The dogmas of the faith
(Excerpts
from the Catechism)
88 The Church's Magisterium exercises the authority it holds from Christ to
the fullest extent when it defines dogmas, that is, when it proposes truths
contained in divine Revelation or having a necessary connection with them,
in a form obliging the Christian people to an irrevocable adherence of
faith.
89 There is an organic connection between our spiritual life and the
dogmas. Dogmas are lights along the path of faith; they illuminate it and
make it secure. Conversely, if our life is upright, our intellect and heart
will be open to welcome the light shed by the dogmas of faith.
90 The mutual connections between dogmas, and their coherence, can be found
in the whole of the Revelation of the mystery of Christ. "In Catholic
doctrine there exists an order or hierarchy 234 of truths, since they vary
in their relation to the foundation of the Christian faith."
Dogmas of the Catholic
Church. (Fundamentals)
The following De Fide statements comprise "Our
Catholic Faith without which it is impossible to please God" (The
Council of Trent, Session V, explaining the correct interpretation of Hebrews
11: 6). These positive "articles of faith" have the function of
fundamental principles which the faithful accepts without discussion as being
certain and sure by virtue of the authority of God, Who is absolute truth
(Council of the Vatican).
They represent the mind of Christ as St.
Paul says:
- 1 Cor. 2:16. But
we have the mind of Christ.
- Hebrews 13:8. Jesus
Christ yesterday, and today: and the same for ever.
Since Our
Catholic Faith comes from God, they are not open for debate, and they are not
reversible.
The Christian is
called to adhere to Christ and His teaching integrally;
the unity of faith is the dominant motif of divine revelation on which St. Paul insists
energetically, when he writes:
- 1 Cor. 1:10. I
beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you
all speak the same thing, and that there be no schisms among you: but
that you be perfect in mind and in the same judgement.
There is, then,
no place for "pick and choose" in the truths proposed to the
Faith of Christians by the Infallible Teaching Church for they are bound in
Heaven by God Himself. If something is decreed on earth and is also bound in
Heaven, that thing must be the truth. Otherwise, God is no longer the Truth,
which is contrary to the Gospel:
- Matthew 16:19. And
I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever
thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and
whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth, it shall be loosed also in
Heaven.
The Catholic
Church is infallible because it is :
- 1 Tim 3:15. the
church of the living God, the pillar and the ground of the truth.
If a baptized
person deliberately denies or contradicts a dogma, he or she is guilty of sin
of heresy and automatically becomes subject to the punishment of
excommunication.
From the work of Dr. Ludwig Ott, Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma, published by
the Mercier Press Ltd., Cork, Ireland, 1955. With Imprimatur of Cornelius,
Bishop. Reprinted in U.S.A. by Tan Books and Publishers, Rockford, Illinois,
1974.
- The Unity and Trinity of God
- God the Creator
- God the
Redeemer
- The Mother
of the Redeemer
- God the
Sanctifier
- The
Catholic Church
- The
Communion of Saints
- The
Sacraments
- Baptism
- Confirmation
- Holy Eucharist
- Penance
- Holy
Orders
- Matrimony
- Extreme
Unction
- The Last Things
I. The Unity and
Trinity of God
- God, our Creator and
Lord, can be known with certainty, by the natural light of reason from
created things.
- God's existence is
not merely an object of rational knowledge, but also an object of
supernatural faith.
- God's Nature is
incomprehensible to men.
- The blessed in Heaven
possess an immediate intuitive knowledge of the Divine Essence.
- The immediate vision
of God transcends the natural power of cognition of the human soul, and
is therefore supernatural.
- The soul, for the
immediate vision of God, requires the light of glory.
- God's Essence is also
incomprehensible to the blessed in Heaven.
- The divine attributes
are really identical among themselves and with the Divine Essence.
- God is absolutely
perfect.
- God is actually
infinite in every perfection.
- God is absolutely
simple.
- There is only one
God.
- The one God is, in
the ontological sense, the true God.
- God possesses an
infinite power of cognition.
- God is absolute
veracity.
- God is absolutely
faithful.
- God is absolute
ontological goodness in Himself and in relation to others.
- God is absolute moral
goodness or holiness.
- God is absolute
benignity.
- God is absolutely
immutable.
- God is eternal.
- God is immense or
absolutely immeasurable.
- God is everywhere
present in created space.
- God's knowledge is
infinite.
- God's knowledge is
purely and simply actual.
- God's knowledge is
subsistent.
- God knows all that is
merely possible by the knowledge of simple intelligence.
- God knows all real
things in the past, the present and the future.
- By the knowledge of
vision, God also foresees the future free acts of rational creatures
with infallible certainty.
- God's Divine Will is
infinite.
- God loves Himself of
necessity, but loves and wills the creation of extra-divine things, on
the other hand, with freedom.
- God is almighty.
- God is the Lord of
the heavens and of the earth.
- God is infinitely
just.
- God is infinitely
merciful.
- In God there are
three Persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. Each of the three
Persons possesses the one (numerical) Divine Essence.
- In God there are two
internal divine processions.
- The Divine Persons,
not the Divine Nature, are the subject of the internal divine
processions (in the active and in the passive sense).
- The Second Divine
Person proceeds from the First Divine Person by generation, and
therefore is related to Him as Son to Father.
- The Holy Ghost
proceeds from the Father and from the Son as from a single principle through
a single spiration.
- The Holy Ghost does
not proceed through generation but through spiration.
- The relations in God
are really identical with the Divine Nature.
- The Three Divine
Persons are in one another.
- All the ad extra activities of God are common to
the three Persons.
II. God the Creator
- All that exists
outside God was, in its whole substance, produced out of nothing by God.
- God was moved by His
goodness to create the world.
- The world was created
for the glorification of God.
- The Three Divine
Persons are one single, common principle of creation.
- God created the world
free from exterior compulsion and inner necessity.
- God has created a
good world.
- The world had a
beginning in time.
- God alone created the
world.
- God keeps all created
things in existence.
- God, through His
Providence, protects and guides all that He has created.
- The first man was
created by God.
- Man consists of two
essential parts - a material body and a spiritual soul.
- The rational soul per se is the essential form of
the body.
- Every human being
possesses an individual soul.
- God has conferred on
man a supernatural destiny.
- Our first parents,
before the fall, were endowed with sanctifying grace.
- In addition to
sanctifying grace, our first parents were endowed with the preternatural
gift of bodily immortality.
- Our first parents in
Paradise sinned grievously through transgression of the Divine
probationary commandment.
- Through sin our first
parents lost sanctifying grace and provoked the anger and the
indignation of God.
- Our first parents
became subject to death and to the dominion of the devil.
- Adam's sin is
transmitted to his posterity, not by imitation but by descent.
- Original sin is
transmitted by natural generation.
- In the state of
original sin man is deprived of sanctifying grace and all that this
implies, as well as of the preternatural gifts of integrity.
- Souls who depart this
life in the state of original sin are excluded from the Beatific Vision
of God.
- In the beginning of
time God created spiritual essences (angels) out of nothing.
- The nature of angels
is spiritual.
- The evil spirits
(demons) were created good by God; they became evil through their own
fault.
- The secondary task of
the good angels is the protection of men and care for their salvation.
- The devil possesses a
certain dominion over mankind by reason of Adam's sin.
III. God the Redeemer
- Jesus Christ is true
God and true Son of God.
- Christ assumed a real
body, not an apparent body.
- Christ assumed not
only a body but also a rational soul.
- Christ was truly
generated and born of a daughter of Adam, the Virgin Mary.
- The Divine and human
natures are united hypostatically in Christ, that is, joined to each
other in one Person.
- In the hypostatic
union each of the two natures of Christ continues unimpaired,
untransformed, and unmixed with each other.
- Each of the two
natures in Christ possesses its own natural will and its own natural
mode of operation.
- The hypostatic union
of Christ's human nature with the Divine Logos took place at the moment
of conception.
- The hypostatic union
was effected by the three Divine Persons acting in common.
- Only the second
Divine Person became Man.
- Not only as God but
also as man Jesus Christ is the natural Son of God.
- The God-Man Jesus
Christ is to be venerated with one single mode of worship, the absolute
worship of latria which is due to God alone.
- Christ's Divine and
human characteristics and activities are to be predicated of the one
Word Incarnate.
- Christ was free from
all sin, from original sin as well as from all personal sin.
- Christ's human nature
was passable.
- The Son of God became
man in order to redeem men.
- Fallen man cannot
redeem himself.
- The God-man Jesus
Christ is a high priest.
- Christ offered
Himself on the Cross as a true and proper sacrifice.
- Christ by His
sacrifice on the Cross has ransomed us and reconciled us with God.
- Christ, through His
passion and death, merited award from God.
- After His death,
Christ's Soul, which was separated from His Body, descended into the
underworld.
- On the third day
after His death, Christ rose gloriously from the dead.
- Christ ascended body
and soul into Heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father.
IV. The Mother of the Redeemer
- Mary is truly the
Mother of God.
- Mary was conceived
without the stain of original sin.
Mary
is the Immaculate Conception.
- Mary conceived by the
Holy Ghost without the cooperation of man.
- Mary bore her Son
without any violation of her virginal integrity.
- After the birth of
Jesus, Mary remained a Virgin.
- Mary was assumed body
and soul into Heaven.
V. God the Sanctifier
- There is a
supernatural intervention of God in the faculties of the soul, which
precedes the free act of the will.
- There is a
supernatural influence of God in the faculties of the soul which
coincides in time with man's free act of will.
- For every salutary
act, internal supernatural grace of God (gratia elevans) is
absolutely necessary.
- Internal supernatural
grace is absolutely necessary for the beginning of faith and salvation.
- Without the special
help of God, the justified cannot persevere to the end in justification.
- The justified person
is not able for his whole life long to avoid sins, even venial sins,
without the special privilege of the grace of God.
- Even in the fallen
state, man can, by his natural intellectual power, know religious and
moral truths.
- For the performance
of a morally good action, sanctifying grace is not required.
- In the state of
fallen nature, it is morally impossible for man without supernatural
Revelation, to know easily, with absolute certainty, and without
admixture of error, all religious and moral truths of the natural order.
- Grace cannot be
merited by natural works either de
condigno or de congruo.
- God gives all the
just sufficient grace for the observation of the divine commandments.
- God, by His eternal
resolve of Will, has predetermined certain men to eternal blessedness.
- God, by an eternal
resolve of His Will, predestines certain men, on account of their
foreseen sins, to eternal rejection.
- The human will
remains free under the influence of efficacious grace, which is not
irresistible.
- There is grace which
is truly sufficient and yet remains inefficacious.
- The causes of
Justification. (Defined by the Council of Trent) :
- The final cause is
the honour of God and of Christ and the eternal life of men.
- The efficient cause
is the mercy of God.
- The meritorious
cause is Jesus Christ, who as mediator between God and men, has made
atonement for us and merited the grace by which we are justified.
- The instrumental
cause of the first justification is the Sacrament of Baptism. Thus it
defines that Faith is a necessary precondition for justification (of
adults).
- The formal cause is
God's Justice, not by which He Himself is just, but which He makes us just,
that is, Sanctifying Grace.
- The sinner can and
must prepare himself by the help of actual grace for the reception of
the grace by which he is justified.
- The justification of
an adult is not possible without faith.
- Besides faith,
further acts of disposition must be present.
- Sanctifying grace
sanctifies the soul.
- Sanctifying grace
makes the just man a friend of God.
- Sanctifying grace
makes the just man a child of God and gives him a claim to the
inheritance of heaven.
- The three Divine or
theological virtues of faith, hope and charity are infused with
sanctifying grace.
- Without special
Divine Revelation no one can know with the certainty of faith, if he be
in the state of grace.
- The degree of
justifying grace is not identical in all the just.
- Grace can be increased
by good works.
- The grace by which we
are justified may be lost, and is lost by every grievous sin.
- By his good works,
the justified man really acquires a claim to supernatural reward from
God.
- A just man merits for
himself through each good work an increase of sanctifying grace, eternal
life (if death finds him in the state of grace) and an increase in
heavenly glory.
VI. The Catholic Church
- The Catholic Church
was founded by the God-Man Jesus Christ.
- Christ founded the
Catholic Church in order to continue His work of redemption for all
time.
- Christ gave His
Church a hierarchical constitution.
- The powers bestowed
on the Apostles have descended to the Bishops.
- Christ appointed the
Apostle Peter to be the first of all the Apostles and to be the visible
Head of the whole Catholic Church, by appointing him immediately and
personally to the primacy of jurisdiction.
- According to Christ's
ordinance, Peter is to have successors in his Primacy over the whole
Catholic Church and for all time.
- The successors of
Peter in the Primacy are the Bishops of Rome.
- The Pope possesses
full and supreme power of jurisdiction over the whole Catholic Church,
not merely in matters of faith and morals, but also in Church discipline
and in the government of the Church.
- The Pope is
infallible when he speaks ex
cathedra.
- By virtue of Divine
right, the bishops possess an ordinary power of government over their
dioceses.
- Christ founded the
Catholic Church.
- Christ is the Head of
the Catholic Church.
- In the final decision
on doctrines concerning faith and morals, the Catholic Church is
infallible.
- The primary object of
the Infallibility is the formally revealed truths of Christian Doctrine
concerning faith and morals.
- The totality of the
Bishops is infallible, when they, either assembled in general council or
scattered over the earth propose a teaching of faith or morals as one to
he held by all the faithful.
- The Church founded by
Christ is unique and one.
- The Church founded by
Christ is holy.
- The Church founded by
Christ is catholic.
- The Church founded by
Christ is apostolic.
- Membership
of the Catholic Church is necessary for all men for salvation.
VII. The Communion of Saints
- It is permissible and
profitable to venerate the Saints in Heaven, and to invoke their
intercession.
- It is permissible and
profitable to venerate the relics of the Saints.
- It is permissible and
profitable to venerate images of the Saints.
- The living faithful
can come to the assistance of the souls in Purgatory by their
intercessions.
- The Sacraments of the
New Covenant contain the grace which they signify, and bestow it on
those who do not hinder it.
- The Sacraments work ex opere operato, that
is, the sacraments operate by the power of the completed sacramental
rite.
- All the Sacraments of
the New Covenant confer sanctifying grace on the receivers.
- Three Sacraments,
Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders, imprint a character, that is an
indelible spiritual mark, and, for this reason, cannot be repeated.
- The sacramental
character is a spiritual mark imprinted on the soul.
- The sacramental
character continues at least until the death of the bearer.
- All Sacraments of the
New Covenant were instituted by Jesus Christ.
- There are seven
Sacraments of the New Law.
- The Sacraments of the
New Covenant are necessary for the salvation of mankind.
- The validity and
efficacy of the Sacrament is independent of the minister's orthodoxy and
state of grace.
- For the valid
dispensing of the Sacraments it is necessary that the minister
accomplish the Sacramental sign in the proper manner.
- The minister must
have the intention of at least doing what the Church does.
- In the case of adult
recipients moral worthiness is necessary for the worthy or fruitful
reception of the Sacraments.
IX. Baptism
- Baptism is a true
Sacrament instituted by Jesus Christ.
- The materia remota of the Sacrament of Baptism is
true and natural water.
- Baptism confers the
grace of justification.
- Baptism effects the
remission of all punishments of sin, both eternal and temporal.
- Even if it be
unworthily received, valid Baptism imprints on the soul of the recipient
an indelible spiritual mark, the Baptismal Character, and for this
reason, the Sacrament cannot be repeated.
- Baptism by water (Baptismus
fluminis) is, since the promulgation of the Gospel, necessary for
all men without exception for salvation.
- Baptism can be
validly administered by anyone.
- Baptism can be
received by any person in the wayfaring state who is not already
baptised.
- The Baptism of young
children is valid and licit.
X. Confirmation
- Confirmation is a
true Sacrament properly so-called.
- Confirmation imprints
on the soul an indelible spiritual mark, and for this reason, cannot be
repeated.
- The ordinary minister
of Confirmation is the Bishop alone.
XI. Holy Eucharist
- The Body and Blood of
Jesus Christ are truly, really, and substantially present in the
Eucharist.
- Christ becomes
present in the Sacrament of the Altar by the transformation of the whole
substance of the bread into His Body and of the whole substance of the
wine into His Blood.
- The accidents of
bread and wine continue after the change of the substance.
- The Body and Blood of
Christ together with His Soul and Divinity and therefore, the whole
Christ, are truly present in the Eucharist.
- The Whole Christ is
present under each of the two Species.
- When either
consecrated Species is divided, the Whole Christ is present in each part
of the Species.
- After the
Consecration has been completed the Body and Blood are permanently
present in the Eucharist.
- The Worship of
Adoration (latria) must be given to Christ present in the
Eucharist.
- The Eucharist is a
true Sacrament instituted by Jesus Christ.
- The matter for the
consummation of the Eucharist is bread and wine.
- For children before
the age of reason, the reception of the Eucharist is not necessary for
salvation.
- Communion under two
forms is not necessary for any individual members of the Faithful,
either by reason of Divine precept or as a means of salvation.
- The power of
consecration resides in a validly consecrated priest only .
- The Sacrament of the
Eucharist can be validly received by every baptised person in the
wayfaring state, including young children.
- For the worthy
reception of the Eucharist, the state of grace as well as the proper and
pious disposition are necessary.
- The Holy Mass is a
true and proper Sacrifice.
- In the Sacrifice of
the Mass, Christ's Sacrifice on the Cross is made present, its memory
celebrated, and its saving power applied.
- In the Sacrifice of
the Mass and in the Sacrifice of the Cross the Sacrificial Gift and the
Primary Sacrificing Priest are identical; only the nature and the mode
of the offering are different.
- The Sacrifice of the
Mass is not merely a sacrifice of praise and thanks-giving, but also a
sacrifice of expiation and impetration.
XII. Penance
- The Church has
received from Christ the power of remitting sins committed after
Baptism.
- By the Church's
Absolution sins are truly and immediately remitted.
- The Church's power to
forgive sins extends to all sin without exception.
- The exercise of the
Church's power to forgive sins is a judicial act.
- The forgiveness of
sins which takes place in the Tribunal of Penance is a true and proper
Sacrament, which is distinct from the Sacrament of Baptism.
- Extra-sacramental
justification is effected by perfect sorrow only when it is associated
with the desire for the Sacrament (votum sacramenti).
- Contrition springing
from the motive of fear is a morally good and supernatural act.
- The Sacramental
confession of sins is ordained by God and is necessary for salvation.
- By virtue of Divine
ordinance, all grievous sins according to kind and number, as well as
those circumstances which alter their nature, are subject to the
obligation of confession.
- The confession of
venial sins is not necessary but is permitted and is useful.
- All temporal
punishments for sin are not always remitted by God with the guilt of sin
and the eternal punishment.
- The priest has the
right and duty, according to the nature of the sins and the ability of
the penitent, to impose salutary and appropriate works for satisfaction.
- Extra-sacramental
penitential works, such as the performance of voluntary penitential
practices and the patient bearing of trials sent by God, possess
satisfactory value.
- The form of the
Sacrament of Penance consists in the words of Absolution.
- Absolution, in
association with the acts of the penitent, effects the forgiveness of
sins.
- The principal effect
of the Sacrament of Penance is the reconciliation of the sinner with
God.
- The Sacrament of Penance
is necessary for salvation to those who, after Baptism, fall into
grievous sin.
- The sole possessors
of the Church's Power of Absolution are the bishops and priests.
- Absolution given by
deacons, clerics or lower rank, and laymen is not Sacramental Absolution.
- The Sacrament of
Penance can be received by any baptised person who, after Baptism, has
committed a grievous or a venial sin.
- The Church possesses
the power to grant Indulgences.
- The use of
Indulgences is useful and salutary to the Faithful.
XIII. Holy Orders
- Holy Order is a true
and proper Sacrament which was instituted by Jesus Christ.
- The consecration of
priests is a Sacrament.
- Bishops are superior
to priests.
- The Sacrament of
Order confers sanctifying grace on the recipient.
- The Sacrament of
Order imprints a character on the recipient.
- The Sacrament of
Order confers a permanent spiritual power on the recipient.
- The ordinary
dispenser of all grades of Order, both the sacramental and the
non-sacramental, is the validly consecrated Bishop alone.
XIV. Matrimony
- Marriage is a true
and proper Sacrament instituted by God.
- From the sacramental
contract of marriage emerges the Bond of Marriage, which binds both
marriage partners to a lifelong indivisible community of life.
- The Sacrament of
Matrimony bestows sanctifying grace on the contracting parties.
XV. Anointing of the sick
- Extreme Unction or
anointing of the sick is a true and proper Sacrament instituted by Jesus
Christ.
- The remote matter of
Extreme Unction is oil.
- The form consists in
the prayer of the priest for the sick person which accomplishes the
anointing.
- Extreme Unction gives
the sick person sanctifying grace in order to arouse and strengthen him.
- Extreme Unction
effects the remission of grievous sins still remaining and of venial
sins.
- Extreme Unction
sometimes effects the restoration of bodily health, if this be of
spiritual advantage.
- Only Bishops and
priests can validly administer Extreme Unction.
- Extreme Unction can
be received only by the Faithful who are seriously ill.
XVI. The Last Things
- In the present order
of salvation, death is a punishment for sin.
- All human beings
subject to original sin are subject to the law of death.
- The souls of the just
which in the moment of death are free from all guilt of sin and
punishment for sin, enter into Heaven.
- The bliss of Heaven
lasts for all eternity.
- The degree of
perfection of the Beatific Vision granted to the just is proportioned to
each one's merit.
- The souls of those
who die in the condition of personal grievous sin enter Hell.
- The punishment of
Hell lasts for all eternity.
- The souls of the just
which, in the moment of death, are burdened with venial sins or temporal
punishment due to sins, enter purgatory.
- At the end of the
world Christ will come again in glory to pronounce judgement.
- All the dead will
rise again on the last day with their bodies.
- The dead will rise
again with the same bodies as they had on earth.
- Christ, on His second
coming, will judge all men.
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