What are the beliefs of the Roman Catholic faith on how to be saved. And why do they confess to priests, worship Mary, and have rosary?
In reading about this I would like to answer Father K on his points.
Firstly John 20:21. Jesus wan?t sent to forgive sins as a man on earth, but by His death. They were not sent to be priests and kings, like him, but only prophets. As he was sent to bear witness to the truth, so were they; not to be mediators of the reconciliation, but only preachers and publishers of it. Was he sent, not to be ministered to, but to minister? (Matt 20:28) not to do his own will, but the will of him that sent him? (John 5:30) not to destroy the law and the prophets, but to fill them up? (Matt 5:17) So were they.
Secondly, John 20:23. So by the doctrines of the Roman Catholic faith, unless our trespasses and sins are spoken to an apostle (priest if you may) then we will not have them forgiven. This is far off the mark. The power to forgive sin belongs only to God, but Jesus claimed to have this power and right (Mark 2:5-7). What he commits to the disciples, and to us, is the power and privilege of g
Simply because Jesus Christ Granted the Apostles His Authority to Forgive Sins!!!!
John 20:21 - before He grants them the authority to forgive sins, Jesus says to the apostles, "as the Father sent me, so I send you." As Christ was sent by the Father to forgive sins, so Christ sends the apostles and their successors forgive sins.
John 20:22 - the Lord "breathes" on the apostles, and then gives them the power to forgive and retain sins. The only other moment in Scripture where God breathes on man is in Gen. 2:7, when the Lord "breathes" divine life into man. When this happens, a significant transformation takes place.
John 20:23 - Jesus says, "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven. If you retain the sins of any, they are retained." In order for the apostles to exercise this gift of forgiving sins, the penitents must orally confess their sins to them because the apostles are not mind readers. The text makes this very clear.
Matt. 9:8 - this verse shows that God has given the authority to forgive sins to "men." Hence, those Protestants who acknowledge that the apostles had the authority to forgive sins (which this verse demonstrates) must prove that this gift ended with the apostles. Otherwise, the apostles' successors still possess this gift. Where in Scripture is the gift of authority to forgive sins taken away from the apostles or their successors?
Matt. 9:6; Mark 2:10 - Christ forgave sins as a man (not God) to convince us that the "Son of man" has authority to forgive sins on earth.
Luke 5:24 - Luke also points out that Jesus' authority to forgive sins is as a man, not God. The Gospel writers record this to convince us that God has given this authority to men. This authority has been transferred from Christ to the apostles and their successors.
Matt. 18:18 - the apostles are given authority to bind and loose. The authority to bind and loose includes administering and removing the temporal penalties due to sin. The Jews understood this since the birth of the Church.
John 20:22-23; Matt. 18:18 - the power to remit/retain sin is also the power to remit/retain punishment due to sin. If Christ's ministers can forgive the eternal penalty of sin, they can certainly remit the temporal penalty of sin (which is called an "indulgence").
2 Cor. 2:10 - Paul forgives in the presence of Christ (some translations refer to the presences of Christ as "in persona Christi"). Some say that this may also be a reference to sins.
2 Cor. 5:18 - the ministry of reconciliation was given to the ambassadors of the Church. This ministry of reconciliation refers to the sacrament of reconciliation, also called the sacrament of confession or penance.
James 5:15-16 - in verse 15 we see that sins are forgiven by the priests in the sacrament of the sick. This is another example of man's authority to forgive sins on earth. Then in verse 16, James says ?Therefore, confess our sins to one another,? in reference to the men referred to in verse 15, the priests of the Church.
1 Tim. 2:5 - Christ is the only mediator, but He was free to decide how His mediation would be applied to us. The Lord chose to use priests of God to carry out His work of forgiveness.
Lev. 5:4-6; 19:21-22 - even under the Old Covenant, God used priests to forgive and atone for the sins of others.
We are already saved it is ours to lose
VI. THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE AND RECONCILIATION
1440 Sin is before all else an offense against God, a rupture of communion with him. At the same time it damages communion with the Church. For this reason conversion entails both God's forgiveness and reconciliation with the Church, which are expressed and accomplished liturgically by the sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation.38
Only God forgives sin
1441 Only God forgives sins.39 Since he is the Son of God, Jesus says of himself, "The Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins" and exercises this divine power: "Your sins are forgiven."40 Further, by virtue of his divine authority he gives this power to men to exercise in his name.41
1442 Christ has willed that in her prayer and life and action his whole Church should be the sign and instrument of the forgiveness and reconciliation that he acquired for us at the price of his blood. But he entrusted the exercise of the power of absolution to the apostolic ministry which he charged with the "ministry of reconciliation."42 The apostle is sent out "on behalf of Christ" with "God making his appeal" through him and pleading: "Be reconciled to God."43
Reconciliation with the Church
1443 During his public life Jesus not only forgave sins, but also made plain the effect of this forgiveness: he reintegrated forgiven sinners into the community of the People of God from which sin had alienated or even excluded them. A remarkable sign of this is the fact that Jesus receives sinners at his table, a gesture that expresses in an astonishing way both God's forgiveness and the return to the bosom of the People of God.44
1444 In imparting to his apostles his own power to forgive sins the Lord also gives them the authority to reconcile sinners with the Church. This occlusion dimension of their task is expressed most notably in Christ's solemn words to Simon Peter: "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."45 "The office of binding and loosing which was given to Peter was also assigned to the college of the apostles united to its head."46
1445 The words bind and loose mean: whomever you exclude from your communion, will be excluded from communion with God; whomever you receive anew into your communion, God will welcome back into his. Reconciliation with the Church is inseparable from reconciliation with God.
All generations will call me blessed": "The Church's devotion to the Blessed Virgin is intrinsic to Christian worship."515 The Church rightly honors "the Blessed Virgin with special devotion. From the most ancient times the Blessed Virgin has been honored with the title of 'Mother of God,' to whose protection the faithful fly in all their dangers and needs. . . . This very special devotion . . . differs essentially from the adoration which is given to the incarnate Word and equally to the Father and the Holy Spirit, and greatly fosters this adoration."516 The liturgical feasts dedicated to the Mother of God and Marian prayer, such as the rosary, an "epitome of the whole Gospel," express this devotion to the Virgin Mary.
All you gotta do is go talk to the priest and tell him all your dirty little secrets on Sunday. Mon-Sat are for murder,fornication,drunkenness etc. All you gotta do is make it to confession on Sunday and your good to go!
>What are the beliefs of the Roman Catholic faith on how to be saved.
Catholics believe we are saved solely by the grace of God, which is granted through our faith, and that faith is made living by the right life of charitable and genuine acts of kindness and christian virtue.
>And why do they confess to priests
As has been shown, confession before others is a biblical practice that has fallen by the wayside in most (not all) protestant churches.
>worship Mary
To date, no true catholic has ever worshiped Mary. Any catholic who presumes to do any such thing instantly forgoes their catholic faith as there is NO God but the Trinity. There is a marked difference between respect for the woman who carried Jesus in her womb, and worship. An important clarification, however: Catholics view prayer as a way to COMMUNICATE with the metaphysical/spiritual world rather than an act of worship.
>and have rosary?
The rosary is a devotional, or meditation, on the mysteries of the life of Christ. Contrary to popular belief, the rosary does NOT focus on Mary but rather on key events of the Gospel (the joyful, sorrowful, glorious/triumphant, and luminous mysteries). Prayer and meditation on the life of Christ via the rosary can be for any number of reasons such as for grace and strength, peace on earth, the salvation of sinners, etc etc and so forth.
I'm not a Catholic but as I understand it, being "saved" in that persuasion is how close your relationship is to the church. That is, if you go to mass, do confession, observe the sacraments and so on, then you're "saved." Also their belief in "Heaven on earth", and someone please correct me if I'm wrong, is again your strict and dedicated relationship with the church.
Catholics hon our, not worship Mary, because she is the mother of the Lord and Saviour, just as we hon our our mothers if we have one.
The rosary beads are prayer beads which helps focus on the life death and resurrection of Jesus.
Other faiths have prayer beads as a means of telling or focus..
First, you need to talk to Roman Catholics to see just how their faith is very much a part of their reality. You should speak to a priest on the issues of confession, salvation, and the absolution of sins. Rosary beads are used in prayer representing the life cycle of Christ and his ascension into heaven. Roman Catholics, by the way, do not worship Mary as a goddess, they regard her as an essential part of man's redemption, by giving birth to the son of God in human form. She is seen with reverence in that respect.
Put the fact that reconciliation(confession) was instituted by JC himself aside. Confession is awesome. It is your own little counseling session. If you have a love for the Big guy you want to follow him the best you can and these counseling session help with that. You go into the box, say your prayers then have a nice talk with Father so and so about what you have done, why you have done it, and what you can do to change that behavior.
As far as Mary, why wouldn't someone want to revere the woman who gave birth to JC? Why would we not want to adore someone who was free of sin and chosen by God to be his sons mother? Quite an honor. We honor so many with such far less accomplishments. Why not adore her for hers. Why non Catholics do not see is that the rosary is nothing more than they gospel. Throughout praying the rosary you are mediating on each of the mysterious of Jesus. I will cover pray to saints to as Mary is a saint. It is our belief that saints are with God, right? When you need prayers how many of us call on friends and family to pray for us? Why not ask a saint who is already with God to pray for us? Think about the words of the prayer Hail Mary. It is nothing more than showing respect for her and asking her to pry for us because of her closeness with the father and son.
RCC teaches that one is saved through God's unmerited saving grace. Faith and works are a response to that grace. Neither faith nor works saves someone.
Confession to a priest is necessary, because Christ gave his Apostles (and through them the current day priests) the power to forgive or retain sin. In order for them to know if they should forgive or retain a sin, they have to hear it. THAT is why we need to confess to a person.
We don't worship Mary. We hold her in HIGH regard for her roll in Christ's life.
The rosary is an aid to prayer. Contemplating specific events in the life of Christ.
Joyful Mysteries
The Annunciation. Fruit of the Mystery: Humility
The Visitation. Fruit of the Mystery: Love of Neighbor
The Nativity. Fruit of the Mystery: Poverty
The Presentation of Jesus at the Temple. Fruit of the Mystery: Obedience
The Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple. Fruit of the Mystery: Joy in Finding Jesus
Luminous Mysteries
The Baptism of Jesus. Fruit of the Mystery: Openness to the Holy Spirit
The Wedding at Cana. Fruit of the Mystery: To Jesus through Mary
Jesus' Proclamation of the Kingdom of God. Fruit of the Mystery: Repentance and Trust in God
The Transfiguration. Fruit of the Mystery: Desire for Holiness
The Institution of the Eucharist. Fruit of the Mystery: Adoration
Sorrowful Mysteries
The Agony in the Garden. Fruit of the Mystery: Sorrow for Sin
The Scourging at the Pillar. Fruit of the Mystery: Purity
The Crowning with Thorns. Fruit of the Mystery: Courage
The Carrying of the Cross. Fruit of the Mystery: Patience
The Crucifixion. Fruit of the Mystery: Perseverance
The Glorious Mysteries
The Resurrection. Fruit of the Mystery: Faith
The Ascension. Fruit of the Mystery: Hope
The Descent of the Holy Spirit. Fruit of the Mystery: Love of God
The Assumption of Mary. Fruit of the Mystery: Grace of a Happy Death
The Coronation of Blessed Virgin Mary. Fruit of the Mystery: Trust in Mary's Intercession
Here is the joint declaration of justification by Catholics (1999), Lutherans (1999), and Methodists (2006):
By grace alone, in faith in Christ's saving work and not because of any merit on our part, we are accepted by God and receive the Holy Spirit, who renews our hearts while equipping us and calling us to good works.
The easy answer:
+ Be baptized and spiritually born again
+ Follow the teachings of Jesus Christ
+ Do not commit mortal sin
The complicated answer:
We are already saved:
+ ?For in hope we were saved.? (Romans 8:24)
+ ?For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is the gift of God.? (Ephesians 2:5-8)
We are being saved:
+ ?He will keep you firm to the end, irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus.? (1 Corinthians 1:8)
+ ?For we are the aroma of Christ for God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.? (2 Corinthians 2:15)
+ ?So then, my beloved, obedient as you have always been, not only when I am present but all the more now when I am absent, work out your salvation with fear and trembling.? (Philippians 2:12)
We have the hope that we will be saved:
+ ?How much more then, since we are now justified by his loos, will we be saved through him from the wrath. Indeed, if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, how much more, once reconciled, will we be saved by his life.? (Romans 5:9-10)
+ ?If anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, or straw, the work of each will come to light, for the Day will disclose it. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire (itself) will test the quality of each ones work. If the work stands that someone built upon the foundation, that person will receive a wage. But if someones work is burned up, that one will suffer loss; the person will be saved, but only as through fire.? (1 Corinthians 3:12-15)
Like the Apostle Paul, we are working out our salvation in ?fear and trembling,? (Philippians 2:12) and with hopeful confidence in the promises of Christ:
+ ?Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access (by faith) to this grace in which we stand, and we boast in hope of the glory of God.? (Romans 5:2)
+ ?This saying is trustworthy: If we have died with him we shall also live with him; if we persevere we shall also reign with him. But if we deny him he will deny us. If we are unfaithful he remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself. (2 Timothy 2:11?13)
+ Confession +
The Catholic Church believes that "Only God forgives sin."
When a penitent person asks God for forgiveness, his (or her) sins are immediately forgiven.
Catholics also believe that when someone sins they not only hurt their relationship with God, they also injure the entire church, the body of Christ.
Jesus said, "I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." (Matthew 16:19)
And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,"Receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained." (Luke 20:22-23)
The Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation with a priest ordained in the name of Jesus Christ not only reconciles the sinner to God but with the entire church, including you and me.
Catholics share the belief in the Communion of Saints with many other Christians, including the Eastern Orthodox, Anglican, Episcopal, and Methodist Churches.
The Communion of Saints is the belief where all saints are intimately related in the Body of Christ, a family. When you die and go to heaven, you do not leave this family.
Everyone in heaven or on their way to heaven are saints, you, me, my deceased grandmother, Mary the mother of Jesus, and Mother Teresa.
As part of this family, you may ask your family and friends living here on earth to pray for you. Or, you may also ask the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint Andrew, or your deceased grandmother living in heaven to pray for you.
Prayer to saints in heaven is simple communication, not worship.
there is a book written they'll compare the doctrines of the roman catholic church to that of the bible, please notice out of only 37 doctrines examined the scripture [bible] refutes each one
Well, I?m sure you know the Bible better than I do, so tell me?does it say somewhere in the Bible that we should?t confess our sins to a man? That we should confess our sins to God alone?
Well, if we?re not supposed to confess our sins to men, I?m a little confused. Maybe you can explain this to me. Doesn?t James 5:16 tell us that we are to confess are sins to men? And, in Matthew 9:8, why does God give the authority on earth to forgive sins to men if we are supposed to confess our sins to God alone?Read Matthew 9:8.....What does that mean?
The Catholic Church teaches that both faith and works play a role in our salvation. But I think you believe in salvation by faith alone, right? Where in the Bible does it say that we are saved by faith alone?
What it says in the Bible speaks of belief in Christ or "faith." Catholics believe we are saved by faith, and our understanding of faith means that we believe Jesus is God, and, therefore, we trust what he says and we do as he asks, which demonstrates our love for him. That?s biblical (Matt. 5:48; 19:16?17; John 14:21; Gal. 5:5?6). But nowhere does the Bible say that we are saved by faith "alone."
Roman Catholic Beliefs?
