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Published:
February 22, 2023
Catholicism All-in-One For Dummies
Overview
Let there be light — illuminating info about today’s Catholic church
Catholicism All-in-One For Dummies, 2nd Edition offers a path toward understanding the beliefs of the Catholic church and how the church operates. Fully updated with information on newly canonized saints, updated teachings from Pope Francis, and how Catholic beliefs intersect with the modern world, this edition gets you up to date with the last 2,000-or-so years of Catholic history.
With five minibooks in one, this friendly Dummies guide will answer your pressing questions, such as: What do Catholics believe? What happens in Mass? Who are the saints? What is the role of the Pope? — and other cool stuff you’ve been wanting to know about this Christian denomination with over 1 billion members worldwide.
With Catholicism All-in-One For Dummies, 2nd Edition, you will:
- Discover the core tenets of the Catholic religion
- Learn all about the papacy and get to know Pope Francis
- Get a primer on the Catholic saints, including those newly canonized
- Walk through the traditions of Mass and the seven sacraments
This is an excellent resource for anyone who needs a clear guide to the practices and rules of the Catholic faith and wants a fascinating look into a prominent world religion.
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About The Author
Rev. John Trigilio, Jr, PhD, ThD, is President of the Confraternity of Catholic Clergy.
Rev. Kenneth Brighenti, PhD, is the co-host with Father Trigilio of the weekly television program, “Crash Course on Catholicism.”
Rev. Msgr. James Cafone, STD, is tenured assistant professor in the Religion Department of Seton Hall University.
Rev. Jonathan Toborowsky, MA, serves as pastor for Immaculate Conception Parrish.
Annie Sullivan is a devout Catholic and author of A Touch of Gold, Tiger Queen, and A Curse of Gold.
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catholicism all-in-one for dummies
CHEAT SHEET
This Cheat Sheet focuses on the mysteries of the rosary, which, to Catholics, represent the events in the lives of Jesus and Mary. They are referred to as "mysteries" not because they are mysterious things that cannot be figured out; when it comes to the rosary, the mysteries are events devout Catholics can never stop thinking about.
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Catholicism
To the Catholic Church, angels are spirits in heaven, and saints are human beings in heaven. Angels can be called "saint" (as in the case of St. Michael the Archangel) as a sign of respect and honor.
St. Michael the Archangel
Patron: police officers, the military
Feast day: September 29
Michael means "who is like God?
Catholicism
This Cheat Sheet focuses on the mysteries of the rosary, which, to Catholics, represent the events in the lives of Jesus and Mary. They are referred to as "mysteries" not because they are mysterious things that cannot be figured out; when it comes to the rosary, the mysteries are events devout Catholics can never stop thinking about.
These nameless women of the Bible, identified by their relationships as wives, are known by the fame of their husbands or by their own words and deeds.
Cain’s wife: The single biblical reference to Cain’s wife raises more questions than it answers, but they are interesting points to ponder. Cain, son of Adam and Eve, killed his brother, Abel, and so is the first fugitive.
Ancient man believed that hell was underground, in the center of the earth, where it was hot. This belief was based on the erroneous notion that the earth was the center of the universe. When science proved that the sun was the center of the solar system, then what?
Well, the Bible and Sacred Tradition never again tried to define the exact location of hell.
Pope Francis is famous for saying precisely what he is thinking without any political or diplomatic filter. As some would say, Pope Francis likes to be frank. He is akin to Saint Nathaniel's description by Jesus in John 1:47 "behold, . . . [someone] who has no guile." In other words, here is someone who speaks plainly.
Catholicism
It can be difficult to interpret the meaning of certain things in religion. A priest’s colorful vestments help Catholics know which celebrations are at hand:
Green: The color of vestments used during ordinary time.
Purple or violet: Used during Advent and Lent.
White or gold: Most appropriate for Christmas and Easter.
In the Catholic Church, Mary has several feast days. Being the human Mother of Jesus, her maternal relationship is real and permanent. Therefore, just as any son or daughter would honor special occasions in the life of his or her mother, so, too, the Church observes the unique events in the life of the Mother of the Savior.
Over six million people attended a papal mass celebrated in Manila by Pope Francis when he visited the Philippines. Papal audiences in Rome have drawn enormous size crowds in all kinds of weather. The numbers of pilgrims and visitors to the Vatican have reached an all-time high since Bergoglio's election as Pope.
Catholicism
John Paul II came from an ancient land steeped in tradition, was raised in a 2,000-year-old religion, and would become the visible defender of traditional morality and orthodox doctrine. At the same time, JP2 was innovative, not in content but in presentation. He showed his followers how the Church and especially the papacy could — and should — adapt to the modern world.
Catholicism
Papal Encyclicals are official documents written by the pope to address a particular moral or doctrinal concern. Their name is determined by the first two words of the Latin text, because Latin is the official language of the Catholic Church. So, Humanae Vitae is the encyclical written by Pope Paul VI in 1968 on Human Life, and Veritatis Splendor (Splendor of Truth) was from Pope John Paul II (1993).
Pope Benedict XVI shocked the world as well as the entire Catholic Church when he announced on February 11, 2013, that he was going to resign as Supreme Head of the Church. Effective February 28 that same year, less than a month later, the announcement meant that Benedict XVI would become Pope Emeritus, and the See of Saint Peter would then become vacant.
Catholicism
When John Paul II was still Karol Wojtyła, a teenager in high school, he was so good at public speaking that he was chosen to give the welcome address to a very special dignitary visiting the school one day.
Prince Adam Stefan Stanisław Bonfatiusz Józef Sapieha (that's a mouthful), the Archbishop of Krakow and one of the most dignified members of Polish aristocracy, came for a visit.
Mary is mentioned in the Gospel in the beginning of Jesus's life, from his conception at the Annunciation (when Gabriel tells Mary she's to become the mother of the Messiah) to the Nativity (Christmas Day, when Jesus is born) of Christ, and also at other key moments.
Meeting the Magi
Shortly after Jesus's birth and before the family flees into Egypt, Mary encounters the Magi, or three wise men, who bring gifts to the Christ child (this event is called the Epiphany).
According to Christian and Jewish theology, original sin is a spiritual disease of the human soul, a disease that is passed on to future generations as much as physical characteristics or physiological defects. Just as genetics pass on physical traits like eye and hair color from parent to child, original sin is the spiritual inheritance passed on to children from their parents, and ultimately from Adam and Eve themselves.
Most people know of John Paul II's papal encyclicals and letters. What a lot of people, including a lot of Catholics, don't know is that he authored many books:
Sign of Contradiction (1979)
Love and Responsibility (1960, Polish; 1980, English translation)
The Way to Christ: Spiritual Exercises (1982)
Crossing the Threshold of Hope (1994)
Gift and Mystery: On the Fiftieth Anniversary of My Priestly Ordination (1996)
The Theology of the Body: Human Love in the Divine Plan (1997)
Pope John Paul II: In My Own Words (1998)
Forgiveness: Thoughts for the New Millennium (1999)
Get Up, Let Us Go (2004)
Lessons for Living (2004)
Memory and Identity: Conversations at the Dawn of a Millennium (2005)
JP2 is best known for being the first Polish pope, and then as a theologian and philosopher in his own right, before and during his papacy.
The supreme head of the Catholic Church is the pope, from the Italian “papa,” or “father.” Every Bishop of Rome has been the pope, and every pope has been the Bishop of Rome. Following is a list of those popes who’ve been canonized as saints.
The popes appear in chronological order for easier reference and provided the dates of their pontificate (papacy) but not their birth, because ancient records didn’t keep birth information as accurately as ordination information.
Although some religions require their members to visit their holy and sacred places, the Catholic Church doesn’t. Catholics are simply encouraged to make pilgrimages — religious journeys to holy places.
Rome: Since the conversion of the Roman Empire in the mid fourth century, the Eternal City has been the center of Catholicism.
Details about many popes who served in the earliest days of the Catholic Church have been lost to the mists of time, yet they're still considered saints. Here's a brief recap of what is known about these holy men.
Pope St. Cletus (a.d. 76–a.d. 88): Born a Roman as Cletus, he was also known by his name in Greek, Anacletus.
After his ordination, the Cardinal Archbishop of Krakow recognized the intellectual character of the young priest Father Wojtyła, who would later become Pope John Paul II. The archbishop assigned Karol further studies in Rome and concentrated his academics in the philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas and the Spanish mystics like St.
Before he was Pope Francis, he was a Jesuit in Argentina. This article gives you a glimpse into the personal history, running through the "pre-pope" days of this unique person from South America.
Italian roots, Argentinian upbringing
Jorge Mario Bergoglio was born on December 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to Mario Giuseppe Bergoglio Vasallo (an accountant for the railway) and his wife, Regina María Sivori Gogna (a housewife).
Catholicism
Just as a country honors its founding fathers and mothers, the Catholic Church honors the holy men and women who helped establish religious communities that have served the needs of many throughout the centuries. Following is a list of the men and women who are considered the founders of various religious orders.
In Catholicism, the Glorious Mysteries are prayed on Wednesdays and Sundays, and they remind the faithful of His Resurrection and the glories of heaven (they may also be said during all of Easter season):
The Resurrection (John 20:1–29)
The Ascension (Luke 24:36–53)
The Descent of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1–4)
The Assumption of Mary, the Mother of God, into heaven
The Coronation of Mary in heaven
These last two mysteries are inferred by Revelation (Apocalypse) 12:1; Jesus Christ was the source and center of these miraculous events in that He did them to His mother; she did not do them alone.
The Joyful Mysteries are prayed on Mondays and Saturdays, and they remind the faithful Catholics of Christ’s birth. Each decade corresponds with a different mystery. Starting with the Annunciation for the first decade, try meditating on these scenes sequentially with each decade that you say (they may also be
The legacy of John Paul II is still materializing and developing. The quarter-century he led the Church encouraged many vocations to the priesthood and religious life.
After the confusion that followed after Vatican II — not from the documents themselves but from what many claimed to be the "spirit of Vatican II" rather than the actual and literal message of Vatican II — some priests and nuns abandoned their vows, there was a rise in the divorce rate, fewer people attended Mass, there was more dissent among theologians, and more Catholics ignored Church teaching and discipline altogether.
Pope John Paul II added on the Mysteries of Light, also known in Catholicism as the Luminous Mysteries, in 2002. Pray the Rosary and recall these Mysteries of Light on Thursdays (they may also be said during season of Advent):
The Baptism in the River Jordan (Matthew 3:13–17)
The Wedding Feast at Cana (Joh
The Sorrowful Mysteries are prayed on Tuesdays and Fridays on Catholicism, and they remind the faithful of His Passion and death (they may also be said during the entire season of Lent, the 40 days before Easter):
The Agony of Jesus in the Garden (Matthew 26:36–56)
The Scourging at the Pillar (Matthew 27:2
Martyrs are people who believe in their faith so strongly that they’re willing to die for it. The original Greek word means “witness,” and these people are witness to their love of Jesus Christ and the Church in that they’d rather die than betray their God.
Martyrs don’t murder anyone — suicide bombers aren’t martyrs, they’re homicide bombers.
According to the Catholic Church, brother to the man who would become their leader, Andrew was the first of Jesus's Apostles. Andrew was born in Bethsaida in Galilee, the same area in which St. John the Baptist, a cousin to Jesus, first preached that Jesus was the Messiah. Andrew was so impressed that he sought out Jesus for further instruction.
St. Bartholomew is believed by the Catholic Church to have carried the Gospel to several countries, resulting in a martyrdom of being flayed, or skinned, alive.
Palestine (first century a.d.)
Patron: shoemakers, cobblers, butchers, tanners
Feast day: August 24
Nathaniel Bar-Tholmai is known just by his first name or by the common rendering of his surname, which literally means son of Tolomai.
According to the Catholic Church, James is one of a three-man privileged inner circle of Jesus's Apostles, joining St. Peter and St. John the Evangelist. These three were allowed to witness miracles that the other Apostles only heard about. James witnessed the cure of Peter's mother-in-law and the raising of Jarius's daughter from the dead, among other miracles.
According to the Catholic Church, St. James was named the first Bishop of Jerusalem, and because of his location, he became a champion for Jewish converts to Christianity.
(first century a.d.–a.d. 62)
Patron: fullers, pharmacists
Feast day: May 3
James is the author of the New Testament epistle in his name. He is called "the Less" to distinguish him from the older James (see the section on St.
According to the Catholic Church, St. John the Evangelist, the Beloved Disciple, was the youngest of the Apostles and the third to be admitted to Jesus's privileged inner circle, alongside St. James the Greater and St. Peter. He wrote the fourth Gospel and is also known as John the Divine for his lofty theology.
Jude is Aramaic for support of God. Jude Thaddeus was the brother of James the Less and author of the New Testament epistle named after him. The epistle isn't addressed to any particular Christian community; rather, it's a general exhortation concerning the scandalous behavior of some converts who have no intention of following the Lord.
In Catholicism, St. Luke, a Greek physician and convert to Christianity, wrote the third Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles in his native language. After his conversion, he belonged to the Christian community in Antioch and met St. Paul. Eventually, Luke accompanied Paul on some of his missionary journeys. St.
St. Mark, one of the original 72 disciples in Catholicism, was never appointed an Apostle. He was the youngest follower of Christ; when Jesus was arrested prior to his Crucifixion, Mark fled from the Temple guards so quickly that he left his tunic behind.
Palestine or Libya (first century a.d.–a.d. 68)
Patron: Venice, lion trainers
Feast day: April 25
Author of the second Gospel, Mark wrote for a Roman audience.
Matthew, originally known as Levi, may have been the last person Jesus's followers would have chosen as an Apostle. He was a tax collector, a profession loathed as being traitorous and collaborating with the occupying Romans. So despised were these "civil servants" of the Roman Empire that Jews were forbidden to marry or even associate with them.
According to the Catholic Church, St. Matthias, whose name in Hebrew means gift of the Lord, was appointed an Apostle following the betrayal and suicide of Judas Iscariot, one of the original 12 Apostles. Matthias was one of the original 72 disciples of the Lord from the time of Jesus's baptism in the Jordan River.
Known before his conversion to Christianity as Saul of Tarsus, Paul is probably the most mentioned in all of the New Testament Scriptures — 14 of the 27 books of the New Testament are ascribed to his name. While he wrote no Gospel, he did write pastoral letters to early Christian communities with a message that transcends time and space and which the Catholic Church considers divinely inspired.
According to the Catholic Church, Peter, a fisherman, was given the honor of leading the disciples after Jesus ascended into heaven 40 days after his Resurrection from the dead. Born Simon bar Jona (son of John in Hebrew), Jesus later called him Peter (from the Greek word petra, meaning "rock") to designate that he would be the "rock" on which Christ would establish the Church (Matthew 16:18).
Little is known about St. Philip in Catholicism, other than he was with the other 11 Apostles for the Last Supper, for the Ascension, and for Pentecost.
Galilee (first century a.d.–a.d. 80)
Patron: pastry chefs, jockeys and horsemen, Uruguay, Luxembourg
Feast day: May 3
A Galilean from Bethsaida, Philip was probably a disciple of John the Baptist before being called to follow Jesus.
In the Catholic Church, St. Thomas is perhaps best known for his post-Resurrection confession to the risen Savior. After the Crucifixion, most of the Apostles were devastated; they didn't quite grasp the fact that Jesus was the Messiah. When the Lord appeared to them on that first Easter Sunday, Thomas was missing.
Catholicism
Contrary to popular belief, angels aren't people who've died and gone to heaven and then earned their wings. Angels are spirits that God created before he made human beings; they were the first creatures ever created and were the most powerful, most intelligent, and most beautiful.Angels are pure spirits in that they have no bodies — only intellect and will.
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