Catechism of the Catholic Church The Apostles’ Creed professes that God is “creator of Heaven and Earth.” The Nicene Creed makes it explicit that this profession includes “all that is, seen and unseen,” meaning ‘all that exists’, creation in its entirety. It also indicates the bond, deep within creation between Heaven and Earth. ‘The…
Fr Benedict McGlinchey OP Q: What happens at the consecration? A: Our understanding of what happens at the consecration of the gifts of bread and wine at Mass is based on Scripture. In passages like Chapter 6 of St John’s Gospel, we see that Jesus shocked His listeners by the realistic way in which…
Q: Some Evangelical friends were recently quizzing me on the Catholic understanding of baptism. They were especially asking about Jesus’ baptism, and whether this indicates Jesus had some sin or sins of which he needed to repent. They had the same question regarding infant baptism, as infants would seem to neither be able to understand the rite,…
By his Revelation, God, from the fullness of his love, addresses men as his friends, and moves among them. The adequate response to this invitation is faith. By faith, man completely submits his intellect and his will to God. To obey in faith is to submit freely to the word that has been heard, because…
Q: I’m a new mother in the middle of a divorce. I admit that I have never been a very good Catholic, but I still want my baby baptised in the hope that he will have a better relationship with God than I’ve had. My ex-husband and I share custody, and in many ways, he is…
Q: I have a question about the vocation of marriage. I’m very moved by the examples of widowed family and friends who continue to be very devoted to their deceased spouse, praying for them daily and visiting their graves. Often, they speak of looking forward to seeing their spouse again in Heaven. Does the Church…
Catechism of the Catholic Church Christ commanded the apostles to preach the Gospel to communicate the gifts of God to all men. This Gospel was to be the source of all saving truth and moral discipline. The Gospel was handed on in two ways: orally – preaching – and in writing. The bishops are…
Q: These days we hear so much about trans people. I really have never heard anything ‘official’ about the Church’s position. What does our Church say about it? Thank you. A: It is true that, with transgender issues being a relatively new phenomenon in modern society, the Church does not yet have an extensive teaching…
Q: What scriptural basis is there for praying for the dead, for their repose, or for praying to the dead, for their intercessions? And in a related way, what scriptural basis is there for the Catholic practice of ‘relics’, such as saving a person’s bone fragments? My Protestant friends say these practices are not in the Bible…
Catechism of the Catholic Church Paragraphs 50 – 74 By natural reason we can know God with certainty, based on his works. But there is another order of knowledge, which we cannot possibly arrive at by our own powers: the order of divine Revelation. His plan of loving goodness He reveals His mystery, His plan…