This section is for those who want a brief, direct, and Scriptural answer
to common questions about the Catholic faith (see essays in other sections for more
detailed answers).
Bible Alone (Sola Scriptura)? -
Is the Bible the sole authority and foundation of truth for Christianity? No, the
Church is the "pillar and bulwark of truth" (1 Timothy 3:15) and the
final authority (Matthew 18:17). Furthermore, there are traditions to be
observed which are on equal footing with Scripture for not everything the Apostles taught
or Jesus said, was written down (1 Corinthians 11:2; 2 Thessalonians 2:15; 3:6;
John 21:25).
Calling Priests "Father" -
Isn't calling a priest "Father" in violation of Matthew 23:9?
No, in this passage Jesus is using a hyperbole (exaggerated literary expression) to make a
point. Otherwise, St. Stephen the first martyr (Acts 7:2) and St. Paul
would be in violation of this command (Romans 4:1, 12, 16; 9:10; 1 Corinthians 4:15;
10:1).
Divorce & Remarriage - Is
divorce and remarriage permitted in Christianity? No, Jesus Christ and St. Paul both
forbade a divorced person to get remarried while their spouse was still alive (Matthew
5:32; 19:9; Mark 10:11-12; Luke 16:18; Romans 7:2-3; 1 Corinthians 7:10-11, 39).
The Eucharist - Are we to eat the
literal Body of Christ and drink His Blood? Yes, Jesus Christ meant for us to
literally eat His Flesh and drink His Blood as He Himself repeated and emphasized the
literality of this teaching by using the words "verily, verily" and
"indeed" in describing it. If He did not mean this teaching literally, He
surely would not have allowed disciples to stop following Him over this (John 6:51-71).
In addition, why would St. Paul state that anyone who accepted the Eucharist
unworthily is guilty of the blood of Christ if it were only symbolic? (1 Corinthians
11:23-29)
Mary - Is Mary the mother of
God? Yes, for St. Elizabeth herself calls her "the mother of my Lord" in
Scripture (Luke 1:43). Jesus Christ is God (Hebrews 1:8) and Mary
is His mother, therefore, Mary is the mother of God (the Son) for Christ was both God and
human in the womb of Mary. Did Mary remain a virgin her whole life? Yes, for
the "gate" in which the Lord passed is closed to all others (Ezekiel 44:2).
The brothers of the Lord spoken of in the Gospels are most likely St. Joseph's children
from a previous marriage or Jesus's cousins as there is no word for "cousin" in
the Aramaic language. In addition, Jesus is mentioned as "the" son of
Mary, not "a" son of Mary in Scripture (Mark 6:3).
The Papacy - Was St. Peter the first
"pope" as the Catholic Church claims? Yes, for Jesus Christ said it was
upon St. Peter that He would build His Church and Christ gave him authority over His whole
"flock" (Matthew 16:18-19; John 21:14-17).
Purgatory - Does a cleansing
state of the soul exist before entering Heaven for those who need it? Yes, for
Scripture says nothing unclean or impure will enter into the kingdom of Heaven (Revelations
21:27). St. Paul mentions the saving of a person's soul, but through fire (1
Corinthians 3:13-15). In addition, Jesus mentions being forgiven for sins in
the next world (Matthew 12:32) and that we shall not be released until we have
paid for all our sins (Luke 12:59).
Repetitious Prayer - Is reciting the
same prayer over and over again a sin? While repeating a prayer in vain is useless,
repeating a prayer in faith is not, for Jesus Christ Himself repeated prayer (Matthew
26:44) and the
angels in Heaven continually repeat "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was,
and is, and is to come" (Revelations 4:8).
Sin: Deadly Or Not? - Is there no
degree of seriousness when it comes to committing a sin? Yes, there are sins that
are more serious in nature that deprive the soul of communion with God. These are
called "mortal" (deadly) sins (1 John 5:16-17). Even Jesus Christ
distinguished between lesser and greater sins (John 19:11).
Statues - Isn't having statues of
Jesus, Mary and the saints in violation of Exodus 20:4-5? This passage is
in reference to pagan idols and graven images which the Israelites would have been prone
to worship at the time. For if it were in reference to all graven images, God would
not have commanded angelic cherubim of gold be put on the Ark of the Covenant (Exodus
25:18-19). Nor would Moses have made a bronze serpent and mounted it on a pole
(Numbers 21:8-9). In addition, the temple had several graven images
decorating it (1 Kings 6:23-29; 7:25-45).
