the Church, one baptism and the resurrection of the dead. The Church adopted the Creed in its current form during the Council of Chalcedon in A.D. 451.
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The Virgin Mary
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Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, holds an elevated position in the Catholic Church. During the Council of Ephesus in A.D. 431, Mary's role in Christ's divinity was heatedly debated. As a result, she was honored with the title of Theotokos, or "God-bearer." Catholics hold that Mary was born free from sin, conceived Jesus Christ immaculately through the power of the Holy Spirit, remained an eternal virgin and was assumed bodily into heaven.
The Sanctity of Life
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The Catechism of the Catholic Church articulates that human life must be protected and respected, from the moment of conception until natural death. Catholics believe that human life begins at conception; therefore, abortion is murder. The Church also forbids in-vitro fertilization because it creates embryos that may be destroyed or abandoned. Catholic teaching on life issues also speaks against capital punishment, euthanasia and engaging in unjust wars.
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References
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