why do we Catholics have an ordained Clergy?

All Christians accepted an ordained priesthood for the first sixteen centuries of Christianity.

Christ gave a special mission to His apostles that that all His followers did not share in the same way.

The New Testament refers to three types of offices in the Church: bishops(episkopos), elders(presbyteros), from which we derive the words "presbyter" and "priest") and deacons(diakonos).

"Presbyteros" appears often in Scripture. (e.g. Acts 15:2-6; 21:18; 1Pt 5:1; 1Tm 5:17)

Every Christian is a "priest" in terms of offering the sacrifices of prayer (Heb 13:15), almsgiving (Heb 13:16), and faith in Jesus (Phil 2:17).

1Peter 2:5, 9 and Revelation 1:6 are cited in order to establish thatall Christians are priests.

However, St. Peter was reflecting the language of Exodus 19:6, where theJews were described in tis fashion, but the Jews also had a specialized, professional priesthood, which was drawn fom one tirbe: the Levites.

Do we as Catholics preach the Gospel?

In the Holy Scripture, we have a record of the Apostles preaching the Gospel (literally means 'good news') immediately after Pentecost.

St Peter preached the Gospel in the Upper Room ( Acts 2:22-40), and three thousand people became Christians upon hearing it (Acts 2:41). In this speech, "faith alone" (a notion that is often claimed to be the substance of the Gospel) does not appear at all. Rather, he instructs his hearers, "Repent, and be baptized...for the forgiveness of your sins" (Acts 2:38).

Likewise, St Paul defines the Gospel in Acts 13:16-41 as the resurrection of Jesus (13:32-33) , and in Corinthians 15:1-8 as the Lord's death, burial, and resurrection. When Paul converted, straightaway he also was baptized, in order to have his "sins washed away" (Acts 22:12-16).

From these facts, we conclude that the Gospel is the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. Catholics have always taught this.

Furthermore, Catholics believe that every Mass is an instance of preaching the Gospel, not only by the preached word, but also in the partaking of the Eucharist, which was the primary reason the early Christians gathered.

This is indicated clearly in Acts 2:42, at the onset of the Christian Church: "They devoted themselves to the teaching of the Apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the Bread and to the prayers".

Why do we as Catholics baptize infants?

In Acts 16:15, 33 and 18:8 as well as in 1 Corinthians 1:16, we find that a person and his whole household were baptized. In all likelihood, this would also invlove children, even small ones.

St Paul in Colossians 2:11-13 makes a connection between Baptism and circumcision. Circumcision, given to eight-day-old boys, was the seal of teh covenant God made with Abraham, which applies to us also ( Gal 3:14, 29). It was a sign of repentance and future faith. (Rom 4:11). Infants were just as much a part of the covenant as adults (Gn 17:7; Dt 29:9-12, Mt 19:14).

In much the same fashion, Baptism is the seal of the New Covenant in Christ. It signifies and effects cleansing from sin, just as circumcision did.

Infants are saved from by God's grace just as adults are, only apart from theri rational and willful consent, with their parents acting on their bahalf.

Catholics believe that Baptism regenerates sinners, and takes away the punishment of original sin (1 Cor 15:22).

Titus 3:5 is one of the clearest of many verses indicating this:..."Because of His mercy, He saved us through the bath of rebirthand renewal of the Holy Spirit."

Why do we as Catholics distinguish between mortal and venial sin?

The distinction between mortal and venial sin is a clear biblical teaching:

...If anyone sees his brother sinning, if the sin is not deadly, he should pray to God and He will give him life. This is only for those whose sin is not deadly. There is such a thing as a deadly sin, about which I do not say that you should pray. All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that is not deadly....stated in 1 Jn 5:16-17.

The Bible distinguishes between the degrees of seriousness of sin. Bot all sins lead to spiritual death or damnation, and not all sins are equally evil in God's eyes, though, of course, no sin is ever a good thing; otherwise, we would have an absurd scenario whereby a white lie or a momentary pang of jealousy or lust would be the moral equivalent in God's eyes of torture, rape, or murder.

There are also numerous examples of different rewards and merits in Scripture, which suggest diferent levels of sin, as opposed to a stark "sinner versus saint" perspective.

(Mt 16:27, Rom 2:5-13, Cor 3:8-9, 1 Pt 1:17, Rv 22:12)

Do we as Catholics believe that Jesus is sacrificed again at Every Mass?

Catholics believe that the Mass is a re-presentation and re-enactment of Jesus’ historical, one-time sacrificial death on the Cross. Jesus’ death in past history is present to God, because God himself is made real and present to us, transcending space and time.

We, Catholics, believe this because there are several biblical indications of it. The notion of priestly sacrifice, which is so familiar in the Old Testament religion, is also seen in the Book of Revelation, where we find an ‘altar’ mentioned.

Revelation 5:1-10 presents a climactic scene in this glorious experience of heaven. We find in there the “Lamb that seemed to have been slain” (5:6). This Lamb (Jesus) is “in the midst of the Throne” (5:6), which is in front of the altar with a “golden censer” (8:3): images which strongly suggest Jewish temple sacrifice.

The presentation of Jesus as “Lamb” to the Father appears to be an ongoing occurrence (from God’s perspective, timeless), long after the death of Jesus. Hebrews 7:24 states that Jesus “has a priesthood that does not pass away.”

Every Mass re-enacts Jesus’ priestly actions at the Last Supper. On the other hand, the sacrifice made “once”, referred to in Hebrews 7:27, is the human, historical death of Jesus in the Cross.

Blessings to us all….

What do we as Catholics believe about praying directly to God?

Direct prayer to God is completely acceptable and encouraged in the Catholic Church.

Asking saints to pray for us does not make such prayer null and void, any more than asking friends and other believers to pray for us does, because they are also praying to God on our behalf (interceding).

St John Damascene wrote: “prayer is the raising of one’s mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God.

St Gregory of Nazianzus states: In the New Covenant, prayer is the living relationship of the children of God with their Father who is so good beyond measure, with His Son Jesus Christ and with the Holy Spirit. The grace of the Kingdom is “the union of the entire holy and royal Trinity…with the whole human spirit.”

Thus, the life of prayer is the habit of being in the presence of the thrice-holy God and in communion with Him.

This communion of life is always possible because through the Baptism, we have already been united with Christ. Prayer is ‘Christian’ insofar as it is communion with Christ and extends throughout the Church which is His Body.

why do we as Catholics believe that using artificial contraception is wrong?

I was out of the monastery yesterday.

Whenever I go to town, my structured routine for the day gets messed up and so, the next day surely becomes a hectic day for me. Town trips of monks always distort their schedule for the day and the monk concerned should make it up the next day and take things up where he left. That's what life is like in the Cloister.

As for me, to compensate for the whole day's absence from the giftshop, I needed to take a little time from my freetime in the afternoon to be able to cover the work that I missed the day that I was out. Anyways, before going back home yesterday, I decided to drop by my friend's place in Espanyola which was just in the way back to the monastery. He was very glad to see me parking my Nissan Xterra on his yard. He offered me a cup of coffee but I politely declined and instead, I asked for a cup of tea.

We had a very fruitful conversation about the issues that concerned the involvement of the Philippine Church in politics and the what-has-been things in the country's present setup.
Suddenly, I blurted out to him: "Hey Dan, how's Amy? Is she on the family way now?" Dan quicly replied saying, "Not yet brother, we haven't thought of having a child yet and my wife's using contraceptives."
Then he asked me if what he and his wife's decision to use artificial contraception does not violate the Church's teaching.

I explained to him over a cup of hot bigelow peppermint tea which he prepared for me, that as Catholics, they must be aware and should abide by the constant teaching of the Catholic Church on its prohibition of the use of artificial contraception.

This prohibition was taught by all major Christian groups until the year 1930. The Biblical basis for this is seen clearly in the sin of Onan in Genesis 38: 9-10 that says: "Onan knew that the descendants would not be counted as his, so whenever he had sexual relations with his brother's widow, he wasted his seed on the ground, to avoid contributing offspring for his brother. What he did greatly offended God, and the Lord took his life, too."

To contracept is to willfully exclude the possibility of conception and to "tie God's hands" so to speak. It is considered a violation of natural law. Natural family planning, on the other hand, respects the natural order of things, especially when couples abstain during fertile periods for various significant reasons. Spacing of children or limiting of children for serious reasons are permitted according to Pope Paul VI's 1968 encyclical "Humane Vitae" and Catholic Moral Teaching.

Every marital sexual act must be open to possible conception. The frequent Biblical allusion to the blessings of many children mitigates against the "contraceptive mentality." One might draw an analogy to eating, which involves both nutrition (its primary function and purpose) and pleasure. If a person eats for one reason only, and not both, it is considered strange and unnatural.

Have a blessed fourth week of Lent to all of you!

What do we as Catholics believe about the afterlife and judgment?

Catholics believe that each person possesses an eternal soul, which is separated from the body at death and goes on to eternal existence.

We believe in a judgment after death, where each person’s eternal destiny is determined by an examination of his or her life and whether the person has truly repented and followed Jesus as Lord of his or her life and Savior, by God’s grace.

The end of the age will occur when Jesus returns in power and glory, to judge the world, in His Second Coming. The righteous will receive a glorified, resurrected body.

Catholics believe that one should be prepared for the hour of death at all times.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that: …When He comes at the end of time to judge the living and the dead, the glorious Christ will reveal the secret disposition of hearts and will render to each man according to his works and according to his acceptance or refusal of grace.
…after death the righteous will live for ever with the Risen Christ and He will raise them up on the last day. Our resurrection, like His own, will be the work of the Most Holy Trinity (Triune God).

why do we as Catholics confess our sins to Priests?

Jesus Christ gave His disciples (by extension, priests) the power not only to "loose" sins (i.e., forgive in God's name), but also to "bind" (i.e., impose penances), as the representatives of God and ambassadors of His mercy.

The absolution imparted by the priest is not a mere expression of hope but a sacramental , objective reality.

One also learns humility by this practice, receives additional grace in order to avoid sin, and attains a certainty of forgiveness, which is superior to mere subjective feelings.

This Catholic practice is firmly grounded in Scripture and in early and constant Christian Tradition (Judaeo-Christian Tradition).

Catholics are required to repent of (contrition) and confess all mortal, or grave, sins to a priest, in order to be absolved.
The priest assigns a penance (satisfaction), which removes the temporal punishment of sin.

The Church deduces that sin confessed and adequately repented is actually abolished; and that the sinner does really begin again as if he had never sinned.....God has really re-made him in His own image. He is now a new experiment of the Creator. He is as much a new experiment as he was when he was really only five years old.

why are we as Catholics required to attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days?

the Catechism of the Catholic Church states that:
the first precept ("you shall attend Mass on Sundays and on holy days of obligation and rest from servile labor") requires the faithful to sanctify the day commemorating the Resurrection of the Lord... by participating in the Eucharistic celebration, in which the Christian community is gathered....
The Mass obligation is an application othe "Sabbath principle", which was instituted by God when he gave the Ten Commandments to Moses. The third Commandment was "Remember to keep holy the sabbath day".

The Sabbath was to be a day of rest, dedicated to the Lord and to worship, based on the rest of the Lord on the seventh day, after He created the heavens and the earth.

Simply put, the Mass obligation is for the purpose of stressing the high importance of worship and Church attendance.

The Christian shouldn't regard going to Church as an optional thing.

It is a great honor and a necessity.

The earliest Christians started to observe the Sabbath on Sunday rather than Saturday, because this was "the Lord's day", when Jesus rose from the dead.

Church attendance on holy days of obligation is also required , in accordance with their supreme importance.

Failure to observe these obigations, apart from a serious reason, is a mortal sin.

why does the Catholic Church require Celibacy for its Priests?

according to St Paul's explicit teaching in 1 Corinthians 7:7-38, and in our Lord's statements in Matthew 19:12, the celibate priest can singleheartedly devote himself both to God and his flock.

Opponents of celibacy often simply assume that such a life is utterly impossible, whereas, our Lord Jesus and St. Paul undeniably teach the contrary, and the desirability-even preferability-of celibacy for those so called.

no one is forced to be celibate. it is both a matter of personal choice and, on a deeper level, an acceptance of one's calling, as given by God.

St. Paul acknowledges both the divine impetus and the free-will initiative of human beings.
if a man is called to celibacy, he will be given both the desire and the ability to carry out this lifestyle successfully.
if one is not called to celibacy or the Priesthood, then he or she ought to get married.

to personally renounce something is not to regard it as evil. one may give up eating potatoes, reading fiction, ice skating, or swimming for various and sundry reasons (for lent), but this does not make any of them evil in and of themselves.

likewise, the Catholic Church is not in any sense whatsoever against marriage or sexuality, as long as these are within the proper biblical and moral guidelines.

marriage and ordination are both Sacraments, and positive and wonderful means of God's grace, in Catholicism.

we observe God calling the prophet Jeremiah to a celibate life in Scripture: "Do not marry any woman..."(Jer 16:2). And of course, St. Paul was a single, celibate man: "Now to the unmarried and to widows, I say: it is a good thing for them to remain as they are, as I do" (1 Cor 7:8).

for what purpose do Catholic Churches have statues of Saints?

Statues ( or icons in the Eastern Christian tradition ) are an aid to veneration of the saints and a means of remembrance of the heroes of the faith.

None of this is in opposition to God. St Jerome said that "we show veneration to the servants so that it might radiate back from them to the Lord."

No Catholic who knows anything about the Catholic faith has ever worshipped a statue of plaster (as in pagan idolatry). Devotion to saints no more interferes with or corrupts the unique adoration due to God than does love for our friends and relatives.

If we cherish the memory of mere political heroes such as Thomas Jefferson with statues, and war heroes with monuments, and even great sports figures (e.g., statues of Michael Jordan in Chicago or Joe Louis in Detroit), then what can be the objection to honoring saints and righteous men and women (Rom. 12:10; Heb 12:22-23; 1 PT 2:17)?

The Bible says we are "surrounded" by "so great a cloud of witnesses" (Heb 12:1). These are the saints in Heaven.

many commentators think this vivid metaphor is describing the saints in heaven watching us and cheering on us on, like spectators in a sports arena. Catholics also believe in angels, and guardian angels for each person, as indicated in biblical passages.

where did the Bible come from and what is its role in the Catholic Faith?

the Bible contains no table of contents. In other words, the list of books in a Bible is not itself a part of the Bible and not inspired (or, literally, "God-breathed"). The Bible didn't come down out of heaven from God, whole and entire, like the Ten Commandments.

it was written by men (who were supernaturally inspired by God) over hundreds of years, and then acknowledged as a whole by men as God's written revelation.

though there was broad agreement in the early Church as to which books belonged in the Bible, it was not absolute.

Some important Church fathers regarded books currently in the canon of the Bible as unscriptural. others(equally eminent) thought that books not now in the canon were part of the inspired revelation.

the first Church father to list the currently accepted twenty-seven New Testament books was St. Athanasius in 367.

the canons of the New Testament and the Old Testament were determined by human CHurch authority at the Council of Carthage in 397.

this provides a difficulty for those who believe in the notion of sola Scriptura ("Scripture alone") as the sole ultimate authority in Christianity, apart from the equally necessary presence of the Church and apostolic Traditrion.

source: Catholic Bible NAB