CATHOLIC FACT

FILES
 THE PILLARS OF THE CATHOLIC
FAITH:
A. THE APOSTLE’S CREED
B. THE SEVEN SACRAMENTS
C. THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
D. THE LORD’S PRAYER
E. THE HOLY MASS
F. THE HOLY ROSARY
G. THE INTERCESSION OF GOD’S ANGELS AND SAINTS
 THE APOSTLE’S CREED
Background
This creed is called the Apostles' Creed not because it was
produced by the apostles themselves but because it
contains a brief summary of their teachings. It sets forth
their doctrine "in sublime simplicity, in unsurpassable
brevity, in beautiful order, and with liturgical solemnity." In
its present form it is dated no later than the fourth century.
More than any other Christian creed, it may justly be called
an ecumenical symbol of faith. This translation of the Latin
text was approved by the CRC Synod of 1988.
 THE SEVEN SACRAMENTS
The Roman Catholic Church has seven holy sacraments that
are seen as mystical channels of divine grace, instituted
by Christ. Each is celebrated with a visible rite, which
reflects the invisible, spiritual essence of the sacrament.
Whereas some sacraments are received only once, others
require active and ongoing participation to foster the "living
faith" of the celebrant. These sacraments are: baptism,
confirmation, reconciliation/penance, eucharist, matrimony,
holy order and anointing of the sick
 THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
The Catholic Ten Commandments are a summary of “the
conditions of a life freed from the slavery of sin” (Catechism,
2057).
They must be understood in relation to the “law of love”: Love
of God and love of neighbor summarize all of Catholic morality.
The law of love is also the first principle & source of the moral
law. It contains “all the law and the prophets” (Mt 22:40).
The Catholic Ten Commandments are a description of the
minimum that love requires.
Christian life itself requires much more than simply following the
Ten Commandments. See the full article on Catholic morality for
a discussion of this important point.
 THE LORD’S PRAYER
Lord’s Prayer, also called Our Father, Latin Oratio Dominica or
Pater Noster, Christian prayer that, according to tradition, was taught
by Jesus to his disciples. It appears in two forms in the New Testament:
the shorter version in the Gospel According to Luke 11:2–4 and the
longer version, part of the Sermon on the Mount, in the Gospel
According to Matthew 6:9–13. In both contexts it is offered as a model
of how to pray.
The Lord’s Prayer resembles other prayers that came out of
the Jewish matrix of Jesus’ time and contains three common elements
of Jewish prayers: praise, petition, and a yearning for the coming
kingdom of God. It consists of an introductory address and seven
petitions.
 THE HOLY MASS
The Mass is the most beautiful act of worship of Almighty God and a
precious treasure of our Catholic Church. To fully appreciate the Mass, one
has to understand its historical development. Granted, the root of the Mass
is the Last Supper, a Passover meal. Here our Lord and the apostles read
the Sacred Scriptures, and then for the first time He took bread and wine,
pronounced the words of consecration, and gave His Body and Blood to
them. The action of this first Mass must be understood in the whole context
of our Lord's passion, death, and resurrection. Since that time, the Church
has offered the Mass, which participates in the ever-present, everlasting
reality of the Last Supper and the passion, death and resurrection.
 THE HOLY ROSARY
The Rosary means "Crown of Roses". Our Lady has revealed to several people that each time
they say a Hail Mary they are giving her a beautiful rose and that each complete Rosary makes
her a crown of roses. The rose is the queen of flowers, and so the Rosary is the rose of all
devotions and it is therefore the most important one. The Holy Rosary is considered a perfect
prayer because within it lies the awesome story of our salvation. With the Rosary in fact we
meditate the mysteries of joy, of sorrow, of glory and of light Jesus and Mary. It's a simple prayer,
humble so much like Mary. It's a prayer we can all say together with Her, the Mother of God.
With the Hail Mary we invite Her to pray for us. Our Lady always grants our request. She joins
Her prayer to ours. Therefore it becomes ever more useful, because what Mary asks She always
receives, Jesus can never say no to whatever His Mother asks for. In every apparition, the
heavenly Mother has invited us to say the Rosary as a powerful weapon against evil, to bring us
to true peace. With your prayer made together with Your heavenly Mother, you can obtain the
great gift of bringing about a change of hearts and conversion. Each day, through prayer you
can drive away from yourselves and from your homeland many dangers and many evils.
It can seem a repetitive prayer but instead it is like two sweethearts who many times say one
another the words: "I love you"...
The Blessed Holy Father John Paul II on October 16th, 2002 with the Apostolic Letter Rosarium
Virginis Mariae on the
Most Holy Rosary has added 5 new mysteries of the Rosary: The Mysteries of the Light.
 THE INTERCESSION OF
GOD’S ANGELS AND
SAINTS
Catholic and Orthodox Christians trace the origins of intercession of
saints to the New Testament, when St. Paul asks the Christians in
Ephesus, Thessalonica, Colossus and Rome to pray for him (Eph.
6:19, 1 Thes. 5:25; Col. 4:3, and Rom. 15:30-31).
The practice of intercession is also mentioned in several surviving
writings from the early church. A letter attributed to St. Basil (329-
79 AD), for example, states:
I acknowledge also the holy apostles, prophets, and martyrs; and I
invoke them to supplication to God, that through them, that is,
through their mediation, the merciful God may be propitious to me,
and that a ransom may be made and given me for my sins. In
addition, St. John Chrysostom wrote that Christians should seek the
intercession and the fervent prayers of the saints, because they have
special "boldness" (parresia), before God (Gen. 44:2 and Encomium to
Julian, Iuventinus and Maximinus, 3).
THE PILLARS OF CHURCH’S
AUTHORITY
A. SACRED SCRIPTURE
B. SACRED TRADITION
C. LIVING MAGISTERIUM
 SACRED SCRIPTURE
The Bible (from Greek, biblia, 'books') is the collection of 73
books that the Catholic Church believes and teaches is the
written expression of God's Revelation. These books form a
single book which is the inspired word of God. The church
believes in revelation guided by the Holy Spirit
through sacred scripture, developed in sacred tradition
and entirely rooted in the original deposit of faith. Formal
Catholic worship is ordered by means of the liturgy, which is
regulated by church authority.
 SACRED TRADITION
Sacred tradition is a theological term used in
major Christian traditions, primarily those
claiming apostolic succession, such as the
Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox,
Assyrian, and Anglican traditions, to refer to the
foundation of the doctrinal and spiritual
authority of Christianity and of the Bible.
 LIVING MAGISTERIUM
The Magisterium consists of only all the
infallible teachings of the Church,
"Wherefore, by divine and Catholic faith all those
things are to be believed which are contained in
the word of God as found in Scripture and
tradition, and which are proposed by the Church
as matters to be believed as divinely revealed
THE FOUR MARKS OF THE CHURCH
A. UNITY (ONE)
B. SANCTITY (HOLY)
C. CATHOLICITY (CATHOLIC / UNIVERSAL)
D. APOSTOLICITY (APOSTOLIC)
 UNITY (ONE)
The Church Is One
Just as God is one in the Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit, so also is the Church one. The founder of
the Church is Jesus Christ, who brought us back
to God and made us into the family of God. The
Church is one in the Holy Spirit, who dwells in
those who believe.
 SANCTITY (HOLY)
The Church Is Holy
The Church is holy because the Church lives in
union with Jesus Christ, the source of holiness.
Through the Holy Spirit the Church leads others
to holiness. The holiness of the Church is seen
in the love that the members of the Church
have toward one another and the many
sacrifices they make for the sake of the world.
 CATHOLICITY
(CATHOLIC/UNIVERSAL)
The Church Is Catholic
Catholic means “universal.” The Church is
universal in two ways. First, the Church is catholic
because all baptized people are part of the Church
and the Church possesses the means of salvation.
Second, the mission of the Church is universal
because the Church has been sent to proclaim
Christ to the entire human race.
 APOSTOLICITY
(APOSTOLIC)
The Church Is Apostolic
The Church traces its tradition directly from the
apostles; therefore, the Church is considered
apostolic. With the Holy Spirit the Church
preserves and continues the teaching of the
apostles. The pope and bishops are the
successors of the apostles.
CATEGORIES OF CHURCHES
A. MISSION
B. OUT STATION
C. PARISH
D. CATHEDRAL (VICARIATES, DIOCESES, ARCHDIOCESES)
E. BASILICA
MISSION
a church that is not locally self-
supporting but that depends at least
partially upon the support of mission funds
from the larger religious organization that
established it.
OUT STATION
A Church like a parish but in a remote areas like in the
places of Africa, India and Australia. So that people can
access the Holy Mass even if their areas are remote.
 PARISH
A parish is a territorial entity constituting a division within
a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical
jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who
might be assisted by one or more curates, and who operates
from a parish church. Historically, a parish often covered the
same geographical area as a manor. Its association with the
parish church remains paramount.
CATHEDRAL
A cathedral is a church that contains
the cathedra (Latin for 'seat') of a bishop, thus serving as
the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate.
BASILICA
In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica is a large public
building with multiple functions, typically built alongside
the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West
equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East. The building gave
its name to the architectural form of the basilica.
 MINISTERS OF THE CHURCH
A. Cantors B. Lectors C. Acolytes D. Choir

E. Deacon F. Priest/Religious G. Bishops

H. Cardinals I. Pope
CANTORS
A cantor in the Catholic Church is a single person or
persons within a parish who act(s) as a music leader,
Psalm verse singer, and a general facilitator of the
congregation’s worship experience.
 LECTORS
A lector, or reader, is the third of the four minor orders in the
Roman Catholic Church. The lector participates in Liturgies
by singing or reciting selected biblical texts, although never
the gospels, whose reading is only permitted by a priest,
deacon or bishop. A lector reads from the lectern, or ambo, and
also performs secondary duties, such as carrying the Book of
the Gospel in the procession to the altar.
 ACOLYTES
An acolyte is an assistant or follower assisting the celebrant
in a religious service or procession. an acolyte is anyone
performing ceremonial duties such as lighting altar candles.
In others, the term is used for one who has been inducted into
a particular liturgical ministry, even when not performing
those duties.
CHOIR
It is the part of a church used by Such a company of
singers. The church choir leads and enlivens the
congregation’s song, sings music that the congregation
cannot, and sings beautiful and challenging music to
praise God and edify the congregation.
DEACON
 A deacon is an ordained minister of the Catholic Church.
There are three groups, or “orders,” of ordained ministers
in the Church: bishops, presbyters, and deacons. Deacons
are ordained as a sacramental sign to the Church and to the
world of Christ, who came ‘to serve and not to be served.
 PRIESTS / RELIGIOUS
The most significant liturgical acts reserved to priests in these traditions are the administration of
the Sacraments, including the celebration of the Holy Mass or Divine Liturgy. In these traditions,
only men who meet certain requirements may become priests. In Catholicism,
the canonical minimum age is twenty-five. Bishops may dispense with this rule and ordain men up
to one year younger. Dispensations of more than a year are reserved to the Holy See (Can. 1031 §§1,
4.) A Catholic priest must be incardinated by his bishop or his major religious superior in order to
engage in public ministry. In Orthodoxy, the normal minimum age is thirty (Can. 9 of Neocaesarea)
but a bishop may dispense with this if needed. In neither tradition may priests marry after
ordination. In the Roman Catholic Church, priests in the Latin Rite, which covers the vast majority
of Roman Catholicism, must be celibate except under special rules for married clergy converting
from certain other Christian confessions.
 BISHOPS
Bishop is the title of an ecclesiastical dignitary who possesses the fullness of the priesthood to rule
a diocese as its chief pastor, in due submission to the primacy of the pope.

It is of Catholic faith that bishops are of Divine institution. In the hierarchy of order they possess

powers superior to those of priests and deacons; in the hierarchy of jurisdiction, by Christ's will, they
are appointed for the government of one portion of the faithful of the Church, under the direction and
authority of the sovereign pontiff, who can determine and restrain their powers, but, not annihilate
them. They are the successors of the Apostles, though they do not possess all the prerogatives of the
latter. (Council of Trent, Sess. XXIII, ch. iv; can. vi, vii. See APOSTOLIC COLLEGE.) The
episcopate is monarchical. By the Will of Christ, the supreme authority in a diocese does not belong
to a college of priests or of bishops, but it resides in the single personality of the chief.
 CARDINALS
A cardinal is a senior member of the clergy of the Catholic Church, immediately behind the pope in
the order of precedence. Collectively, they constitute the College of Cardinals, and are appointed for
life. Their most solemn responsibility is to elect a new pope in a conclave, almost always from among
themselves (with a few historical exceptions), when the Holy See is vacant. During the period between
a pope's death or resignation and the election of his successor, the day-to-day governance of the Holy
See is in the hands of the College of Cardinals. The right to participate in a conclave is limited to
cardinals who have not reached the age of 80 years by the day the vacancy occurs. In addition,
cardinals collectively participate in papal consistories (which generally take place annually), in which
matters of importance to the Church are considered and new cardinals may be created. Cardinals of
working age are also appointed to roles overseeing dicasteries of the Roman Curia, the central
administration of the Catholic Church.
 POPE
The pope also known as supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff,or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome. head of
the worldwide Catholic Church, and head of state or sovereign of the Vatican City State. From a Catholic
viewpoint, the primacy of the bishop of Rome is largely derived from his role as the apostolic successor to Saint
Peter, to whom primacy was conferred by Jesus, who gave Peter the Keys of Heaven and the powers of "binding
and loosing", naming him as the "rock" upon which the Church would be built. The current pope is Francis,
who was elected on 13 March 2013.
According to Catholic tradition, the apostolic see of Rome was founded by Saint Peter and Saint Paul in the first
century. The papacy is one of the most enduring institutions in the world and has had a prominent part in world
history. In ancient times the popes helped spread Christianity, and intervened to find resolutions in various
doctrinal disputes. In the Middle Ages, they played a role of secular importance in Western Europe, often acting
as arbitrators between Christian monarchs. In addition to the expansion of Christian faith and doctrine, modern
popes are involved in ecumenism and interfaith dialogue, charitable work, and the defense of human rights.
HIERARCHY OF THE CHURCH
A. Lay Faithful
B. Deacon
C. Priests/ Religious
D. Bishops
E. Archbishops
F. Cardinals
G. Pope (The Vicar of Jesus Christ on Earth)
LAY FAITHFUL
Lay people can act as everyday ministers of the faith,
bringing the principles of Christianity and Catholicism to
work, school, and home.
DEACON
 A deacon is an ordained minister of the Catholic Church.
There are three groups, or “orders,” of ordained ministers
in the Church: bishops, presbyters, and deacons. Deacons
are ordained as a sacramental sign to the Church and to the
world of Christ, who came ‘to serve and not to be served.
 PRIESTS / RELIGIOUS
The most significant liturgical acts reserved to priests in these traditions are the administration of
the Sacraments, including the celebration of the Holy Mass or Divine Liturgy. In these traditions,
only men who meet certain requirements may become priests. In Catholicism,
the canonical minimum age is twenty-five. Bishops may dispense with this rule and ordain men up
to one year younger. Dispensations of more than a year are reserved to the Holy See (Can. 1031 §§1,
4.) A Catholic priest must be incardinated by his bishop or his major religious superior in order to
engage in public ministry. In Orthodoxy, the normal minimum age is thirty (Can. 9 of Neocaesarea)
but a bishop may dispense with this if needed. In neither tradition may priests marry after
ordination. In the Roman Catholic Church, priests in the Latin Rite, which covers the vast majority
of Roman Catholicism, must be celibate except under special rules for married clergy converting
from certain other Christian confessions.
 BISHOPS
Bishop is the title of an ecclesiastical dignitary who possesses the fullness of the priesthood to rule
a diocese as its chief pastor, in due submission to the primacy of the pope.

It is of Catholic faith that bishops are of Divine institution. In the hierarchy of order they possess

powers superior to those of priests and deacons; in the hierarchy of jurisdiction, by Christ's will, they
are appointed for the government of one portion of the faithful of the Church, under the direction and
authority of the sovereign pontiff, who can determine and restrain their powers, but, not annihilate
them. They are the successors of the Apostles, though they do not possess all the prerogatives of the
latter. (Council of Trent, Sess. XXIII, ch. iv; can. vi, vii. See APOSTOLIC COLLEGE.) The
episcopate is monarchical. By the Will of Christ, the supreme authority in a diocese does not belong
to a college of priests or of bishops, but it resides in the single personality of the chief.
ARCHBISHOPS
an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. such as
the Roman Catholic Church, there are many archbishops
who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical
province in addition to their own archdiocese (with some
exceptions), or are otherwise granted a titular archbishopric.
 CARDINALS
A cardinal is a senior member of the clergy of the Catholic Church, immediately behind the pope in
the order of precedence. Collectively, they constitute the College of Cardinals, and are appointed for
life. Their most solemn responsibility is to elect a new pope in a conclave, almost always from among
themselves (with a few historical exceptions), when the Holy See is vacant. During the period between
a pope's death or resignation and the election of his successor, the day-to-day governance of the Holy
See is in the hands of the College of Cardinals. The right to participate in a conclave is limited to
cardinals who have not reached the age of 80 years by the day the vacancy occurs. In addition,
cardinals collectively participate in papal consistories (which generally take place annually), in which
matters of importance to the Church are considered and new cardinals may be created. Cardinals of
working age are also appointed to roles overseeing dicasteries of the Roman Curia, the central
administration of the Catholic Church.
 POPE (THE VICAR OF JESUS
CHRIST ON EARTH)
The pope also known as supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff,or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome. head of
the worldwide Catholic Church, and head of state or sovereign of the Vatican City State. From a Catholic
viewpoint, the primacy of the bishop of Rome is largely derived from his role as the apostolic successor to Saint
Peter, to whom primacy was conferred by Jesus, who gave Peter the Keys of Heaven and the powers of "binding
and loosing", naming him as the "rock" upon which the Church would be built. The current pope is Francis,
who was elected on 13 March 2013.
According to Catholic tradition, the apostolic see of Rome was founded by Saint Peter and Saint Paul in the first
century. The papacy is one of the most enduring institutions in the world and has had a prominent part in world
history. In ancient times the popes helped spread Christianity, and intervened to find resolutions in various
doctrinal disputes. In the Middle Ages, they played a role of secular importance in Western Europe, often acting
as arbitrators between Christian monarchs. In addition to the expansion of Christian faith and doctrine, modern
popes are involved in ecumenism and interfaith dialogue, charitable work, and the defense of human rights.
CATEGORIES OF PRIESTS
A. Diocesan Priest
B. Societan Priest (MSP, SPS, SMA)
C. Religious Priest (Augustinians, Benedictines, Franciscans, Jesuits)