Dogma

Hi Anna, I’ve had a look at that list of 255 ‘infallibly declared dogmas’ of the Church and basically they sum up the main Catholic teaching on God, on the Blessed Trinity, on Christ, Our Lady and the Church. They derive from the Church’s ordinary teaching, whether from what’s called the magisterium, or the official teaching of the Church by the Popes, by Church Councils, and by bishops over two millennia.

The Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed are the Church-approved short summaries of its teaching on God, Christ, Mary and the Church – having to remember 255 teachings would be too much a burden for most of us. But the best recent and authoritative summary of the Church’s teachings is to be found in the magnificent Catechism of the Catholic Church, which is available online, and in cheap paperback editions. The Catechism doesn’t just give the bare bones of doctrine, but fleshes them out beautifully in terms of their Scriptural background, of its centuries of understanding of those teachings, and of the spiritual insights of many of its saints. To properly appreciate the Church’s teachings, even a basic introduction, like Pope Benedict/Cardinal Ratzinger’s Introduction to Christianity can be a big help. Very best, Fr Brendan

Replied at 11:38 pm on February 05th 2017

Can you please explain #59?

Replied at 09:14 am on February 20th 2017