Baptism is regarded as a Sacrament, and in common with all other Sacraments, it conveys grace to those who receive it worthily. This Sacrament is necessary for salvation and has the following effects: It joins the recipient to the Church and is one of the Sacraments of initiation (the others…
The Church requires all who are able to do so, to go to confession at least once a year. Confession is also mandatory for all mortal sins, as these sins are the most serious and can result in loss of salvation. Although the church does not deny forgiveness of sins…
The Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew, with some portions in Aramaic (a dialect which Jesus himself would have spoken). Around the 3rd century BC, work began on translating the text into Greek, which was a major language at the time and indeed the language used for the original…
Prayer to the saints (including the Blessed Virgin Mary) is based on the idea that just as people intercede on earth by offering prayers for each other, so it is appropriate to ask those who are in the presence of God to intercede on our behalf. In that sense, it…
The term “Catholic”, whether or not the big ‘C’ is used, means, “universal”. The Church founded by Jesus Christ has always been “Catholic” because the mandate he gave to His followers was to, “Go and make disciples of all the nations and baptise them in the name of the Father…
The biggest challenge facing the Catholic Church, at least in the UK, is catechesis, without question. “Catechesis” means “echoing the teaching”. This implies that when someone gets to know about the faith, there should be a deep resonance at every level of his or her being – mind, heart, body…
The doctrine of the Apostolic Succession teaches that the Pope is the successor of St Peter (Pope Benedict is the 265th Pope) and that the bishops in communion with the Pope are successors of the Apostles. Christ reminded His followers of His abiding presence in the Church (cfr Mt 28,20):…
My role as a priest is to bring Christ to others in the sacraments and to preach the good news of salvation. This includes the daily celebration of Mass and other sacraments (sometimes called “the divine mysteries”), preaching, frequent confession, regular prayer and study. I have a duty to reflect…
The Visit to the United Kingdom has been the highlight of the Pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI: The depth and clarity of the Pope’s vision in his public discourses are the highlight. In the 19,825 official words that Pope Benedict delivered he set out a plan. I detected three main…
There are three elements of the council’s teaching that stand out for me: 1) The universal call to holiness: this element of the fruit of the Council is vastly important today. It is now 50 years since the Council, and her sense of the need for a holiness among the…
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More information: Wise words: Papal Crest: