A Complete Catechism of the Catholic Religion/Chapter 1: On Faith in General
PART I.
FAITH.
Chapter I. Faith in General.
§ 1. Nature and Necessity of Faith.
1. What is Faith?
Faith is a virtue infused by God into our souls, by which we believe, without doubting, all those things which God has revealed, and proposes by His Church to our belief.
'To believe' means, in general, to hold to be true what another says, and for this reason, because he says it. To believe God means, therefore, to hold firmly and without doubting what God has revealed, and because He has revealed it, although we can neither see nor completely understand it; for faith is founded, not on our seeing or complete understanding, but on the word of God. 'Faith is the evidence of things that appear not' (Hebr. xi. 1).
2. Why do we say that faith is infused by God into our souls?
Because it is a gift of God, and an effect of His grace, which enlightens our understanding and moves our will to believe, without doubting, all those things which God has revealed.
'For by grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves: for it is the gift of God' (Eph. ii. 8).
3. Why must grace not only enlighten our understanding, but also move our will?
Because a good will also belongs to faith; for no one can believe but he who is willing to believe.
Therefore faith is also rewarded by God, and unbelief punished. 'He that believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be condemned' (Mark xvi. 16).
4. Why must we believe all that God has revealed?'
Because God is the eternal and infallible truth.
5. Is faith necessary to salvation?
Faith is absolutely necessary to salvation; for 'without faith it is impossible to please God' (Hebr. xi. 6).
'He that doth not believe is already judged' (John iii. 18).
'He that believeth not shall be condemned' (Mark xvi. 16).
6. Will any faith save us?
No; only the true faith, which Christ our Lord has taught, will save us.
'He that believeth in the Son hath life everlasting: but he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him' (John iii. 36).
7. Why will that faith only which Christ has taught save us?
Because by this faith alone, and by no other, we are made partakers of Christ, and without Christ there is no salvation.
'For there is no other name under Heaven given to men whereby we must be saved' (Acts iv. 12).
8. Is it, then, a sin to say that it does not matter what faith we profess?
Yes, it is a grievous sin to say so, or even only to think so; for we despise God by it, who has given us the one true faith, and, therefore, has sent his Only Begotten Son into the world (Short Hist, of Revealed Religion, Concl. Rem. 1).
If it did not matter what we believe, it would not have been necessary for God to reveal a religion, and our ancestors might all have remained heathens or Jews. But 'this is the judgment,'says Jesus Christ: 'because the light is come into the world, and men love darkness rather than the light' (John iii. 19); i.e., because many were obstinate in their unbelief, although they saw the truth, or could have seen it, provided they had been sincere.
9. But is it not written: 'He that feareth God, and worketh justice, is acceptable to Him'? (Acts x. 35).
Yes; but he who fears God does also believe all that He has revealed, as Cornelius did (Acts x.). He, on the contrary, who does not believe all that God has revealed does not fear Him either, but rejects His Word, and denies His veracity.
§ 2. Object and Rule of Faith.
10. What means, 'all that God has revealed'?
It means all that God has made known for our salvation by the Patriarchs and Prophets, and at last by His Son Jesus Christ and the Apostles.
'God, who, at sundry times and in divers manners, spoke in times past to the fathers by the Prophets, last of all, in these days hath spoken to us by His Son' (Hebr. i. 1, 2).
11. Was it necessary that God should have revealed to us the truths of salvation, in order that we might know them?
Yes, because without Divine Revelation we should have known some of them only with great difficulty, and very imperfectly; and most of them would have remained entirely unknown to us.
'And hardly do we guess aright at things that are upon earth: and with labor do we find the things that are before us. But the things that are in Heaven, who shall search out? And who shall know Thy thought, except Thou give wisdom, and send Thy Holy Spirit from above?' (Wisd. ix. 16, 17).
12. How do we know the truths which God has revealed?
We know the truths which God has revealed by means of the Catholic Church, which is infallible; that is by means of the Pope, the successor of St. Peter, and by the Bishops, the successors of the Apostles, who were taught by Christ Himself.
13. Are we certain of the truths which the Church teaches?
We are most certain of the truths which Holy Church teaches, because Jesus Christ has pledged His word that the Church shall never be deceived.
14. Have not the Protestant sects also received their doctrine from Christ Himself, and preserved it uncorrupted?
No; for, 1. It is impossible that they should have received it from Christ Himself, since they did not begin to exist till long after Christ; and 2. It is equally impossible that they should always have preserved uncorrupted whatever portion of the doctrine of Christ and His Apostles may be held among them, because they teach at different times different principles, whereas. Christ and the Apostles always taught the same.
15. What, therefore, must the Catholic believe?
He must believe all that Cod has revealed and the Catholic Church proposes to his belief, whether it b& contained in the Holy Scripture or not.
The Church is considered to propose a truth to our belief when she recognizes it to be revealed by God, and commands us to believe it.
16. By what sinful act is faith lost?
Faith is lost by denying or wilfully doubting any single article proposed to us by the Church to be believed,
17. How is faith regained if it has been lost?
Faith when lost is regained by repenting of the sin committed and believing anew all that the Church believes and teaches.
18. If, then, the true faith is essentially necessary to salvation, and the Catholic faith is the only true one, is it not a great grace to be a Catholic Christian?
To be a Catholic Christian is an invaluable grace, for which we cannot thank God enough, and which we ought most earnestly to turn to our advantage.
Application. Rejoice, and often thank God that you. are a child of the Catholic Church; for there is, as St. Augustine says, 'no greater wealth, no greater treasure, than the Catholic faith,' provided we live as our faith teaches us. The truth of this is especially felt by Catholics at the hour of death. In matters of faith never trust your own judgment, but always humbly submit to the decisions of Holy Church; for when you believe what the Church teaches, you believe the Word of God.
§ 3. Mysteries.
19. Can we understand all the truths of Faith?
No; we cannot understand all the truths of Faith, because some of them are mysteries.
20. What are Mysteries?
Mysteries are truths beyond reason, which we cannot completely understand; but we believe them to be.
'The divine mysteries by their own nature so far transcend the created intelligence that, even when delivered by Revelation and received by Faith, they remain covered with a veil of Faith itself, and shrouded in a certain degree of darkness, so long as we are pilgrims in this mortal life, not yet with God: "for we walk by Faith and not by sight" (2 Cor. v. 7).' (Counc. of Vat., Dogmatic Constitution, On Faith, IV.)
21. Are Mysteries contrary to reason?
Mysteries are beyond reason, but not contrary to it.
'Although Faith is above reason, there can never be any real discrepancy between Faith and reason; since the same God who reveals Mysteries and infuses Faith has bestowed the light of reason on the human mind, and God cannot deny Himself, nor can truth contradict truth.' (Council of Vatican, lb.)
§ 4. Holy Scripture.
22. Where are the truths revealed of God contained?
The truths revealed by God are contained in the Holy Scripture and tradition.
23. What is the Holy Scripture?
The Holy Scripture is a collection of books which were written by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, and acknowledged by the Church as the Word of God.
'Prophecy came not by the will of man at any time; but the holy men of God spoke, inspired by the Holy Ghost' (2 Pet. i. 21).
24. How is the Holy Scripture divided?
The Holy Scripture is divided into the books of the Old and the New Testament, or of the Old and the New Law.
25. What Revelations does the Old Testament contain?
The Old Testament contains the Divine Revelations which were made to man before the coming of Christ.
26. Of what books does the Old Testament consist?
The Old Testament consists, 1. Of Twenty-one Historical Books, which relate the Creation of the world, the lives of the Patriarchs, and the History of the Jewish nation; 2. Of Seven Moral Books, which are collections of Psalms, of holy maxims, and of rules of life; and 3. Of Seventeen Prophetical Books, which mostly contain prophecies.
The Historical Books are: The Pentateuch, or five Books of Moses (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy); the Book of Josue; the Book of Judges; the Book of Ruth; the four Books of Kings; the two Books of Chronicles or of Paralipomenon; the Book of Esdras; the Book of Nehemias, which is also called the Second of Esdras; the Book of Tobias; the Book of Judith; the Book of Esther;' and the two Books of the Machabees.
The Moral Books are: The Book of Job; the Psalms; the Proverbs; Ecclesiastes, or the Preacher; the Canticle of Canticles; the Book of Wisdom; and Ecclesiasticus, or Jesus, the Son of Sirach.
The Prophetical Books: Isaias; Jeremias; Baruch; Ezechiel; Daniel; Osee; Joel; Amos; Abdias; Jonas; Micheas; Nahum; Habacuc; Sophonias; Aggeus; Zacharias; and Malachias.
27. What Revelations does the New Testament contain?
The New Testament contains the Revelations which we have received through Jesus Christ and the Apostles.
28. Of what books does the New Testament consist?
The New Testament consists, 1. Of the four Gospels according to St. Matthew, St. Mark, St. Luke, and St. John, which relate the history of Jesus; 2. Of the Acts of the Apostles, by St. Luke; 3. Of fourteen Epistles of St. Paul, and seven by other Apostles, which contain dogmatical and moral instructions; and 4. Of the Apocalypse, or the Revelation of St. John, which foretells the combats and victories of the Church.
The Epistles of St. Paul are: One to the Romans; two to the Corinthians; one to the Galatians; one to the Ephesians; one to the Philippians; one to the Colossians; two to the Thessalonians; two to Timothy; one to Titus; one to Philemon; and one to the Hebrews.
The other Epistles are: One of St. James; two of St. Peter; three of St. John; and one of St. Jude, surnamed Thaddeus.
29. From whom alone can we know the true sense of Holy Scripture?
We can know the true sense of Holy Scripture from the Church alone; because the Church alone cannot err in interpreting it.
30. May no one, then, presume to explain the Scripture contrary to the interpretation of the Catholic Church?
No; for this would be as if he understood the Scripture better than the Holy Ghost, who inspires the Church with the true meaning of it.
31. But is the meaning of the Holy Scripture not clear in itself, and easy to be understood by every one?
No; for the Holy Scripture is a Divine and mysterious book, 'in which,' as St. Peter says, speaking of the Epistles of St. Paul, 'are certain things hard to he understood, which the unlearned and unstable wrest to their own destruction' (2 Peter iii. 16).
'What else gives rise to so many heresies, save that the Scripture, which, good in itself, is ill understood?' (St. Augustine.)
32. Is it not, then, true that the Bible alone is the only Rule of Faith? Or, in other words: Is not every private individual to search the Bible, and nothing but the Bible, until he finds out what he has to believe?
No; for not the Bible alone, but the Bible and Tradition, both infallibly interpreted by the Church, are the right Rule of Faith.
1. If it were the will of our Saviour that we should arrive at the knowledge of the truths of salvation simply by reading and searching the Scripture, why is it written: 'Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the [preaching of the] Word of Christ'? (Rom. x. 17.). And why, then, did not Christ Himself write? Why did He not commission His Apostles to write? Why did they write only after the lapse of a long space of time, and only upon special occasions? Why did they not all write? Why did He Himself 'give some Apostles, and some Prophets, and other some Evangelists, and other some Pastors and Doctors'? (1 Cor. xii., Eph, iv.). Why did He not command that every one, or at least every Christian, should learn to read? Why did God allow printing to be invented so late? etc.
2. The Christian Religion had been spread, and flourished, before the Books of the New Testament were written; and even after they had been written, there were many Christian nations, as St. Irenseus testifies, who did not so much as possess the Holy Scriptures.
33. What has the Church decreed with regard to the reading of the Bible in the vulgar tongue?
1. That we should have the learning and piety requisite for it; and 2. That the translation should be accompanied with explanations, and that both should be approved of by the Church.
By this wise provision the Church by no means intends to withhold the Word of God from the faithful, since she desires nothing more than that all should know it and meditate upon it; she merely wishes to guard them against corrupted Bibles, which are often designedly offered to ignorant people, and against erroneous interpretations, sects, and schisms.
§ 5. Tradition.
34. Is it enough to believe only those doctrines which are contained in the Holy Scripture?
No; we must also believe Tradition—i.e. those revealed truths which the Apostles preached, but did not commit to writing.
St. Paul, therefore, exhorts the first Christians by saying: 'Therefore, brethren, stand fast: and hold the traditions which you have learned, whether by word or by our Epistle' (2 Thess. ii. 14).
35. Have not, then, the Apostles written all that Jesus Christ has taught?
No; the Apostles have not even written all that Jesus has done, far less all that He has taught; for Christ did not commission them to write, but to preach His doctrine (Mark xvi. 15; Matt, xxviii. 19).
'Many other signs also did Jesus in the sight of His disciples, which are not written in this book' (John xx. 30).
The Bible, therefore, does not contain the entire Revelation of God, The Bible nowhere tells us how many Divine books there are, and which they are; if we did not know this for certain from Tradition, we should not even have a Bible. — The Bible does not, in doubtful passages, decide upon the true meaning of its words; therefore, all sects have always appealed to the Bible, in order to prove their contradictory doctrines, and each one of them pretended to have hit on its true meaning. — If we would consult the Bible only, without Tradition, we ought, for instance, still to keep holy the Saturday with the Jews, instead of Sunday, and to refrain ourselves from things strangled, and from blood (Acts xv. 20); moreover, we ought, with the Anabaptists, to let little children, who are incapable of being instructed, die without Baptism; since, according to the mere words of the text, Christ has commanded, first to teach, and then to baptize (Matt, xxviii. 19).
36. Why is the unwritten doctrine of the Apostles called 'Tradition'?
It is called Tradition — that is, a handing down — because, since the times of the Apostles, it has, without interruption, been handed down in the Catholic Church from generation to generation.
'And the things which thou hast heard of me by many witnesses, the same commend to faithful men, who shall be fit to teach others also' (2 Tim. ii. 2).
37. Where are the teachings of Tradition contained?
The teachings of Tradition are contained chiefly in the Decrees of the Councils, in the writings of the Holy Fathers, in the Acts of the Holy See, and in the words and usages of the Sacred Liturgy.
38. What value must be placed on Tradition?
The same value as is placed on the Word of God revealed in the Holy Scripture.
39. Why must we believe Tradition as well as the Holy Scripture?
Because Tradition is revealed by God just as well as what is contained in Holy Scripture.
40. From whom are we to learn the true meaning of Tradition?
From the Church alone, because she alone has received from God the authority and the guidance necessary to interpret infallibly all the doctrine that He has revealed, whether in Holy Scripture or in Tradition.
§ 6. Qualities of Faith.
41. What must be the qualities of our faith?
Our faith must be, 1. Universal; 2. Firm; 3. Lively; and 4. Constant.
42. When is our faith 'universal'?
Our faith is universal when we believe not only some but all the truths which the Catholic Church proposes to our belief.
43. Is, then, no one at liberty to admit and believe only some points of the Christian faith?
No; for, 1. Christ says without exception: 'Preach the Gospel to every creature; he that believeth not shall be condemned ' (Mark xvi. 15, 16). And again: 'Teach them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you' (Matt, xxviii. 20). And St. John says: 'Whosoever revolteth, and continueth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God' (2 John i. 9). And 2. He who believes of the doctrine of Christ only what he pleases has no faith at all; for such a one does not believe God, but his own judgment.
44. When is our faith 'firm'?
Our faith is firm when we believe without the least doubt.
Examples. Abraham, rewarded for his firm faith: 'In the promise of God he staggered not by distrust, but was strengthened in faith; and therefore it was reputed to him unto justice' (Rom. iv. 20, 22). Moses and Aaron, punished on account of a doubt (Numbers xx. 12).
45. When is our faith 'lively'?
Our faith is lively when we live up to it; that is, when we avoid evil, and do good in the manner our faith prescribes.
'As the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead' (James ii. 26).
46. Will a dead faith also save us?
No; our faith must prove itself active by charity, or else it is not sufficient for obtaining eternal salvation.
'In Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith, that worketh by charity' (Gal. v. 6). 'And if I should have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing' (1 Cor. xiii. 2).
47. When is our faith 'constant'?
Our faith is constant when we are ready to lose all, even our life, rather than fall away from it.
' Take heed, brethren, lest perhaps there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, to depart from the living God' (Hebr. iii, 12). — Example of the holy Martyrs.
48. What leads people to fall away from their faith?
1. Pride and excessive reasoning on the mysteries of our religion; 2. Neglect of prayer and of the other religious duties; 3. Worldliness and a wicked life; and 4. Reading irreligious books, intercourse with scoffers at religion, and such matrimonial or other connections as endanger the true faith.
1. 'I confess to Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them to little ones' (Matt. xi. 25). 2. 'The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and shall be given to a nation yielding the fruits thereof (Matt, xxi, 43). 3. 'Having faith and a good conscience, which some rejecting have made shipwreck concerning the faith' (1 Tim. i. 19). 4. 'Beware of false prophets, who come to you in the clothing of sheep, but inwardly they are ravening wolves' (Matt, vii. 15). 'A little leaven corrupteth the whole lump' (Gal. v. 9).
49. How do we especially show that our faith is firm and constant?
By never denying it, not even in appearance, but by candidly professing it on every occasion by word and deed.
' Every one that shall confess me before men, I will also confess him before my Father who is in Heaven. But he that shall deny me before men, I will also deny him before my Father who is in Heaven' (Matt. x. 32, 33). 'With the heart, we believe unto justice: but, with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation' (Rom. x. 10). — Example of Eleazar.
50. Is there also a particular sign by which Catholics profess their faith?
Yes, the Sign of the Cross.
51. Why do we use the sign of the cross in order to profess our faith?
Because it expresses the two principal mysteries of our religion — namely, the mystery of the Most Blessed Trinity, and the mystery of our Redemption by Christ on the cross.
52. Whence comes the custom of making the sign of the cross?
This custom is very old, and descends from the apostolic times.
53. When should we make the sign of the cross?
It is good and wholesome to make it frequently, as the first Christians did; especially when we rise and when we go to bed, before and after prayers, before every important occupation, and in all temptations and dangers.
54. Why is it wholesome frequently to make the sign of the cross?
Because, by devoutly making the sign of the cross, we arm ourselves against the snares of the devil, and draw down the blessings of Heaven upon us.
55. Why do we usually make the sign of the cross on our forehead, mouth, and heart, at the reading of the Gospel?
That God, through the merits of Christ Crucified, may give us grace to comprehend the Gospel with our mind, to profess it with our mouth, and to love it with our heart.
Application. Never be ashamed of the Catholic faith, or of the sign of the cross; let this be your motto: ' God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ' (Gal. vi. 14). Shun most carefully all intercourse with irreligious and wicked persons, and especially beware of such books as might stagger you in the true faith, or lead you astray from the path of virtue.