Questions about Catholicism

[Cal B]

I am somewhat new to christianity, and I wanted to know more about the Catholic path.

 

[Abaxvahl]

I am somewhat new to christianity, and I wanted to know more about the Catholic path.

What is it that you would like to know? For a beginning short thing on what we believe I'd recommend the Creed of the People of God (scroll down to "Profession of Faith" for it), and for a longer but comprehensive work the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Both of these things lay out our faith.

 

[Bob Crowley]

I am somewhat new to christianity, and I wanted to know more about the Catholic path.

It depends on what you want to know. There's a lot to learn if you go into it in depth.

I lifted the paragraph from this link, which was a promotion for a Dummies book on Catholicism. It's not too bad as a primer.

Basic Beliefs of Catholicism - dummies

Basic Beliefs of Catholicism

Catholics are, first and foremost, Christians who believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Catholicism shares some beliefs with other Christian practices, but essential Catholic beliefs include the following:

• The Bible is the inspired, error-free, and revealed word of God.
• Baptism, the rite of becoming a Christian, is necessary for salvation — whether the Baptism occurs by water, blood, or desire.
• God’s Ten Commandments provide a moral compass — an ethical standard to live by.
• The existence of the Holy Trinity — one God in three persons. Catholics embrace the belief that God, the one Supreme Being, is made up of three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Catholics also believe that since Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden, all humans are born with original sin, which only Baptism removes. A happier belief is in grace, a totally free, unmerited gift from God. Grace is a sharing in the divine; the inspiration to do God’s will.

These beliefs are shared by most Christian denominations anyway, so what are the differences? Some of them follow -

• The Primacy of the Pope, the Apostolic tradition, and the role of the Magisterium.
• Christ is literally present in the bread and wine after they've been blessed by the priest, calling upon the Holy Spirit to make them holy (termed "Transubstantiation").
• A role for Mary and the Saints. As my old Protestant pastor said "They're doing something up there." It's a matter of record that many Marian Apparitions have been approved by the Church as worthy of belief, but as they are also "private revelation" we are free to accept them or not.
• Purgatory as a refining place before anyone gets in to heaven, with very few exceptions.
• Generally speaking priests are not married, with some exceptions eg. Eastern rite Catholics, some converts from Protestant denominations.
• Priests can absolve sin during Reconciliation (Confession), again acting as an intermediary between God and the sinner ("Receive the Holy Spirit - if you forgive anyone's sin, they are forgiven etc." passed down the centuries via the apostolic tradition, since Christ's words are eternal eg. "Heaven and earth may pass away, but my words will never die").
• Church tradition carries a fair bit of weight (As a former Protestant myself, I baulk at Tradition being equal to Scripture).
• The Church accepts that people can receive private revelations but they will not be given the same status as the "Primary Deposit of Faith" (which as far as I can make out is Christ revealed through the Scriptures, unless someone gives me a better definition). See Marian apparitions above.
• People are free to make up their own mind about Origins (the Creation / Evolution debate).

There are other aspects, but these are some that came to mind off the top of my head.

 

[Davorah]

I am somewhat new to christianity, and I wanted to know more about the Catholic path.

Hi there I'm a convert (as opposed to a "cradle Catholic" = baptized as a baby) so I had to start from scratch learning about everything as an adult (lot's of stuff!) My thought is that you might want to first learn about the Eucharist, which seems to me to be the center of everything. There's plenty out there to read about it but this seems pretty good to start with: The Eucharist - About Catholics Also, because of my health I can't attend Mass so I watch it on the internet. You can kind of see what the Mass is like if you follow the next link but it's way better in person. Some folks think that for us to repeat the same words at every Mass is hollow but it actually means a lot to us- it's a special thing. I came into the Church 30 years ago and I'm still learning about things and still trying to understand quite a bit- like I said, there's a lot of stuff to learn. But I feel at home there and I couldn't imagine myself being anywhere else. Wishing you all the best in your journey. Mass Collection - Daily TV Mass

 

[Gnarwhal]

I am somewhat new to christianity, and I wanted to know more about the Catholic path.

Sure, any specific questions? If you're not sure about where to start it's always helpful to find your nearest parish and see if you can sit in on some inquiry classes in their RCIA program. There's no commitment involved, it's just an educational experience.

 

[Joined2krist]

I think you should join an RCIA program, you would learn a lot about the Church and you can make your decision afterwards

 

[pdudgeon]

The Catholic path is very, very old.
To start with, I would recommend getting a Bible, and reading the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
They will tell you about the Life of Jesus Christ, and His ministry here on Earth.
Then read the Book of Acts. That will tell you about the creation of the Church, what happened in the earliest history of Christianity, and it will set you up for a good introduction into the Catholic Church.
There is nothing better if you are building a new house, than to lay down a good foundation.
Everything else is dependent upon that.
So when you have done the reading, and have found a Catholic parish that is friendly and open to you, then make your inquiry to see if they have RCIA instruction.
Most RCIA groups begin meeting in September, but the preparation begins before that.
So you will have some make-up work to be done, ( because all classes must be attended before you graduate) but doing so is quite possible.
Meanwhile, we will be here to help, encourage, and answer questions for you.
You are inquiring at a very important time now, (what with all that is happening in the World) so we are very glad that you found shelter here in OBOB!