Catholic Doctrines - Ty Jackson
1. There is one God in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The central tenet of the Christian faith is that of the Blessed Trinity. All of our theology begins at this point and is derived from our understanding of God as three distinct persons in one nature.
2. Jesus Christ is the only Son of God, begotten not made, one in being with the Father. Jesus Christ is co-eternal with the Father. In the fullness of time, He came down from heaven to save men from the consequence of sin which is eternal death (Hell).
3. Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary.
4. Jesus Christ was both fully human and fully divine. Christ had two natures united in one person
.5. Jesus Christ suffered and died on the cross as a propitiatory sacrifice for all of mankind. Through His perfect obedience to the Father and by His most precious blood He made atonement for the sins of fallen man.
6. Christ truly died in the flesh, was buried, and raised on the third day destroying death.
7. Christ ascended to Heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father.
8. He sent the Holy Spirit to be the Advocate for all believers.
9. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Most Blessed Trinity. There was never a time when He was not. He is coeternal with the Father and the Son and proceeds from them both.
10. Christ established a church to continue His salvific mission.
11. He established Peter as the first shepherd of His church and the other apostles as shepherds in union with Peter as their head. They have passed on this authority and responsibility to their successors, the bishops.
12. Christ established seven sacraments to be the visible means by which He communicates His graces to all men; they are Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Matrimony, Holy Orders, Confession, and Anointing of the Sick.
13. There is one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
14. The Eucharist is truly the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ. The sacrifice of the Holy Mass re-presents and makes present the one time sacrifice of Jesus Christ at Calvary.
15. The Virgin Mary was immaculately conceived (she was not touched by original sin or its effects) and remained sinless all of her life by the singular grace of her most blessed son Jesus. Since Christ is God, she is rightly called the Mother of God (Not Mother of the Trinity, but rather Mother of the Second Person of the Trinity who is God). She remained a virgin all of her life. She was bodily assumed into heaven and makes intercession before her blessed son for all of her spiritual children (i.e. those who believe in her son).
16. At the end of time all people who have ever lived will be bodily resurrected. There will be a final judgment in which all shall be judged based upon their deeds. Those who have accepted the grace offered them by Jesus Christ and lived a life in His friendship shall inherit eternal life in Heaven (being with God and seeing Him face to face for all of eternity). Those who refused His grace will go to eternal damnation which is Hell (being eternally separated from God).17. The Bible is the inerrant, inspired Word of God. Nothing in it is false. There are no contradictions. All truth is not contained in Sacred Scripture but all that is contained in it is truth. Along with Sacred Tradition it comprises one of two rivers of revelation that flow from the same divine well spring. It is the responsibility of the Magisterium of the Catholic Church to guard, protect, and rightly interpret this most sacred gift from God. The Church is her servant, but it is only in the Church that the Scriptures are properly understood