Looking for some civil discussion between Protestants and the Old Church. I have a few questions I am hoping to get answered. I was not raised in the church, and only recently (4 years ago) came to know Christ. I've only attended PCA (Presbyterian Church of America) since then, and know very little of other denominations especially Catholic. Help me understand the Catholic ways!
The Catholic Church existed long before denominations existed. And, for that reason, the Catholic Church is not a denomination.
Is the authority of the Roman Catholic Pope threatened by the authority of the Bible?
No. The main job of the Pope is to safeguard the deposit of faith—Sacred Scripture and divine Tradition. A good example of the Pope safeguarding the deposit of faith is when Pope St. John Paul II said no when he was asked if he can make a change to allow for women to be priests. His answer was as follows:
"Wherefore, in order that all doubt may be removed regarding a matter of great importance, a matter which pertains to the Church's divine constitution itself, in virtue of my ministry of confirming the brethren (cf. Lk 22:32) I declare that the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women and that this judgment is to be definitively held by all the Church's faithful." - Ordinatio Sacerdotalis
The problem with Luther's doctrine of Sola Scriptura is that there can be more than a thousand ways to interpret Scripture. Jesus knew that there would come many false teachers and disputes over the faith, so He chose Peter to be the chief Apostle (whose role is summarized in the above quote). The Pope, Sacred Scripture and divine Tradition are analogous to a three-legged stool. Here are some other quotes that give a clear idea of the authority and teaching role of the Catholic Church:
"It is the mission of the Magisterium to affirm the definitive character of the Covenant established by God through Christ with His People in a way which is consistent with the 'eschatological' nature of the event of Jesus Christ. It must protect God's People from the danger of deviations and confusion, guaranteeing them the objective possibility of professing the authentic faith free from error, at all times and in diverse situations. It follows that the sense and the weight of the Magisterium's authority are only intelligible in relation to the truth of Christian doctrine and the preaching of the true Word." - Donum Veritatis
"When comparing doctrines with one another, they should remember that in Catholic doctrine there exists a 'hierarchy' of truths, since they vary in their relation to the fundamental Christian faith." - Unitatis Redintegratio
"The Roman Pontiff and the bishops, in view of their office and the importance of the matter, by fitting means diligently strive to inquire properly into that revelation and to give apt expression to its contents; but a new public revelation they do not accept as pertaining to the divine deposit of faith." - Lumen Gentium, 25
"Let no Christian therefore, whether philosopher or theologian, embrace eagerly and lightly whatever novelty happens to be thought up from day to day, but rather let him weigh it with painstaking care and a balanced judgment, lest he lose or corrupt the truth he already has, with grave danger and damage to his faith." - Humani Generis
Who is the supreme leader of the Church: Christ or the Pope?
The Head of the Church is Jesus Christ. But the supreme leader of the Church on earth, Christ's chief representative, is the Pope. Here's what Pope Francis said about it:
"Everything passes, only God remains. Indeed, kingdoms, peoples, cultures, nations, ideologies, powers have passed, but the Church, founded on Christ, notwithstanding the many storms and our many sins, remains ever faithful to the deposit of faith shown in service; for the Church does not belong to Popes, bishops, priests, nor the lay faithful; the Church in every moment belongs solely to Christ." - Pope Francis (added emphasis)
Does the Pope (and the Catholic church) promote a works-based or faith-based salvation?
See this article:
Are Good Works Necessary for Salvation?
Do all Catholic churches fall under the Roman Catholic church?
Although there are patriarchs for each Eastern Rite, they ultimately do fall under the authority of the Roman Pontiff. See the following:
Catholic Rites and Churches
Where can I find the institution of the additional five sacraments by Jesus?
I'm assuming you mean where in Scripture. Here are some supporting Scripture verses:
The Eucharist
Exodus 12:1-28 (particularly 12:8)
Exodus 16:35
Matthew 26:26-29
Mark 14:22-25
Luke 22:19-20
John 6:48-56
Acts 2:42
1 Corinthians 11:23-31
Ordination/Apostolic Succession
Acts 1:20
Acts 8:18-20 (particularly 8:18)
1 Timothy 3:1
Confession
Matthew 9:2-8 (particularly 9:8)
Matthew 18:18
John 20:22-23
Acts 19:18
James 5:16
Confirmation
Acts 8:14–17
Acts 9:17
Acts 19:6
Hebrews 6:1-2
Extreme Unction
James 5:14-15
And see: Sacraments
In addition, can sins be forgiven without confessing to men?
Leprosy can be seen as a metaphor for sin. So when Jesus cured the leper in
Luke 5:12-15, we can see in it the Sacrament of Penance. During this sacrament, the priest is
in persona Christi (in the Person of Christ) which means that the penitent is actually confessing to God through the priest. The sacraments are God's ordinary way that He has chosen to dispense His graces to us. However, God is not limited to the sacraments, so it's possible that God can make an exception if He chooses.
Does the Catholic church still use the Latin Vulgate of Jerome?
Yes, it's still used. There are other versions of the Holy Bible that Catholics are allowed to use.
However, the commentary in some versions can be very poorly written. I generally avoid Bibles that have "New" in the name of it. I've been using the RSV-CE, but I want to get the Douay-Rheims and Clementina Vulgata Bible.
Was Mary without sin? If so, was she purified at the moment of conception?
She was immaculately conceived which means that she was never stained with original sin. To use an analogy of falling into mud: we fell into the mud (sin), and then God pulls us out of it when we receive His grace during the spiritual cleansing and renewal we get at our baptism (
Tit 3:5 &
1 Pet 3:20-21). However, God prevented the
Blessed Virgin Mary from falling in. God still saved her, but He did it beforehand. That's why in
Luke 1:47 Mary calls God her Savior.
If so, is this an assumption based on the character of Christ or found in scripture?
See:
The Immaculate Conception in Scripture
What is the Catholic view of paedocommunion (bringing children to the Lord's Table)?
See:
Communion of Children
Do Catholics believe that true Christians can be found in any of the other denominations?
This question is answered in the
Catechism of the Catholic Church. It says:
836 "All men are called to this catholic unity of the People of God. . . . And to it, in different ways, belong or are ordered: the Catholic faithful, others who believe in Christ, and finally all mankind, called by God's grace to salvation."
837 "Fully incorporated into the society of the Church are those who, possessing the Spirit of Christ, accept all the means of salvation given to the Church together with her entire organization, and who - by the bonds constituted by the profession of faith, the sacraments, ecclesiastical government, and communion - are joined in the visible structure of the Church of Christ, who rules her through the Supreme Pontiff and the bishops. Even though incorporated into the Church, one who does not however persevere in charity is not saved. He remains indeed in the bosom of the Church, but 'in body' not 'in heart.'"
838 "The Church knows that she is joined in many ways to the baptized who are honored by the name of Christian, but do not profess the Catholic faith in its entirety or have not preserved unity or communion under the successor of Peter." Those "who believe in Christ and have been properly baptized are put in a certain, although imperfect, communion with the Catholic Church." With the Orthodox Churches, this communion is so profound "that it lacks little to attain the fullness that would permit a common celebration of the Lord's Eucharist."
What is the Catholic stance on the sovereignty of God (all things, some, etc)?
The Catholic encyclopedia has an article about it (
here).
Explain the requirement/need/benefit of praying to saints over directly to God.
God can answer our prayers by sending us one of His angels. He usually doesn't directly intervene. When a war broke out in Heaven between the good angels and the bad ones, God allowed St. Michael to handle it. However, God does sometimes personally intervene such as when He became man and preached and ministered to the masses directly.
Examples of intercession can be found in the Old Testament such as when when Abraham interceded on behalf of Lot and when Moses interceded on behalf of the Hebrew people after they had sinned against God. In the New Testament, the first miracle of Jesus' ministry was performed at the request of the Blessed Virgin Mary, when Jesus turned water into wine. And Scripture describes how the saints in Heaven can see us and how they give constant intercession for us to God.
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." - Hebrews 12:1-2 (added emphasis)
"And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and with golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints" - Revelation 5:8
"And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer; and he was given much incense to mingle with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar before the throne" - Revelation 8:3
"When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne; they cried out with a loud voice, 'O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before thou wilt judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell upon the earth?' Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been." - Revelation 6:9-11