Frequently Asked Questions about the Catholic Faith:

1. Do Catholics worship Mary?
No, Catholics worship only God. Justice requires honor to be given to those worthy of honor. Catholics honor Mary because God honored her. The Bible requires that all generations call Mary blessed. Luke 1:48

2. What’s up with the statues?
Statues and other images serve as reminders of who these people were. Statues are not worshiped but are a way of honoring someone’s memory, just like Lincoln Memorial honors Abraham Lincoln. Images were often used in the Old Testament to enhance worship. There use is not forbidden, just the worship of them.

3. Why to Catholics make the Sign of the Cross, bow, kneel, sit, stand, and genuflect?
Catholics believe that we are to worship God with both our body and soul. These actions reflect this.

4. Why is the Catholic Bible bigger?
The Catholic Bible contains all the books accepted by the Councils of Hippo and Carthage in 397. The Reformation removed these long accepted books.

5. Do Catholics read the Bible?
Yes. Catholics are strongly encouraged to read the Bible daily. Catholics believe that the Bible (properly understood) is inspired by God and is without error.

6. Are Catholics “Saved”?
Catholics accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, but for a Catholic it goes beyond just a confession into a total transformation.
Catholics believe that salvation is a process by which one allows God’s grace of the Cross to purify and sanctify you into the person God wills you to be. This is a process and not an instantaneous event and greatly involves faithfully carrying the cross Jesus asks of you (Luke 9:23). Salvation is from Christ who empowers our own life challenges to be a sharing in his cross.

7. Is Purgatory a “Second Chance”?
No. Purgatory is not a second chance. Purgatory is only for those that die in friendship with God, yet need purification before entering heaven. This purification of the Christian is described in 1 Corinthians 3:10-15.

8. Do Catholics believe in the Rapture?
No. The Rapture is a fairly new belief that is not found in the first 1800 years of Christianity.

9. Why do Catholics believe that the Communion bread and wine are the Real Presence of Christ.
Simply because Jesus said so. Concerning the bread and the wine he said, “this is my body… this is my blood”. Jesus did not mean this symbolically. The symbol was present in the Old Testament by the Bread of the Presence that was set before the Ark of the Covenant (Exodus 25:23-30). In the Old Testament we get the symbol, in the New Testament, we get the real thing.

10. What about the Pope?
The Papacy was instituted by Jesus when he appointed Peter the leader of the Apostles and entrusted Peter with the “keys of the kingdom”. Jesus instituted this by changing Simon’s name to Peter (which means rock) and saying to Peter, “you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 16:18).
Compare Matthew 16:18 with Isaiah 22:22. Christ is the King, Peter and the Popes are like the Prime Ministers of the King. He is to be our leader that keeps the unity of the Church.

11. What is Christianity about?
Christianity is about a Person, a People, and a Way of Life.
Person- Christianity is about Jesus being the Lord and savior of our lives.
People- Christianity is about the people of God, that is his Church.
Way of Life- Christianity is about Christian living. We are to follow the high moral teachings of Christ everyday!