Evangelical Counsels The three evangelical counsels or counsels of perfection in Christianity are chastity, poverty (or perfect charity), and obedience. As Jesus of Nazareth stated in the Canonical gospels, they are counsels for those who desire to become “perfect”. The Catholic Church interprets this to mean that they are not binding upon all and hence...
Biblical Inerrancy Biblical inerrancy is the belief that the Bible “is without error or fault in all its teaching”; or, at least, that “Scripture in the original manuscripts does not affirm anything that is contrary to fact”. Some equate inerrancy with biblical infallibility; others do not. The belief is of particular significance within parts of evangelicalism,...
Development Of The New Testament Canon This article covers the Development of the New Testament canon. The canon of the New Testament is the set of books Christians regard as divinely inspired and constituting the New Testament of the Christian Bible. For most, it is an agreed-upon list of twenty-seven...
Catholic Spirituality Catholic spirituality includes the various ways in which Catholics live out their Baptismal promise through prayer and action. The primary prayer of all Catholics is the Eucharistic liturgy in which they celebrate and share their faith together, in accord with Jesus’ instruction: “Do this in memory of me.” The Catholic bishops at the Second Vatican...
What Is Vulgate? The Vulgate is a late-4th-century Latin translation of the Bible that was to become the Catholic Church’s officially promulgated Latin version of the Bible during the 16th century, and is still used fundamentally in the Latin Church to this day. The translation was largely the work of...
Christian Biblical Canons Christian biblical canons are the set of books that a particular Christian denomination or denominational family regards as being divinely inspired and thus constituting an authorized Christian Bible. Such bibles are always divided into the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Early Church primarily used the...
What Are The Deuterocanonical Books? The deuterocanonical books are books and passages considered by the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Oriental Orthodox Churches, and the Assyrian Church of the East to be canonical books of the Old Testament, but which Protestant denominations regard as apocrypha. They date from 300 BC–100...
What Is Catholic Bible? Catholicism, the Bible comprises the whole 73-book canon recognized by the Catholic Church, including the deuterocanonical books. It is sometimes referred to as the Catholic Bible. Books included Main article: CLICK TO READ Holy Bible Catholic Version The Catholic Bible is composed of the 46 books of...
What Is Celibacy? Celibacy is the state of voluntarily being unmarried, sexually abstinent, or both, usually for religious reasons. It is often in association with the role of a religious official or devotee. In its narrow sense, the term celibacy is applied only to those for whom the unmarried state is the result...
Gender Of God In Christianity The gender of God in Christianity is a hot topic for centuries. The book of Genesis explains God made human beings both male and female in His image, but, throughout the biblical narrative, God is revealed as a Father who refers to Himself in male terms....
Five Ways (Aquinas’ The Quinque Viae) The quinque viae (Latin “Five Ways“) (sometimes called “five proofs”) are five logical arguments regarding the existence of God summarized by the 13th-century Catholic philosopher and theologian St. Thomas Aquinas in his book Summa Theologica. They are: the argument from metaphysical motion; the argument from efficient causation; the argument from contingency; the argument from degrees of being; the argument from...
Fasting And Abstinence In The Catholic Church This article covers Fasting and Abstinence in The Catholic Church. The Catholic Church historically observes the disciplines of fasting and abstinence at various times each year. For Catholics, fasting is the reduction of one’s intake of food, while abstinence refers to refraining from...
Prayer To Saint Michael The Prayer to Saint Michael usually refers to one specific Catholic prayer to Michael the Archangel, among the various prayers in existence that are addressed to him. From 1886 to 1964, this prayer was recited after Low Mass in the Catholic Church, although not incorporated into...
Marian Feast Days Marian feast days are specific holy days of the liturgical year recognized by Christians as significant Marian days for the celebration of events in the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary and her veneration. The number of Marian feasts celebrated, and their names (and at times dates) can vary among Christian denominations. History and development Early history The...
Veneration Of Mary In The Catholic Church The veneration of Mary in the Catholic Church encompasses various Marian devotions which include prayer, pious acts, visual arts, poetry, and music devoted to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Popes have encouraged it, while also taking steps to reform some manifestations of it. The Holy See has insisted on the importance...
Mass In The Catholic Church Mass in the Catholic Church goes by many names. The Mass, known more fully as the Most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is the central liturgical ritual in the Catholic Church where the Eucharist (Holy Communion) is consecrated. The Church describes the Holy Mass as “the source and...
Saint Michael In The Catholic Church This article covers the importance of Saint Michael in The Catholic Church. Saint Michael the Archangel is referenced in the Old Testament and has been part of Christian teachings since the earliest times. In Catholic writings and traditions, he acts as the defender of the Church...
Regrets About Science And Technology The general atmosphere and conditions surrounding us promise great happiness so long as science and technology with all their facilities and fruits are devoted to the service of humanity. Today, we are as exposed to great calamities and dangers as we have open to us...
Seven Deadly Sins The seven deadly sins, also known as the capital vices, or cardinal sins, are a grouping and classification of vices within Christian teachings, although it does not appear explicitly in the Bible. Behaviours or habits are classified under this category if they directly give birth to other immoralities. According to...
Definition Of Trinity Athanasian Creed In the early centuries of its existence, the Catholic Church, in order to codify and crystallize all of the biblical data on the Holy Trinity, and to counter various heresies, produced Creeds. The most famous of these are the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds, recited in...