Salvation

Question 1

Describe Catholic Beliefs About Salvation

Answer 1

-In Christianity, salvation means being freed from sin and its consequences.

-Catholics believe that human sinfulness means that they had rejected God and no longer had a perfect relationship with him.

-However, God loves humans and so provided a way for human sins to be ‘paid for’. Jesus came to “give his life as a ransom for many.”

-This allowed for the relationship between humans and God could be repaired and humans can hope to spend eternity with God after death.

-Catholics believe that the way God did this was to become human, as Jesus, and then to die on the cross.

Question 2

Describe the Role of the Paschal Mystery in Gaining Salvation for Catholics

Answer 2

-Catholics believe that Jesus’ life, death and resurrection save them from sin.

-Through his life, Jesus sets Catholics a perfect example of how to live a life of loving service that will save them from the sin of selfishness.

-In death, Jesus offers himself as a perfect offering of love to the Father and takes on himself the punishment that human beings are owed because of sin, so opening a way to heaven for everyone.

-By rising again he destroys death forever and shows believers what awaits them after death, saving them from sin by guaranteeing eternal life to them.

Question 3

Describe the Importance of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection and Ascension For Catholics

Answer 3

-Catholics believe that the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus saves them from sin.

-By this they mean that his death, resurrection and ascension restores their relationship with God and allows them access to heaven after they die.

-They also mean that Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension are sources of grace for Catholics and that they can give them the power to resist committing sins.

Question 4

Describe Catholic Explanations For Jesus’ Death

Answer 4

-The importance of Jesus death can be explained in terms of a sacrifice for sins to restore the relationship between human beings and God.

-It could also be explained as a punishment for the sins committed by humanity that Jesus (who is sinless) takes on himself so that human beings do not have to experience such a punishment.

-It could also be explained as a proof of God’s love for human beings, as a perfect act of self-giving that summed up a life of perfect obedience.

Question 5

Describe Catholic Explanations For Jesus’ Resurrection

Answer 5

-Jesus’s ability to overcome death proved he was the Son of God and had a divine nature.

-It confirms their belief in the Trinity and and omnipotent God who holds ultimate power over the universe he created, because only the creator of life could resurrect to life after death.

-Catholics also think the Resurrection demonstrates that Jesus is their Saviour. They believe in Christus Victor- that he has the power to help anyone who believes in him to overcome death.

-By forgiving their sins Jesus can grant them the gift of eternal life with God

Question 6

Describe Catholic Explanations For Jesus’ Ascension

Answer 6

-The significance of the Ascension for Catholics is that it is the end of Jesus’ time on earth. Catholics believe this means his mission, or reason for being on the Earth was successful.

-He had completed everything God the Father had intended him to do and could, therefore, return to heaven to prepare a place for his followers.

-Catholics also believe that Jesus’ Ascension opened the way for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit to energise and encourage Christians everywhere, as Jesus had promised at the Last Supper.

Question 7

Describe Catholic Beliefs About Redemption

Answer 7

-Redemption is the belief that Jesus paid the ransom to free
humans from sin by dying on the cross.

-The Catholic Church recognises the important of Jesus’ death as a sacrifice made for the sake of human sin so humanity’s relationship with God could be restored.

-Jesus’ death on the cross was the action that bought redemption from sin, it paid the price of sin and repaired the relationship with God.

Question 8

Describe the Importance of Redemption for Catholics

Answer 8

-Redemption is important to Catholics as Jesus sacrifice enables salvation as humanity is saved from the consequences of sin.

-Catholics believe that through redemption, those who accept God’s gift of salvation through redemption will be able to go to heaven after death and be with God eternally.

-Redemption is important as it enable Catholics to believe in Jesus as the incarnate son and in the sacrament of the Eucharist.

Question 9

Describe Catholic Beliefs About Jesus as the “Lamb of God”

Answer 9

-Catholics describe Jesus as “The lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.” This means that just as people had sacrificed a lamb, Jesus’ death was a sacrifice to make up for human sin.

-However, because Jesus was divine, perfect and without sin, His sacrifice restored the human relationship with God for all times, unlike the animal sacrifices.

-So, by sacrificing his life, Jesus ‘paid the price’ for human sin. Human beings could not do this for themselves, as they were sinners.

-He earned salvation by suffering this punishment on behalf of all human beings. Catholics believe that, in turn, Jesus extends the salvation he earned to all those who believe in him.

Question 10

Describe Catholic Beliefs About Grace

Answer 10

-For Catholics, grace is the love and mercy shown by God
because God wants them to have it, not because they have
done anything to deserve or earn it.

-It is a free, generous and undeserved gift from God. If
Catholics repent of their sins, they are truly sorry for them.

-Catholics believe that this makes them children of God and
gives them the desire to change and do good.

-Grace comes about in a special way in the sacraments,
which Catholics believe are an encounter with God.

Question 11

Describe Catholic Beliefs About the Role of Grace and Free Will For Salvation

Answer 11

-Catholics believe in grace, which is God’s free gift of love and forgiveness. This is why they believe that salvation is possible for all people, because God’s forgiveness has no limits.

-Catholics also believe in free-will, which is the choice human beings have to accept or reject this grace.

-This is why they believe that some people will not be saved because they will freely choose to reject God’s offer of salvation.

-Catholics believe that in order to receive the gift of salvation human beings must be Baptised and have faith in God, this is why they believe that “outside of the Church there is no salvation.”

Question 12

Describe Catholic Beliefs About God’s Mercy

Answer 12

-Catholics believe that God does not send anyone to hell. Humans have free will and will choose how to spend their life.

-In the parable of The Unforgiving Servant, the servant is punished for not forgiving another after being forgiven himself.

-Jesus taught, “also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”

-This story demonstrates that it is the free choices made by humans that lead to them going to hell after death.

-The concept of free will means that God can only offer salvation; it is up to the individual to accept that offer.

Question 13

Explain how Catholics are Influenced by God’s Mercy

Answer 13

-This will influence Catholics to confirm their belief in the faith and do good works in order to gain salvation and avoid hell.

-This will include taking the sacraments to die in God’s grace so spend less time in Purgatory.

Question 14

Evaluate Catholic Beliefs About God’s Mercy

Answer 14

-The Bible contains many passages that refer to Hell.

-Jesus warned of the fire that will burn some people up on the last day.

-Therefore, because Jesus was sinless yet still speaks of hell, an all-loving God can still exist alongside hell.

Question 15

Describe Atheist Beliefs About God’s mercy

Answer 15

-Atheists view the punishment of hell as a contradiction to the belief in an omnibenevolent God.

-For atheists, a God who condemns sinners to eternal damnation does not seem to be like Jesus who always forgave sinners.

-For example, Jesus taught, “Do not forgive seven times, but seventy times seven.”

-However, if God was all-loving, then He would follow His own teaching so would not condemn anyone to hell.

Question 16

Explain how Atheists are Influenced by God’s Mercy

Answer 16

-Atheists will be influenced to live their life how they would like. This is because they believe there is no life after death so no punishment for breaking strict religious rules.

-However, they will still try to live a good life by following their conscience as they believe there is only one chance to be a good person and there is only one planet for us to care for.

Question 17

Evaluate Atheist Beliefs About God’s Mercy

Answer 17

-The New Testament teaches that God will forgive anyone of anything. In that case, there is no need for Hell.

-However, God is also a just God and so there must be a consequence for those who have done wrong.

-Despite this, some may argue that no-one deserves to be punished for eternity because of a few sins.

-However, hell is not a punishment, but a consequence of choosing to go against God.

Question 18

Describe Other Christian Beliefs About God’s Mercy

Answer 18

-Other Christians believe God does not condemn people to hell, rather it is a result of free will.

-If a person chooses to do evil, then they will be far from God no matter how much God wants them to come to him.

-Jesus taught about this in the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats: “Whatever you did not do for the least of these, you did not do for me.”

-This shows how choosing not to do good actions in this life goes against God so will lead to punishment.

-God’s love is unconditional and universal, but he cannot force it upon us, we have to accept it. Hence, other Christians believe that we choose our eternal destination by our choices in life.

Question 19

Explain how Other Christians are Influenced by God’s Mercy

Answer 19

-Other Christians will be influenced to focus on following Jesus’ teaching and God’s commands as they believe in sola fide.

-Therefore, good works do not matter unless their faith is strong.

-Hence, other Christians will work towards this in order to die in God’s grace and go to heaven.

Question 20

Evaluate Other Christian Beliefs About God’s Mercy

Answer 20

-Hell is necessary for the sake of human freedom.

-If God forced all people to be with God in the end, this would mean humans were not free to reject God and then God would not be all loving.

-Therefore, the belief in an all-loving God does not go against the belief in the existence of he

Question 21

Describe the Significance of the Orientation of Churches

Answer 21

-Catholics believe the Resurrection demonstrates that Jesus is their Saviour. They believe he has the power to help anyone who believes in him to overcome death.

-As a result, churches traditionally face towards the East, where the Sun rises. This acts as a symbol of the Resurrection.

Question 22

Describe the Significance of Cruciform Churches

Answer 22

-Catholics believe that by sacrificing His life, Jesus paid the price for human sin once and for all.

-As a result, it is common for a Catholic church to be cruciform. This signifies the importance of Jesus’ death.

Question 23

Describe the Significance of Vaulted Ceilings and Domes

Answer 23

-Catholics believe salvation provided a way for human sins to be ‘paid for’ so that the relationship between humans and God could be repaired.

-Without, salvation, they cannot be close to God or obtain forgiveness for their sins.

-In turn, many Catholic churches are tall, with vaulted ceilings or domes.

-This creates a space which is pointing up, showing the connection with God and Heaven brought by salvation.

Question 24

Describe the Significance of the Altar in a Church

Answer 24

-Catholics describe Jesus as “the lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world.” This means that just as people had sacrificed a lamb, Jesus’ death was a sacrifice to make up for human sin.

-This belief is symbolised in the presence of the altar to signify the ancient sacrificial altars, fulfilled by Jesus’ sacrifice.

-An altar is a place of sacrifice so has links to Calvary where Jesus died, fulfilling His sacrifice “This is my body broken for you.”

-The altar table also reminds that we are sharing in a meal- similar to the Last Supper.

-This is because it was there that Jesus instituted the Eucharist, His body and blood, which was to be a sacrifice on behalf of all humans.

Question 25

Describe the Significance of the Crucifix in a Church

Answer 25

-Catholic churches will also contain a crucifix as it serves as a reminder of the suffering and death of Jesus.

-Catholics believe that the death of Jesus was the price He paid for their salvation.

-It is also a reminder of His resurrection and the hope of eternal life.

Question 26

Describe the Significance of the Font in a Church

Answer 26

-This is where baptisms are performed. Baptism is the sacrament by which a person becomes a Christian; it is the first sacrament to be received.

-It is a symbol of the cleansing of Original Sin which promises a life with God, leading to salvation.

-Fonts were traditionally positioned by the main door to the church to symbolise that people entered the Christian life through baptism.

-The water in the font is also a symbol of death to an old self and being born anew in Jesus.

Question 27

Describe Catholic Beliefs About the Importance of the Sacraments

Answer 27

-A sacrament is “an outward sign of inward grace, ordained by God, by which grace is given to the soul.”

-Catholics believe while Jesus was on Earth, everything He did was a visible sign of God’s love.

-When Jesus returned to Heaven, Catholics believe He left the Church to be His body so the way to experience Him is through the sacraments.

-Through the sacraments, Catholics experience God’s nourishing, forgiving, healing, strengthening power in a special way.

-This helps them to build their relationship with God and become more like Jesus.

Question 28

Describe Catholic Beliefs About the Importance of Baptism

Answer 28

-Baptism is the first step in a lifelong journey of commitment and discipleship.

-The CCC states that “Outside the Church there is no salvation”, and that through Baptism we become part of the Church as ‘Body of Christ’.

-Therefore, for those who have heard that Jesus is “the way the truth and the life” baptism is necessary to join the Church and receive salvation.

-Moreover, when the water is sprinkled on the baby’s head, it is a symbol of the removal of Original Sin and new birth in the Holy Spirit.

-Hence, it is needed to cleanse the soul from sin so that it can have eternal life.

Question 29

Explain how Catholics are Influenced by the Importance of Baptism

Answer 29

-Catholics will be influenced to take the sacrament of Confirmation when they are older.

-This is because they will confirm the promises made for them at baptism so they can become involved in the Church’s mission which they entered at baptism.

Question 30

Evaluate Catholic Beliefs About the Importance of Baptism

Answer 30

-Jesus Himself was baptised by John the Baptist. Therefore, baptism is the most important sacrament because Jesus did it so being baptised perfectly follows His example.

-However, for those who have not heard Christ’s message, baptism is not necessary. By living according to their conscience, they can also find salvation.

Question 31

Describe Catholic Beliefs About the Importance of Confirmation

Answer 31

-Confirmation makes a Catholic a full member of the Church.

-During confirmation, the bishop lays his hands on the candidates’ head and anoints them with chrism.

-This is significant as the chrism is supposed to “spread the aroma of Christ” so allows for the candidate to receive the strength to witness to God’s love and might in word and deed.

-Hence, confirmation is important as it gives people the strength to follow Jesus and to become involved in the mission He left to the Church.

Question 32

Describe Catholic Beliefs About the Importance of Penance

Answer 32

-Confession reconciles a person’s relationship with God. Jesus Himself instituted the sacrament of confession when he commanded “if you forgive the sins of any, you are forgiven.”

-As a result, during confession, a Catholic is absolved of all of their sin. This is because the priest acts in persona Christi so has been given this authority to forgive by Jesus.

-This is important as mortal sins can only be forgiven through the sacrament of confession.

-Therefore, confession is important because by expressing sorrow for their sins, Catholics can experience God’s forgiveness and healing.

Question 33

Describe Catholic Beliefs About the Importance of the Anointing of the Sick

Answer 33

The Anointing of the Sick brings forgiveness of sins which is of great importance before death as it can reduce time in Purgatory.

Many receive viaticum because Jesus stated, “whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life.” The sacrament is designated to those whose health is in a critical state.

-Jesus even designated care of the sick as a central task for his disciples. He commanded them to “heal the sick.”

Therefore, the Anointing of the Sick is important as it allows for those close to death to be forgiven of their sins so that they may enjoy eternal life.

-The sacrament also unites a sick person’s suffering with Jesus’.

Question 34

Describe Catholic Beliefs About the Importance of Holy Orders

Answer 34

-Holy Orders ordains priests, bishops and deacons who will serve their community.

-St Thomas Aquinas described priests as being “Christ’s ministers,” showing that it is their job to serve just as Jesus served.

-Therefore, Holy Orders is important as it continues Apostolic succession, allowing for Christ’s authority to be carried in the modern day.

-This means Holy Orders give priests and bishops the power to act in Persona Christi so that the other sacraments can be administered, and people can receive God’s grace for salvation.

Question 35

Describe Catholic Beliefs About the Importance of Marriage

Answer 35

-Through marriage, a couple become a sign of God Himself.

-This is because He disposed man and woman for each other so that they might be “no longer two but one.” In that way, a couple are to live in love and be fruitful.

-Therefore, a married couple are a sign of God as He is nothing but overflowing love which is expressed through their partnership.

-Moreover, the unity between the man and woman is a sign of the unity between Jesus and His Church.

Question 36

Describe Catholic Beliefs About the Importance of the Eucharist

Answer 36

-The Eucharist was instituted by Jesus and serves as a reminder of His sacrifice. At the Last Supper, Jesus commanded His disciples to “Do this in memory of me.”

-As a result, Catholics are reminded of the Paschal Mystery and Jesus’ Passion, through which we have been brought salvation.

-This is because it was at the Last Supper, an event in the Paschal Mystery, that Jesus instituted the Eucharist, His body and blood, which was to be a sacrifice on behalf of all humans.

-Therefore, the Eucharist is important as it is central to the understanding of salvation.

Question 37

Describe Catholic Beliefs About the Importance of the Eucharist as the “Source and Summit of Christian Life”

Answer 37

-Catholics believe that during mass, the bread and wine undergo transubstantiation. This means that, in substance, they become the body and blood of Christ.

-Therefore, Catholics become closer to God because they receive Jesus’ body and blood in communion.

-As a result, the Eucharist is “The source and summit of the Christian life.” This is because being unified with God is the most important thing to Catholics.

-Hence, the Eucharist is important because it is at the heart of a Catholic’s spiritual life

Question 38

Explain how Catholics are Influenced by Beliefs About the Importance of the Eucharist

Answer 38

-Catholics will be influenced to go to Confession before accepting the Eucharist. This is because they are receiving the Lord of the world so must be prepared.

-Some may also fast for an hour before or wear their finest clothing.

-Catholics will also attend mass weekly. This is because the Eucharist should be at the centre of their lives. Therefore, many Catholics try to go as often as possible.

Question 39

Evaluate Catholic Beliefs About the Importance of the Eucharist

Answer 39

-Jesus also commanded Christians to follow His example in entering the Christian faith by getting baptised too.

-However, the Eucharist is the real, substantial presence of Jesus so therefore, there can be nothing greater than receiving the Lord.

-There is even evidence for this such as the 1996 Eucharistic Miracle in Buenos Aires which was scientifically tested.

Question 40

Describe the Importance of Mass For Catholics

Answer 40

-For Catholics, the most regularly celebrated sacrament is the Eucharist or the Mass.

-The Mass is the liturgical service where Catholics gather to remember the Last Supper, when Jesus took bread and wine and asked his disciples to remember him when they did the same.

-Sunday, the day of the Resurrection, is the most holy day.
To attend Mass on Sunday and certain holy days is obligatory for all Catholics who are capable of doing so.

-Mass re-enacts the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross so is the highest form of prayer. It makes individuals part of the Body of Christ. By receiving the Eucharist, believers are spiritually nourished.

Question 41

Describe the Liturgy of the Word

Answer 41

-The first part of mass is built around hearing the Word of God.

-Firstly, the congregation participate in the Penitential Rite. This is an acknowledgement that everyone is a sinner and has sinned to some degree during the week.

-A reader then reads the passages of the day. The congregation will stand while the priest reads the Gospel. This contains Christ’s words and deeds so requires respect shown by standing.

-The congregation then listens to the homily. This is an explanation and reflection on the Word of God. The priest connects the Scripture to the daily lives of the people.

Question 42

Describe the Liturgy of the Eucharist

Answer 42

The congregation kneels for the Consecration. When this happens, the bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ in the miracle of transubstantiation.

-After, the members of the congregation offer each other a sign of peace shown by a simple handshake.

-The priest then first consumes the consecrated host and wine. Catholics who are in a state of grace can then receive the Eucharist. They then sit back down and pray silently.

-The mass ends with the priest blessing the congregation and sending them forth to spread the Word of God and put it into practice.

Question 43

Describe Catholic Beliefs About the Presence of Christ in Mass

Answer 43

Christ is present in the mass is through the priest. During mass, the priest acts in persona Christi for example, repeating Christ’s words from the Last Supper during the Liturgy of the Eucharist.

-Catholics believe that Christ works through the priest to transform the bread and wine into His body and blood.

-This means Christ is present in the consecrated bread and wine as in substance, these are His real body and blood.

-Christ is also present in the community of believers. This is because He said, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there.”

-Christ is present in the readings, especially the Gospels as He is the Word of God.