Catholic questions, answered
Explore 24 thoughtful introductions. Bring the questions that matter to you, and follow each answer’s Church reference to go deeper.
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Mary & the saints
Catholics ask Mary to pray for them and honor her as the mother of Jesus. The adoration owed to God is different from the honor given to Mary. Her intercession always depends on Christ; it does not compete with his saving work.
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Catholics believe that Christ unites his people on earth and in heaven. The saints intercede for the Church through Jesus, the one mediator. Asking for their prayer is a way of sharing in that communion.
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There is one God in three distinct divine Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Each Person is fully God. They are not three gods, three parts of God or three roles that one Person takes turns playing.
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Yes. Catholics confess that Jesus Christ is one divine Person with a fully divine nature and a fully human nature. The Son truly became human without ceasing to be God.
ExploreMass & sacraments
Catholics believe that, through the consecration at Mass, the bread and wine become Christ’s Body and Blood. Jesus is truly present—Body, Blood, soul and divinity—while the appearances of bread and wine remain.
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Eucharistic adoration is prayer before Jesus present in the Blessed Sacrament. The Eucharist may be reserved in the tabernacle or exposed in a monstrance according to the Church’s liturgical practice.
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Sunday celebrates the Resurrection of Jesus. Catholics gather for the Eucharist as a community, and participation in Sunday Mass is an obligation unless a serious reason excuses them or a dispensation applies.
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Serious reasons, including illness and necessary care of infants, can excuse a Catholic from the Sunday obligation. Deliberately choosing to miss without a serious reason is a different situation.
ExploreMass & sacraments
In the sacrament of Reconciliation, Christ works through the ministry entrusted to his Church. A priest serves God’s forgiveness and reconciles the penitent with God and the Church; he is not its independent source.
ExploreMass & sacraments
You can begin simply by telling the priest that it has been a long time and that you need help. Prepare honestly, ask God for mercy and be willing to take practical steps away from sin.
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Everyone is welcome to attend Mass, but receiving Communion has particular requirements. Catholics should be properly prepared and not conscious of unconfessed grave sin; Eucharistic fasting also applies.
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Baptism is God’s gift of new life in Christ, not a reward for understanding everything first. The Church baptizes infants within the faith of the Church, with parents and godparents committed to nurturing that faith.
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A godparent helps the baptized person grow in Christian life. This is an ongoing responsibility in the Church, rather than simply an honorary role at the ceremony.
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Confirmation strengthens baptismal grace through the gift of the Holy Spirit. It deepens union with Christ and the Church and strengthens a person to witness to the faith.
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The seven sacraments are Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance or Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders and Matrimony. Through them Christ acts in the life of his Church.
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The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults is the Church’s process for introducing adults to Catholic faith and sacramental life. You may also hear its former English name, RCIA.
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The Rosary joins repeated prayers with meditation on events in the lives of Jesus and Mary. A decade includes an Our Father, ten Hail Marys and a Glory Be while contemplating a mystery.
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A novena is a devotion prayed over nine days or nine prayer occasions, often for an intention or in preparation for a feast. It is an invitation to perseverance and trust in God.
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Distraction is a familiar difficulty in prayer. When you notice it, return your attention to God without turning the whole prayer into a battle with your thoughts.
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Lectio divina is prayerful reading of Scripture. You read attentively, reflect on what you have read, respond to God in prayer and make room for quiet attention.
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Holy water is a sacramental associated with the Church’s prayer and a reminder of Baptism. Using it with the Sign of the Cross can help turn an everyday action toward God.
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In Catholic practice, fasting limits food intake, while abstinence usually means refraining from meat. They are related practices, but they are not interchangeable terms.
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The liturgical year draws the Church through the mysteries of Christ’s life, death and Resurrection. Sunday and the celebration of Easter have a central place in that rhythm.
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Catholics entrust the dead to God’s mercy and pray for their purification. The Church teaches that those who die in God’s friendship may still need purification before the fullness of heavenly joy.
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