What are the beliefs of Catholics?

The word "catholic" means "universal". Many assemblies of believers recite a creed upholding the small c "catholic" church. I assume that when someone talks about the Catholic Church they are talking about the Roman Catholic denomination. I was born and raised Roman Catholic but my parents dropped out when I was only 11 and I resumed my spiritual journey about twenty years later. I've spent time in many Protestant congregations and have returned to the "mother" church this last year.

I want to talk about Roman Catholic distinctives because I see how they fit in to the larger Christian context. The Nicene Creed and the Apostles Creed are standard statements of faith for Roman Catholics and Protestants.

In the Nicene Creed Christians proclaim one, holy, catholic, apostolic church. What does that mean? It means that Christians recognize the headship of Jesus Christ. That is why all denominations can pray the same Creed. The distinctive for Roman Catholics is in the structure under that headship. For a Roman Catholic, God has a representative on earth called the Pope, believed to be a direct successor of St. Peter, the first Pope. The Pope is infallible in matters of doctrine and practice. Although many Roman Catholics have difficulty with John Paul II's statements on birth control and sex, it is still a bedrock tenet of Roman Catholic ideology that the Pope speaks for God on Earth.

This flows from the belief that the Roman Catholic Church is the one church established by Jesus when He said to Peter "Thou art Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church". (Matt. 16:18) Since Peter means "rock", the verse is interpreted to refer to Peter as the rock upon which the Church will be built. I'm not in a position to take a stand on this issue but I will point out how the Protestants interpret that particular verse. Jesus is also called "the Rock" in Scripture, so Protestants say Jesus was referring to himself as the Rock on which the Church is built. This is typical of the differing interpretations of the Bible record that lead to schism and denominationalism.

The reformation happened at a time when the Catholic Church in Rome was politically powerful and corrupt. Many of the reasons for the Reformation have disappeared but some crucial doctrinal differences remain. Some Roman Catholics will tell you that all Christianity stems from the "true" (ie their) Church. Arguable in many respects, though some people in the Orthodox faith would have a thing or two to say about it, as well as Episcopalians who believe that an apostasy occured in the history of the Church that needed to be and was corrected. Hence the continuted reference in different denominations to the holy catholic church not the holy Catholic church.

One of these is the Roman Catholic doctrine of "Transubstantiation", or the process of the bread and wine "becoming" the body and blood of Jesus in the Eucharist. In Roman Catholic tradition and teaching, the elements are transformed into Jesus' body and blood every time Communion is celebrated. This reenactment of Jesus' Last Supper miracle brings Jesus back to the Earth in the flesh for believers to share in, as the disciples did at The Last Supper. All Protestant groups celebrate communion as a symbolic event and as a reminder of Calvary until Jesus returns.

What does that mean, though? Look at the crosses on and in all Churches. Roman Catholic Churches display a crucifix, a depiction of Jesus hanging on the cross. A Protestant cross is empty. For a Roman Catholic, Jesus' suffering is perpetual. The crucifix represents His ongoing suffering for sin on the cross and is a reminder of the dear price paid for our forgiveness. During the Roman Catholic Eucharist, Jesus is incarnate once again and continually until the Second Coming. For a Protestant, Jesus died once, for all and so the Eucharist is only symbolic. Jesus is not on the cross because He rose from the dead. The cross is empty now.

Roman Catholics use intercessary prayer to Mary, the mother of Jesus to varying degrees and Mary is often called "Mother of God" and "Queen of Heaven". Mary serves as an example of sexual purity and is prayed to because it is believed that Jesus will listen to his mother. Protestants call that "idol" worship. Right or wrong, it is sometimes easier to pray to Mary and trust that she will "relay" our needs to God. I think the reason for the need to pray to Mary and other "saints" stems from the view that God is somehow distant and Mary can bridge the gap. The "Rosary" or beads that many Roman Catholics use for prayer involves saying ten "Hail Mary's" to every one "Our Father" (The Lord's Prayer).

Besides Mary, there is a whole theology of "saints". Saints were so good on Earth that they went straight to Heaven. Saints are active after death and can be prayed to. The Roman Catholic view of Heaven and Hell involves a middle ground called Purgatory. If you're not good enough for Heaven, too good for Hell then you spend time in Purgatory paying for the sins that are still on your record. Saints were so holy they skipped Purgatory. Protestants don't believe in Purgatory. You're either saved or you aren't and there's no safe ground in between.

These are some of the major distinctives of Roman Catholic Theology. There are many other differences in practice and teaching. While the rhetoric between Catholics and Protestants is different, I've found that at their heart both are remarkably similar. The fundamental basis of all Christian belief is that God took on human form as Jesus of Nazareth. As a human being he lived a sinless life and was crucified and died. On the third day he rose and went back to Heaven. He was crucified as a sacrifice for sin, in the same way that a lamb was sacrificed in the Old Testament. Since Jesus perfectly paid the price, we don't sacrifice lambs any more; the Lamb of God has come. Christians trust that final sacrifice for themselves, but express their belief in different ways.