Praying to the Virgin Mary and the saints

Catholics embrace the idea of praying to Mary and saints in heaven. When they do so, they’re asking Mary and the saints to pray with them and for them. (In contrast, Protestants don’t see Mary and saints as intermediaries between humans and God; they see Jesus as the only true mediator.) Roman Catholics believe that Mary, in particular, is a special intercessor, having a special, unique relationship with Jesus Christ.

Stopping in purgatory on the way to heaven

Catholics believe that most Christians don’t immediately go to heaven when they die. Although people who die for their faith (called martyrs) are exempt, they believe every other Christian goes to purgatory, an intermediate place where a soul goes for purification before entering heaven.

Catholics believe that God uses purgatory to cleanse the after-effects of sin from a person’s soul. After that person is cleansed, he or she is able to enter heaven. Each person stays in purgatory based on how moral and holy he or she was while on earth. Catholics also believe in praying for people in purgatory to shorten their stay there and speed up the cleansing process.

Chapter 9 dives fully into the issue of purgatory and provides a discussion from both the Catholic and Protestant views.

Including the Apocrypha as scripture

Although all Christians agree on the books that compose the Bible’s New Testament, Catholics say that a group of Jewish books called the Apocrypha (or deuteron-canonical books) is also the written Word of God. As a result, they add these books to the Old Testament.

Although the Catholic Church didn’t officially recognize the Apocrypha until the 16^th century (after the Protestant Reformation), this section of the Bible is an important part of Catholic theology. In particular 2 Maccabees 12:43-46 is the backup verse the Church uses to support the doctrine of purgatory.

See Chapter 6 for more discussion on the Apocrypha, including the Catholic reasons for and the Protestant reasons against its inclusion in the Bible.

Crossing your heart

The Sign of the Cross is closely associated with Catholics, but the practice actually has its roots in the second-century Church before it divided. Christians developed the sign as a practical way to identify with each other during times of intense Roman persecution and as a spiritual reminder of the power of what Jesus Christ did on the cross. The sign starts by touching your forehead with the fingers of your right hand, bringing the hand down to your heart, touching the left shoulder and then bringing the hand across the chest to the right shoulder. This action depicts the image of the cross. Christians often say, “In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit” as they make the sign. Catholics often use the Sign of the Cross during various parts of the liturgy and when they partake of the sacraments. Orthodox Christians also use a Sign of the Cross, but it goes from right shoulder to left shoulder.

Following a code of conduct

The Catholic Church places a great emphasis on following the eternal law of God, which it divides into three categories:

Divine positive: Explicitly defined by God, namely the Ten Commandments

Natural moral: Unwritten laws known by all people through reason and conscience

Human positive: Coming from either the government (laws of one’s country) or Church (the Canon law)

The Canon law is considered the supreme law of the Church and provides detailed rules covering all aspects of Church life. In fact, in the latest revision, the 1983 Code of Canon Law contains 1,752 laws. Because not every Catholic (except for lawyers, perhaps) can remember all those laws, the Catholic Church narrowed down the practical applications of Canon law into six precepts. Along with obeying the Ten Commandments, Catholics must follow the following six rules in order to be considered a “good” Catholic:

Attend Mass every Sunday and on holy days of obligation, such as Christmas (December 25), Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (August 15), and All Saints Day (November 1)

Confess your sins to a priest when needed (sometimes weekly, but at least once annually)

Partake of the Eucharist (the Lord’s Supper) regularly, at least during Easter in observance of Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection

Fast on designated days – abstain from eating one meal on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday and from eating meat on Fridays during Lent (see Chapter 19)

Follow the marriage laws of the Catholic Church, as defined in the Code of Canon Law. For example, Catholics must be married in a Catholic Church before two witnesses by a clergyman (unless special circumstances apply), marry someone who’s never been married before or who has an annulled marriage, and prepare for their marriage 9-12 months in advance by meeting with a priest or deacon

Support the Church, both with your finances and work

The fact that the Catholic Church has its own specific set of rules helps you distinguish between Catholicism and other expressions of the Christian faith. Protestants view these requirements as legalism, while the Orthodox Church stays away from defining a specific list of requirements one must meet in order to be a “good” Christian.

Vatican II: Catholicism in the modern era

During Vatican II, or the Second Vatican Council, the Catholic congress of bishops convened periodically from 1962-65. Pope John XXIII opened the council, and Pope Paul VI closed it. The council developed 16 documents that restate traditional Catholic teaching and offer extensive teaching on contemporary social issues. Earlier Catholic councils dealt primarily with doctrinal issues, but Vatican II was unique in that it focused its attention on pastoral issues to spark the spiritual life and growth of the Church.

Vatican II initiated several practical changes within the Church. For example:

Mass could now be celebrated in the local language (or vernacular) of the particular church rather than in Latin to encourage the laity to participate fully in the Mass.

Many Catholics now have the option to periodically receive both the consecrated bread and wine, whereas before Vatican II, they only received the consecrated bread (commonly called the host).

Prior to Vatican II, Catholics were required to abstain from eating meat, eggs, cheese, or other dairy products during Lent. Vatican II relaxed this obligation so that Catholics instead abstain from eating meat on Ash Wednesday and every Friday of Lent and fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.

The laity were encouraged to increase their participation in church life, including in Bible studies and social action groups.