What is a catechism? A catechism is an introduction or basic summary of a church’s teachings on important points of faith. Several Christian denominations, like Anglicans and Presbyterians, use catechisms. Most churches that baptize infants have children go through catechism classes when they are around twelve. Adults also take these classes if they are new believers or come from a different denomination. Many catechisms have a list of questions, and the students are supposed to memorize the answers.
What is the Catholic Catechism?
Unlike many catechisms, the Catholic Catechism doesn’t use a question-and-answer format. It explains the Roman Catholic Church’s teachings in four major areas:
- The Apostles Creed, which a person has to confess to be a Catholic
- The sacraments, like the Eucharist (communion), baptism, and confirmation
- The Christian Life, such as following the Ten Commandments
- Prayer, including the Lord’s Prayer and Hail Mary
The Roman Catholic church bases its beliefs on the Bible plus tradition, plus the teachings and edicts of the councils, popes, and church fathers. The Catholic Catechism includes these teachings from outside the Bible.
Children and new converts to Catholicism don’t study directly from the Catholic Catechism as it’s long and technical. Instead, they have easier-to-read guides that use the Catechism as a point of reference.
What is the Bible?
The Bible is God’s revealed Word to humans. It has 66 books written by about 40 men under the direct inspiration of the Holy Spirit. It tells about the creation of the world, how humans fell into sin and brought the curse of death to everyone, and how God interacted with people through thousands of years. It gives God’s laws and tells how Jesus came to earth to carry the sins of all people on His body. His sacrificial death on the cross and resurrection provides salvation from sin and death to all who believe in Him. The Bible tells Christians how to live, what to believe, and how the church should operate.
- “All Scripture is inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, for rebuke, for correction, for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16)
Does the Catechism have the same authority as the Bible?
No, it’s more of a reference guide or a teaching tool listing the sources of authority upon which Catholic belief is based. This includes the Bible, but, as mentioned above, also things like edicts from the Pope, tradition, and the teachings of the church fathers. It’s a summary of the basic teachings of the Catholic Church. These teachings include things not explicitly taught in the Bible.
Roman Catholics have traditionally believed that an ordinary person can’t read and understand the Bible by themselves. Catholics feel that people need a teacher or “interpreter” to help them understand the Bible. Catholics also believe that ordinary people might find it hard to apply the Bible to contemporary issues. Thus, the teachings of the Catechism are supposed to help people understand the Bible and apply it to their lives.
Let’s review how the Catholic Catechism and the Bible stack up on the fundamentals of the faith.
Salvation
Catechism:
- Salvation comes from Christ through the Holy Catholic Church.
- No one can have God as Father who does not have the (Catholic) Church as Mother.
- Salvation is a free gift from Jesus Christ.
- God requires good works.
- Anyone who never hears the truth of salvation is not held accountable before God.
Bible
- “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)
- “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
- “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
- “For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)
- “‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ How then are they to call on Him in whom they have not believed? How are they to believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher?” (Romans 10:13-14)
Baptism
Catechism:
- Baptism (usually as a baby) removes original and personal sin and its punishment. It enables the person to participate in the divine life of the Trinity and brings the person into the Church.
Bible
- Repentance and belief come before baptism, not the reverse. “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.” (Mark 16:16)
- “Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’” (Acts 2:38)
Penance
Catechism
- The Sacrament of Penance forgives sins people commit after they are baptized (remember, most Catholics are baptized as babies). Catholics are required to “do penance” at least once a year. A person must go to the priest, repent and confess their sins, and receive “absolution” from the priest. Absolution means the priest assures the person they are forgiven and reconciled with God. The priest will tell them to do certain things as “penance” – to show they’re sorry for their sin and are determined not to repeat it. Examples of penance include doing works of mercy, fasting, serving one’s neighbor, making things right with anyone harmed by the sin, and saying the “Hail Mary” prayer over and over (the priest often tells them how many times they must repeat it).
Bible
- The Bible teaches that we go directly to Jesus, our Great High Priest, to confess our sins. Jesus is the one who forgives, not a human priest. “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who was tempted in every way that we are yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:15)
- The Bible tells us, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)
- Yet, the Bible also says we should confess our sins to each other (especially if our sin has affected another person). “Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed.” (James 5:16) (see also Matthew 5:23-24 about reconciling with someone we’ve offended). The words “one another” imply it doesn’t mean confessing to a priest but to our brothers and sisters in Christ, especially if our sin harmed them.
- The New Testament does not implicitly teach us to do special actions (penance) before we can be forgiven. However, the apostle Paul taught “to repent and turn to God, performing deeds consistent with repentance.” (Acts 26:20) Jesus said to “Produce fruit, then, in keeping with repentance.” (Matthew 3:8) Neither said what these actions or fruit looked like. Nor did they say anything about a priest telling people what to do for “penance.” However, our works don’t earn forgiveness from God. They show that we recognize our sin and are sorry for what we’ve done. Obviously, we must ask forgiveness from anyone we’ve harmed. We should do whatever we can to make things right. For example, if I have an outburst of anger, I need to repent and ask God’s forgiveness. I also need to apologize to the people I upset.
Purgatory
Catechism:
- “All who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still imperfectly purified, are indeed assured of their eternal salvation; but after death they undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven. The Church gives the name Purgatory to this final purification of the elect, which is entirely different from the punishment of the damned.”
- The Catholic Catechism teaches that most people have unforgiven sins or haven’t completed penance for their sins when they die. Thus, most people must go to Purgatory to be purified. They admit it isn’t in Scripture but quote Saint Augustine about temporary punishments both in this life and in the afterlife before “the last and strictest judgment.” Catholics also point to writings from the 2nd century AD and later about prayers being said for the dead. Catholics also point to the book of 2 Maccabees in the Apocrypha about Judas Maccabees making atonement for the dead.
- To get their loved ones out of Purgatory as quickly as possible, most Catholics ask their priest to say a Mass for the dead person (and, of course, they pay the priest a stipend or even a large gift).
- They also point to 1 Corinthians 3:10- 15, which says Christians should be careful how they build on their foundation (of Jesus Christ). If what we’ve built survives the “fire,” we get a reward. If what we’ve built is burned up, we are still saved but with no reward. Catholics say that Purgatory is the fire that proves us. In other words, they think everyone goes through purgatory, but some come out quicker and with a reward in the end.
Bible
- The Bible says nothing about a place of fiery judgment that believers must pass through after death.
- As He hung on the cross, Jesus told the thief dying beside Him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:43) Obviously, the thief had committed many sins. Yet, Jesus didn’t mention anything about going through Purgatory. He told the thief he would be with Him on that day.
- The 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 passage isn’t about us going through the fire; it’s our works that will be judged. “If anyone’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet only so as through fire.”
- Furthermore, Jesus died for all our sins. At the point of salvation, all our past, present, and future sins are covered. They’re paid for. Yes, we need to confess them and repent, but we don’t have to pay for something that Jesus already paid for.
- In Philippians 1:23 and 2 Corinthians 5:6–9, Paul speaks about being absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. It sounds like an instantaneous thing. In a sense, Paul looked forward to death and being in Jesus’ presence.
Mary
Catechism
- Immaculate Conception: this is a fairly new doctrine that Mary was conceived without original sin. However, she still needed redemption.
- Unique Holiness: Mary was more holy than any other created person.
- Mother of God: “Mary is truly “Mother of God” since she is the mother of the eternal Son of God made man, who is God himself.” As such, the Catechism says Mary is also the “Mother of the Church.”
- Perpetual virgin: Catholic doctrine teaches that Mary wasn’t just a virgin when Jesus was born, but she continued as a virgin her entire life.
- Co-redemptrix with Jesus. “Mary is wholly united with her Son. Thus, the Blessed Virgin advanced in her pilgrimage of faith, and faithfully persevered in her union with her Son unto the cross. There she stood, in keeping with the divine plan, enduring with her only begotten Son the intensity of his suffering”
- Mediator and Advocate. Catholics say Mary suffered with Jesus. Now, in heaven, she acts as a mediator and advocate between believers on earth and her Son, Jesus Christ.
- Mary didn’t die. “Finally the Immaculate Virgin, preserved free from all stain of original sin, when the course of her earthly life was finished, was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory, and exalted by the Lord as Queen over all things . . . The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin is a singular participation in her Son’s Resurrection
Bible
- Mary was a virgin when she conceived Jesus by the Holy Spirit. (Luke 1:26-35, Matthew 1:18-25)
- Mary was “blessed among women” and the “mother of our Lord” (Luke 1:41-43)
- Mary didn’t stay a virgin after Jesus’ birth. Matthew 1:18-25 mentions “before they came together” about Mary and Joseph, implying they later did “come together or have sex. It also says Joseph “kept her a virgin until after she gave birth” to Jesus. It says nothing about him keeping her a virgin forever. Furthermore, Joseph and Mary had many children (Mark 6:3, Matthew 13:55-56, John 7:5).
- “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5) Mary isn’t the mediator – Jesus is! The Bible says nothing about Mary being a co-redeemer or advocate.
Priesthood
Catechism
- The Catechism teaches the priesthood is two-pronged. “The whole Church is a priestly people. Through baptism, all the faithful share in the priesthood of Christ. This participation is called the ‘common priesthood of the faithful’ ” Catholics believe this means that living one’s daily life “in the Spirit” represents Jesus to the world.
- The other prong is Jesus as the High Priest and the priests who take Holy Orders. They bring the grace of Jesus, through the sacraments, to the faithful believers.
Bible
- Jesus is our Great High Priest
- “We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, and who ministers in the sanctuary and true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by man.” (Hebrews 8:1-2)
- “But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that have come, He went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made by hands and is not a part of this creation. He did not enter by the blood of goats and calves, but He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood, thus securing eternal redemption.” (Hebrews 9:11-12)
- All believers are part of the Royal Priesthood.
- “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9)
- We no longer need priests to intercede between us and God. We have direct access to God. Furthermore, Jesus was the final sacrifice. The sacrificial system was done away with when Jesus died, resurrected, and ascended to heaven.
- “Unlike the other high priests, He does not need to offer daily sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people; He sacrificed for sin once for all when He offered up Himself.” (Hebrews 7:27)
- The Bible does say the local churches should have elders and deacons who lead the Church, teach the Bible, heal the sick, and so on (Acts 14:23, I Timothy 3:13, James 5:14).
Worship
Catechism
- Most Catholic churches have images of Jesus, Mary, and the saints. Even though God forbade worshiping idols (Deuteronomy 4:15-16), Catholics justify having images in the Church because God instructed the images of the two golden cherubim to be over the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies. (Exodus 25:17-22). Yet, no one was worshiping the cherubim. In Catholic churches, people burn candles to the images and pray to them. They believe that Mary and the saints will intercede for them, so they do this instead of praying directly to God.
- The “Liturgy” is the ritual of worship in the Catholic Church. It includes the Eucharist (communion) at an altar in the center of the Church. Also on the altar is the chrism (myron), a vessel containing consecrated holy oil used to anoint those receiving baptism or holy orders.
- In a liturgical celebration (worship service), the whole assembly is leitourgos (part of the priesthood), and each member has distinct functions in the Body of Christ. But the ordained priests represent Christ to the congregation. The service includes burning candles and celebrating the Eucharist (communion). Catholics believe that Christ is physically present in the bread and wine.
Bible
- “You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in the heavens above, on the earth below, or in the waters beneath.” (Deuteronomy 5:8)
- We don’t need Mary or the saints to intercede for us. The Holy Spirit does that!
- “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know how we ought to pray, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans too deep for words. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” (Romans 8:26-27)
Why should a Catholic consider becoming a Christian?
If you are a Catholic, ask yourself, does my religion best represent what the Bible teaches? The Bible is God’s Word. As such, it has infinitely more authority than the teachings of church fathers (often contradictory) or the edicts of a pope (who might disagree with a previous pope).
This article demonstrates that the Bible’s teachings directly contradict the teachings of the Catholic Church in several key areas. Which will we believe: God’s Word or the teachings of fallible people?
For instance, we don’t need to pray to Mary, asking her to intercede with Jesus on our behalf. We can go directly to Jesus in prayer.
- “Therefore He is able to save completely those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to intercede for them.”
I urge you to embrace true Christianity as defined by what the Bible teaches, not what the Catholic church says.
