What do Catholics believe?

Catholics are Christians

Before discussing anything else, despite many who claim otherwise, Catholics are Christians.  Actually, Catholics were the first Christians and can trace their roots back all the way to Jesus handing St. Peter the "keys to the Kingdom of Heaven."  As Christians, Catholics share many of the same beliefs as their Protestant and Orthodox brothers and sisters in Christ.

• We believe God is three Persons, the Trinity - the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
• We believe that through the grace of God, not by works, we find our way to heaven
• We believe God created the heavens and the earth
• We believe Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary
• We believe Christ died on the cross for our sins
• We believe that Jesus resurrected from the dead and ascended to heaven
• And so on...

Our Differences

There are a number of differences that set us apart from other denominations, but we hold that these truths have been there from the beginning of the Church.

• We believe in one, infant Baptism
• We believe that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist
• We believe our sins are absolved through Confession
• We believe there are 7 Sacraments to help bring us closer to God
• We believe in asking Mary and the saints to pray on our behalf
• We believe the teachings of the Catholic Church, through the Magisterium
• We believe in the authority of the Pope and his bishops
• We believe that both Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture play an important role in our faith
• And so on...

More on Catholic Beliefs

The primary purpose of this site is to teach non-Catholics exploring the faith and returning Catholics about basic Catholic doctrine.  By searching our various Catholic topics, you can learn more about each one of these doctrines in a more detailed fashion.  This site will not teach you everything you need to know, but it covers many of the most common questions about the Catholic faith.

Summing Up the Catholic Religion

We believe the Nicene Creed (New Translation) sums up our beliefs.  The translation may be slightly different than other denominations, but the same truths and meaning are present for all denominations.