This is a list of Catholic Dogmas, the Fundamentals of our Faith [De Fide], which cannot be challenged by anyone, by anything, and will never change. Amen.
(I) THE ONENESS AND TRINITY OF GOD.
1. Allah, Our Creator and Lord, can be identified with certainty from all His creation through the natural light of reason.
2. The existence of God is not only an object of rational knowledge, but also an object of supernatural faith.
3. The nature of God cannot be understood by humans.
4. Those who have been blessed in Heaven have direct intuitive knowledge of the Divine Essence.
5. Direct Vision of God (Seeing God directly) goes beyond the natural powers of human soul cognition, and is therefore supernatural.
6. To be able to see God directly, the human soul needs the light of God’s glory.
7. The true nature of God cannot be understood even by those who are blessed in Heaven.
8. The divine attributes that those who have been in heaven can possess are absolutely identical among themselves and with the Divine Essence.
9. Allah is absolutely perfect.
10. Allah is truly infinite in every perfection.
11. Allah is truly simple.
12. There is only one God.
13. This God, in a concrete sense, is the true God.
14. God has unlimited cognitive power.
15. Allah is absolute truth.
16. God is truly faithful.
17. God is absolute concrete goodness in Himself and in relation to others.
18. God is absolute moral goodness or holiness
19. Allah is absolute generosity.
20. Allah will truly never change [eternally immutable]
21. God is eternal.
22. Allah is great and immeasurable.
23. God exists and is present everywhere in the space He created.
24. God’s knowledge is infinite [ Omniscience ].
25. God’s knowledge is pure and truly actual.
26.
God’s knowledge is subsistent. (note LG: Arises from Himself)
27. God knows everything just by using simple intelligence knowledge.
28. God knows everything that is real in the past, present and future.
29. By His visionary knowledge, God can also foresee the future actions of rational beings with perfect certainty.
30. God’s will is infinite.
31. God loves Himself according to His natural needs, but He loves and desires the creation of created beings not because of any need, but on the contrary, with His own free will.
32. Allah is Almighty [ Omnipotence ]
33. Allah is the Lord of heaven and earth.
34. Allah is very just.
35. Allah is the most merciful.
36. In God there are three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Each of the three Persons has one (numerical) Divine Essence.
37. In God there are two internal divine processions.
38. The Divine Person, not the Divine Nature, is the subject of the internal Divine procession (both active and passive).
39. The Divine Person of the Son is born of the Divine Person of the Father, and is therefore related to Him as the Son is to the Father.
40. The Holy Spirit is born from the Father and from the Son as originating from one principle but by a single breath.
41. The Holy Spirit is not born but exhaled.
42. The interpersonal relationships in the Triune God are absolutely identical with God’s Divine Nature.
43. The three Divine Persons are within each other. [LG note: The Father is in the Son, the Son is in the Father, the Father is in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit is in the Father and so on.]
44. All the activities that the Triune God carries out outside of Himself are carried out jointly by each person, in perfect harmony in will.
( II ) GOD THE CREATOR
1. All that exists outside the Divine, in all its substance, was created out of nothing by God.
2. God was moved by His goodness to create the world.
3. This world was created to glorify God.
4. Creation was carried out together by the Three Divine Persons in One.
5. God created the world free from external coercion or God’s own inner needs. [ LG note: Because God is perfect in Himself ]
6. God created a good world.
7. The universe had a beginning in time.
8. God was alone when He created the world.
9. God made everything He created into EXISTENCE.
10. God, through His Providence, protects and guides all that He created. [ LG note: Providence here is defined as a destiny known by God taking into account the free will of man ]
11. The first human was created by God.
12. Man consists of two important parts – the material body and the spiritual Spirit.
13. The rational soul is by itself an essential part of the body.
14. Every human being has a soul of his own. [ LG note: Unique and singular ]
15. God has given man his supernatural destiny.
16. Our first parents, before their fall into sin, were endowed by God with sanctifying grace.
17. In addition to sanctifying grace, our first parents were endowed with the supernatural gift of bodily immortality.
18. Our first parents in heaven grievously sinned by transgressing the command of the Divine examiner.
19. Through the sin of our first parents we lost sanctifying grace and incurred the anger and wrath of God.
20. Because of original sin, our first parents became subject to death and the power of Satan.
21. Adam’s sin was transmitted to his descendants, not by the process of imitation but through the seed of heredity [the process of Generation].
22. Original sin is transmitted by the natural process of generation.
23. In this state of original sin, sanctifying grace, both its implications and the supernatural gifts integrated into man, have been lost.
24. A soul born in a state of original sin will not be able to receive the beatific vision. [ LG note: Direct vision of God or seeing God directly ]
25. At the beginning of time God created spiritual essences (angels) from nothing.
26. The nature of angels is spiritual.
27. Evil spirits (demons) were originally created good by God; however, they became evil through their own mistakes.
28. The secondary duty of good angels is to protect and guard humans for their safety.
29. Satan has a certain power over mankind because of Adam’s sin.
( III ) GOD THE SAVIOR
1. Jesus Christ is the true God and the true Son of God.
2. Christ truly lived in a real human body with all the same physical weaknesses as other humans.
3. Christ is assumed to have not only a body but also a rational soul.
4. Christ was truly conceived and born of Adam’s daughter, the Virgin Mary.
5. The divine and human natures are hypostatically united in Christ, who, united to one another in one perfectly whole Person. Christ is one person with two natures, the divine and the human.
6. In the hypostatic union, the two natures of Christ remain intact, cannot change, but also do not mix with each other.
7. Each of the two natures in Christ has its own will and its own mode of operation.
8. The hypostatic union of Christ’s human nature with the Divine Logos took place at conception.
9. The hypostatic union is influenced and produced by the cooperation of the three persons of God simultaneously.
10. Only the second Divine Person [the Son] became Man.
11. Jesus Christ is the natural Son of God, so He is truly God and truly Man.
12. Truly God-Truly Man Jesus Christ is glorified with worship, absolute worship of identical latria, one and the same as the worship of God.
13. The divine and human characteristics and activities of Christ during his life on earth must be based on the mystery of the Incarnation. (Note LG: This means that every action of Jesus, even though He has two natures, is carried out by one divine person, all His activities are carried out in the hypostatic unity of the two natures that He possesses.)
14. Christ is free from all sin, from original sin as well as from all personal sin.
15. Christ’s human nature is limited. [ LG note: In the sense that if Jesus had studied football, he would not have easily become as great as Cristiano Ronaldo or his report card would have all scored 100 ]
16. The Son of God became human to atone for human sins.
17. Humans who fall into sin cannot redeem themselves.
18. Truly God-truly man Jesus Christ is the High Priest.
19. Christ offered himself on the Cross as the true and proper sacrifice.
20. Christ by His sacrifice on the Cross has redeemed us and reconciled us with God.
21, Christ, through His suffering and death, deserved God’s reward.
22. After His death, the Spirit of Christ, separated from His body, descended into the realm of the dead.
23. On the third day after His death, Christ rose gloriously from the dead.
24. Christ ascended into heaven and sat at the right hand of the Father with all His body and soul.
( IV ) MOTHER OF THE REDEEMER
1. Mary is truly the Mother of God.
2. Mary was conceived without the stain of original sin. (Immaculate Conception)
3. Mary conceived by the Holy Spirit without human cooperation.
4. Mary gave birth to her Son without violating the integrity of her virginity. (Note LG: When giving birth to Jesus, this virginity was not corrupted)
5. After the birth of Jesus, Mary remained a virgin. (Note LG: Mary had no other children)
6. Mary was taken up into heaven with her body and soul.
( V ) GOD THE SANCTIFYER
1. There is God’s supernatural intervention in the activities of the human soul, which precedes human actions based on free will.
2. There is a supernatural influence from God in the process of human soul activity that coincides with the moment when the free action based on human free will is carried out. (LG note: This God’s intervention is direct or can also occur long before the human action is manifested)
3. To do good deeds, supernatural grace which God provides by and in Himself (gratia elevans) is absolutely necessary.
4. Such supernatural grace is absolutely necessary for the beginning of faith and salvation.
5. Without special help from God, those who have received justification cannot persevere to the end in justification. (Note: This is a strong statement from the Church against the Protestant doctrine of justification.)
6. Even those who have received justification will never be able to avoid sin, even venial sins, without the privilege of God’s grace.
7. Even in a fallen state, man can, by his natural intellectual powers, know religious and moral truth. (LG note: This is a severe blow to the Calvinist teaching of Total Depravity)
8. To perform a good moral act, sanctifying grace is not necessary. (Note: LG: This is why even those who fall into original sin can still perform natural goodness.)
9. In this state of fallen nature, it is impossible for humans, morally, to know EASILY, with absolute certainty, and without any mixture of error, all the truths of religion and the natural moral order. (LG note: This means that because of this original sin, humans will not be able to easily know the truth of God or find the true religion, so just be patient with what is called humanity)
10. Humans do not deserve to receive grace simply because of their natural works, either de condigno or de congruo. (Note LG: De Condigno is a grace that is indeed deservedly given to humans because of a good deed or contribution, while de congruo is a grace that is universal, for example, fortune and so on, meaning, in fact humans do not deserve anything, even if they do good deeds no matter how much, all of God’s grace is solely because of God’s goodness alone)
11. God gives all those who have received justification, sufficient grace to do all God’s commandments.
12. God, with eternal certainty and by His own Free will, has predestined certain people for eternal blessing. (LG note: Predestining certain people to enter heaven long before they are born by considering all of that person’s free will)
13. God, by the eternal certainty of His free will, predetermines certain persons, because of foretold sins, and taking into account man’s free will, to suffer eternal damnation.
14. The human will remains free even under the influence of God’s grace.
15. God gives humans sufficient grace to be saved, but this sufficient grace remains within humans in an inefficient state. (LG note: this grace must be responded to by human free will in order to be effective)
16. Causes of Justification. (Defined by the Council of Trent):
– The final cause is the honor of God and Christ and the eternal life of man.
– The efficient cause is the grace of God.
– The contributory cause is Jesus Christ, who as mediator between God and man, has made atonement for us and made us worthy of justification.
– The first instrumental cause of justification is the Sacrament of Baptism. Therefore, it defines that Faith is a prerequisite for justification (of adults).
– The formal cause is the Justice of God, but not only because of God’s justice itself, but also because of what makes us worthy of that justice, namely sanctifying grace.
17. Sinners can and must prepare themselves with the help of God’s actual grace to receive the gift of justification.
18. Justification of a person who has passed the age of puberty cannot be accepted without faith.
19. Besides faith, further action of the person’s disposition of faith must be present.
20. Sanctifying grace sanctifies the soul.
21. Sanctifying grace makes humans who have received justification become friends of God.
22. Sanctifying grace makes the justified person a child of God and gives him a claim to the inheritance of heaven.
23. The three Divine or theological virtues: faith, hope and love, enter into man with the help of sanctifying grace.
24. Without special Divine Revelation, no one can know with absolute certainty of faith that someone is in a state of grace.
25. The grace of justification is not identical in every righteous person.
26. The grace of justification can be increased by good works.
27. The grace of justification may be lost, and may be lost by mortal sin.
28. By doing good deeds, people who have received justification truly receive supernatural rewards from God.
29. The good deeds of a person who has been justified are useful for him, increasing sanctifying grace, obtaining eternal life (if he dies in a state of grace) and increasing the heavenly glory or heavenly happiness that he will later receive.
( VI ) CATHOLIC CHURCH
1. The Catholic Church was founded by Jesus Christ, truly God and truly Man.
2. Christ founded the Catholic Church to continue His work of redemption throughout the ages.
3. Christ gave His Church a hierarchical constitution.
4. Power was given to the Apostles and passed on to the Bishops.
5. Christ appointed the Apostle Peter to be the foremost of all the Apostles and to be the visible Head of the Universal Catholic Church, by appointing him personally, and by him Peter obtained the primacy of jurisdiction among the other Apostles.
6. According to Christ’s rule, the Primacy of Peter has been continued in and by the Catholic Church throughout the ages.
7. The successor to the Primacy of Peter is the Bishop of Rome.
8. The Pope has full power and supreme jurisdiction over the entire Catholic Church, not only in matters of faith and morals, but also in Church discipline and Church government.
9. The Pope cannot be wrong when he speaks ex cathedra.
10. By divine right, bishops have local jurisdiction over their dioceses.
11. Christ himself founded the Catholic Church.
12. Christ is the Head of the Catholic Church.
13. In its final decisions regarding doctrine regarding faith and morals, the Catholic Church is infallible. (LG note: Infallible / heretical)
14. The primary object of Infallibility is the formal truth that expresses Christian teaching on faith and morals.
15. When the Bishops assembled, either in general council or in the communion of Bishops spread throughout the earth, propose a doctrine of faith or morals to be held by all the faithful, the unity of the Communion of Bishops is infallible.
16. The church founded by Christ is unique and one.
17. The church founded by Christ is holy.
18. The church founded by Christ is Catholic.
19. The church founded by Christ is Apostolic.
20. Becoming a member of the Catholic Church is NECESSARY and IMPORTANT for salvation.
( VII ) THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE SAINTS
1. Asking for intercession and glorifying the saints in heaven is permissible and beneficial for the soul.
2. Venerating the relics of the Saints is permissible and beneficial to the soul.
3. Venerating images of saints is permissible and beneficial to the soul.
4. The faithful can ask for Intercession from the Saints in heaven to pray for the souls in purgatory.
( VIII ) SACRAMENTS.
1. The sacraments of the New Testament contain grace according to their respective purposes, and bestow it on those who do not reject it.
2. The sacraments work ex opere operato, that is, the sacraments operate by their own sacramental power, from God, without depending on the holiness of the minister of the sacrament.
3. All New Testament Sacraments confer sanctifying grace on those who receive them.
4. The three Sacraments, Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders, impart character, which is an indelible spiritual mark, and, for this reason, cannot be repeated.
5. The character of the sacrament is a spiritual sign imprinted into the human soul.
6. The sacramental character continues at least until the death of the recipient of the sacrament.
7. All the Sacraments of the New Testament were instituted by Jesus Christ Himself.
8. There are seven Sacraments in the law of the new covenant.
9. The sacraments of the New Covenant are necessary for the salvation of mankind.
10. The validity and effect of the Sacrament do not depend on the holiness of the minister of the sacrament.
11. Appropriate methods and formulas need to be used by the sacrament minister to administer the valid sacrament.
12. The minister of the sacrament must have full intention, or at least, do it according to what is commanded by the Church, for a sacrament to be valid.
13. In the case of adult recipients of the sacrament, moral worthiness is required.
( IX ) THE SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM
1. Baptism is a sacrament truly instituted by Jesus Christ himself.
2. The appropriate baptism medium is natural water.
3. Baptism confers the grace of justification.
4. Baptism has the effect of forgiving all punishment for sin, both eternal and temporal.
5. Even if the recipient is unworthy to receive it, the imprint of Baptism remains on the recipient’s soul as a spiritual sign, the character of the baptism received is indelible, and for this reason, the Sacrament of Baptism cannot be repeated.
6. Baptism with water (Baptismus fluminis), as commanded by the Gospel, is necessary for everyone without exception for salvation.
7. Baptism can be validly given by anyone.
8. Baptism can be received by anyone who has not been baptized under any circumstances.
9. Baptism of children is valid and lawful. (valid and licit)
( X ) THE SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION
1. The Sacrament of Confirmation is truly a Sacrament.
2. Confirmation leaves an indelible spiritual imprint and mark, and for this reason, it cannot be repeated.
3. The minister of the Sacrament of Confirmation is the Bishop himself.
( XI ) HOLY EUCHARIST
1. The Body and Blood of Jesus Christ are truly, truly, and substantially present in the Eucharist.
2. Christ is truly present in the Sacrament of the Eucharist through the transformation of the entire substance of the bread into His body and the entire substance of the wine into His blood.
4. The character of the bread and wine does not change after consecration.
5. The Body and Blood of Christ together with His Soul and His entire Divinity are truly present in the Eucharist.
6. The fullness of Christ is present in each species of bread and wine. (LG note: we can receive the fullness and divinity of Christ only by receiving one of the bread or wine)
7. When one of the species is broken, the whole Christ remains present in each broken part.
8. After the consecration is complete, the Body and Blood are permanently present in the Eucharist.
9. Adoration (latria) must be given to Christ present in the Eucharist.
10. The Eucharist is a sacrament truly instituted by Jesus Christ himself.
11. The media of the Eucharist are bread and wine.
12. For children before the age of puberty, receiving the Eucharist is not necessary for salvation.
13. Communion in both forms is not necessary for any individual member of the faithful, either by reason of Divine teaching or as a means of salvation.
14. The power to perform consecration rests only with a validly ordained priest.
15. The Sacrament of the Eucharist can be validly received by every person who is baptized and on their pilgrimage, including children.
16. In matters of fitness to receive the Eucharist, a state of grace and a proper and pious disposition are necessary. (LG note: people who have not been baptized or who have serious sins may not receive communion)
17. The Holy Mass is the true and proper sacrifice.
18. In the Sacrifice of the Mass, Christ’s Sacrifice on the Cross is made present, we remember Christ and make present again the power poured out at that moment.
19. The grace and redemptive character brought about by the priest in the sacrifice of the Mass are identical to those of the sacrifice of the cross; only their nature and mode of operation are different.
20. The sacrifice of the Mass is not only a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, but also a sacrifice of redemption and consecration.
( XII ) SACRAMENT OF PENANCE
1. The Church has received power from Christ to forgive sins committed after Baptism.
2. By the power given by God to the Church, absolution means that sins are truly and immediately forgiven.
3. The Church’s power to forgive sins extends to all sins without exception.
4. The exercise of the Church’s power to forgive sins is a judicial act.
5. The forgiveness of sins that takes place in the sacrament of penance is a true and genuine sacrament, but its character is different from the sacrament of baptism.
6. Justification or forgiveness of sins can be obtained outside the sacrament of penance through perfect contrition, but only if the sinner has the desire to receive the Sacrament (votum sacramenti).
7. Regret that arises from the motive of fear is a good and supernatural moral act. (LG note: for example, regret that arises from fear of the punishment of hell)
8. The sacrament of penance was instituted by God and is necessary for salvation.
9. According to divine regulations, all serious sinners are obliged to confess their sins.
10. Confession of venial sins is not necessary but is permissible and useful.
11. All temporary punishments due to sin are not always forgiven by God only by feeling regret or guilt about sin and eternal punishment.
12. The priest has the right and duty, taking into account the nature of the sin and the confessor’s capacity for repentance, to impose a penance that is beneficial and appropriate for the good of the sinner’s soul.
13. Works of repentance outside the sacrament, such as carrying out voluntary works of repentance, have a virtuous value that pleases God.
14. The formula for the Sacrament of Penance is the word Absolution.
15. Absolution, in conjunction with penance, has the effect of forgiving sins.
16. The primary effect of the Sacrament of Penance is the reconciliation of the sinner with God.
17. The Sacrament of Penance is necessary for the salvation of those who, after Baptism, fall into mortal sin.
18. Those empowered by the Church to grant absolution are bishops and priests.
19. Absolution granted by deacons, religious leaders, or those of lower rank, and lay people is of no avail.
20. The Sacrament of Penance can be received by every baptized person who, after Baptism, has committed a mortal or venial sin.
21. The Church has the power to grant indulgences.
22. The use of Indulgences is useful and beneficial for the faithful.
( XIII ) THE SACRAMENT OF PRIESTHOOD
1. Priesthood is a true and genuine Sacrament instituted by Jesus Christ.
2. Priestly ordination is a Sacrament.
3. Bishops are superior to priests.
4. The Sacrament of Holy Orders confers sanctifying grace on the recipient.
5. The Sacrament of Holy Orders confers priestly character on the recipient.
6. The sacrament of the priesthood confers permanent spiritual power on the recipient.
7. All ordinations that occur in all degrees of the order, both sacramental and non-sacramental, are valid if ordained by the Bishop himself.
( XIV ) THE SACRAMENT OF MARRIAGE
1. Marriage is a true and proper Sacrament and is established by God himself.
2. From the sacramental contract of marriage arises the Marriage Bond, which binds the two married partners to an inseparable union for life.
3. The sacrament of marriage bestows sanctifying grace on those entering into the marriage covenant.
( XV ) SACRAMENT OF HOLY OIL
1. The Sacrament of the Holy Oil or the Anointing of the Sick is a true and proper Sacrament instituted by Jesus Christ.
2. The medium for the sacrament of holy oil is oil.
3. Its form consists in the priest’s prayer for the sick ending with the anointing of oil.
4. The sacrament of unction gives the sick person sanctifying grace in order to raise and strengthen him.
5. The sacrament of the Holy Oil provides the effect of forgiveness of a person’s remaining serious sins and venial sins.
6. The sacrament of unction sometimes has the effect of restoring bodily health, if it, by God’s will, can bring spiritual benefit.
7. Only bishops and priests can validly administer the Sacrament of Unction.
8. The sacrament of holy oil can be received only by believers who are seriously ill and in danger of death.
( XVI ) OTHER MATTERS
1. Death is the punishment for sin, as part of the plan of salvation. (LG note: death can also be atonement for sin)
2. All humans are subject to original sin and subject to the law of death.
3. Only those souls who at death are free from all guilt of sin and the punishment or temporal consequences of sin, enter heaven.
4. The happiness of Heaven lasts forever.
5. The level of perfection of the Beatific Vision is awarded depending on the services of each person proportionally.
6. The souls of people who die in a state of grave sin go to hell.
7. The punishment of hell lasts forever.
8. Only those souls who, at death, are burdened with venial sins or temporal punishment due to sin, enter purgatory.
9. At the end of the world Christ will come again in glory to judge.
10. All the dead will rise again on the last day with their bodies.
11. The dead will rise again with the same bodies they had on earth but in a noble and perfect form.
12. Christ, at His second coming, will judge all the living and the dead.
FINISHED !
Hopefully this can help many people who want to know a little about the most fundamental principles of the Catholic Faith.