Beliefs

The Core Beliefs of the Catholic Church

"The world was created for the sake of the Church." God created the world for the sake of communion with his divine life, a communion brought about by the "convocation" of men in Christ, and this "convocation" is the Church. The Church is the goal of all things, and God permitted such painful upheavals as the angels' fall and man's sin only as occasions and means for displaying all the power of his arm and the whole measure of the love he wanted to give the world. (Catechism 760). As baptized members of the Catholic Church, we are the communion of God with man as the living Body of Christ. As Catholics, we profess our faith in Christ and in the truth of God’s revelation in the prayer of our creed at every celebration of Holy Mass:

The Nicene Creed

I believe in one God,
the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.

I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the Only Begotten Son of God,
born of the Father before all ages.
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary,
and became man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate,
he suffered death and was buried,
and rose again on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures.

 

 

He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead
and his kingdom will have no end.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.

I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.
I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins
and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the world to come.

Amen.

 

 


 

Precepts of the Catholic Church

The precepts of the Church are set in the context of a moral life bound to and nourished by liturgical life. The obligatory character of these positive laws decreed by the pastoral authorities is meant to guarantee to the faithful the very necessary minimum in the spirit of prayer and moral effort, in the growth in love of God and neighbor:

  1. "You shall attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation and rest from servile labor."  The first precept requires the faithful to participate in the Eucharistic celebration when the Christian community gathers together on the day commemorating the Resurrection of the Lord.

    Holy Days of Obligation :
    Mary, Mother of God: Celebrated January 1, but if this occurs on a Saturday or a Monday there is no obligation to go to Mass.
    Epiphany: Celebrated the first Sunday after January 1.
    Ascension: Celebrated on different days depending on which ecclesiastical province you live in; a few provinces celebrate it on the traditional date, which is the Thursday of the sixth week of Easter, but most provinces in the U.S. have transferred it to the seventh Sunday of Easter.
    The Body and Blood of Christ: Celebrated the second Sunday after Pentecost.
    Assumption of Mary: Celebrated August 15, but if this occurs on a Saturday or a Monday there is no obligation to go to Mass.
    All Saints: Celebrated November 1, but if this occurs on a Saturday or a Monday there is no obligation to go to Mass.
    Immaculate Conception of Mary: Celebrated December 8.
    Christmas: Celebrated December 25.
  1. "You shall confess your sins at least once a year." The second precept ensures preparation for the Eucharist by the reception of the sacrament of reconciliation, which continues Baptism's work of conversion and forgiveness.
  2. "You shall receive the sacrament of the Eucharist at least during the Easter season." The third precept guarantees as a minimum the reception of the Lord's Body and Blood in connection with the Paschal feasts, the origin and center of the Christian liturgy.
  3. "You shall observe the days of fasting and abstinence established by the Church." The fourth precept completes the Sunday observance by participation in the principal liturgical feasts which honor the mysteries of the Lord, the Virgin Mary, and the saints.
  4. "You shall help to provide for the needs of the Church." The fifth precept ensures the times of ascesis and penance which prepare us for the liturgical feasts; they help us acquire mastery over our instincts and freedom of heart.

The faithful also have the duty of providing for the material needs of the Church, each according to his abilities.