Friday, December 15, 2006

A Very Brief Intro to Catholic Doctrine

What distinguishes Catholicism from other Christian religions? The Catholic glossary at newadvent.org sums up the difference between the two biggies very succinctly: The Protestant goes directly to the scriptures for instruction, and to the throne of grace in devotions; whilst the pious Roman Catholic consults the teaching of his/her church, and prefers to offer his/her prayers through the medium of the Virgin Mary and the saints.

Which brings up another question... what is a saint? It has a very distinct meaning in Catholicism. Saints have to meet certain criteria and formally receive the title of Saint through the process of canonization. There is a decent summary of this at howstuffwork. Official Catholic documents that serve as the source can be found at the official website of The Vatican.

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