catholic beliefs

• Creation accounts


  Important for showing God's intention for the human race
• Human beings


  Created in the 'imago Dei' - the image of God
• God created man in his own image (Gen 1:27)
• Humans created in the image of God

  • We possess a relationship with God which sets us apart from other creatures
  • We are created by God, but we are not divine beings
  • We have dignity and worth
• Five ways humans bear the image of God


  • Rational
  • Free will and conscience
  • Ability to relate to God
  • Ability to give and receive love
  • Answerable to God
• Dominion


  Authority to rule over the earth
• Stewardship


  Responsibility to care for and cultivate the earth
• God grants humans dominion over the earth with the expectation that we show mastery with compassion and respect
• Catholic teachings of stewardship are compatible with non-religious groups like Humanists who believe we have a moral responsibility to care for the planet
• Incarnation


  God became a human being in the person of Jesus Christ
• The Incarnation is the en-fleshment of God in humanity
• The Incarnation occurs at the Annunciation when the Angel Gabriel tells Mary she will conceive a child through the Holy Spirit
• John 1:1,14: 'The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.'
• Jesus Christ is the God-Man - fully human and fully divine
• Jesus does and says only things that God can do, like forgiving sins, casting out demons, and raising people from the dead
• Jesus refers to his pre-existent status as the Word of God, emphasising his co-eternity with the Father
• Jesus' words and deeds often invited conflict over accusations of blasphemy and disrespecting the Sabbath laws, but these accusations are not accurate given that Jesus was God incarnate
• Significance of the Incarnation for Catholics

  • It shows the extent of God's love for humanity
  • It makes God accessible to human beings
  • It is the essential link for our salvation from sin
• Paschal Mystery


  Jesus Christ's Passion, death, resurrection and ascension, which have achieved eternal salvation for us
• The Paschal Mystery is essential for our salvation history and is referred to as redemptive efficacy
• Paschal


  Means 'Passover', referring to the Jewish festival commemorating the Israelites' release from slavery
• Moses and Jesus both made sacrifices sealed with blood - the blood of the Passover lamb and the blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God
• Jesus' sacrifice was unique and definitive, made once and for all for the forgiveness of sins
• Redemption


  A metaphor describing the forgiveness of sins brought about through Jesus' sacrifice
• Justification


  The repairing of the broken relationship between humanity and God, bringing about salvation and healing
• Most of Jesus' followers did not fully comprehend that he was God until after his death
• The Gospels gave great attention to Jesus' death, which shows many ills in the human condition
• Despite the mistreatment and suffering, Jesus showed God's unconditional love, mercy, and forgiveness in his final moments on the Cross
• Resurrection


  The belief that Jesus rose again to life on the third day, demonstrating God's infinite power over sin and death
• The Resurrection has lasting significance for all of humanity, as Christ's transformed risen body is a model for our own resurrection
• Ascension


  When Jesus returned to heaven to prepare the way for humans to follow him
• The Ascension was necessary for the Holy Spirit to come at Pentecost and be the abiding presence of Jesus in the early Church and throughout the ages
• Importance of the Holy Spirit in the Paschal Mystery


  • The Holy Spirit's living and active presence in the Church is essential for understanding and responding to the salvation given through the Paschal Mystery
  • The Holy Spirit makes the grace of God a present reality through the sacraments, especially the Eucharist
  • The Holy Spirit continues Jesus' work of revealing God
• Relationship between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit


  • The Father is the transcendent God outside us
  • The Son is God beside us as one of us
  • The Spirit is God inside us
• Catholics believe that Jesus Christ is fully divine and fully human, with two distinct natures united in one person.
• The Catholic Church teaches that the Bible is inspired by God, but it also includes human interpretations.
• Jesus' divinity allows him to forgive sins and perform miracles, while his humanity enables him to understand and relate to humans on an emotional level.
• Paschal Mystery


  Jesus' death brought salvation for all mankind
• Not everyone is saved automatically, as humans have free will and are prone to sinning
• Salvation as a gift

  God can only offer salvation as a gift, and it is up to us to take this gift of salvation