Questions? Ask Arda!
Catholics FAQ
Featured FAQ
Q: Why did they choose the symbol of a cross?
A: That was the custom in the Roman Empire to hang people on a cross. This way the person crucified was in no way able to provide any strength to lift himself up to breathe. The cause of death was affixation by the lungs of the person getting filled with liquids. A horrible and painful death.
Q: During lent why can't you eat meat on Friday?
A: We abstain from meat on all Fridays but especially during Lent. This is because Jesus died for our sins on Friday, making it an especially appropriate day of mourning our sins (just as Sunday, the day on which He rose for our salvation is an especially appropriate day to rejoice) by denying ourselves something we enjoy. It is the giving up of a good thing (which in less economically developed regions-including the whole world until very recently-was expensive and thus eaten at festive occasions, making it a sign of rejoicing) to attain a spiritual goal. By giving up good things and denying them to ourselves we encourage an attitude of humility, free ourselves from dependence on them, cultivate the spiritual discipline of being willing to make personal sacrifices, and remind ourselves of the importance of spiritual goods over earthly goods.
Q: What is the purpose of having faith?
A: The Bible says "Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen". It's through faith in Jesus Christ that we are saved. All human beings (with the exception of Blessed Virgin Mary) have sinned and the Bible tells us that the wages (penalty) of sin is death. So we all deserve to die. But God in His infinite goodness wants to rescue us from that miserable punishment and offers us a way out, at a great cost to Himself. Jesus came into the world to take on His shoulders our sins because we, on our own, wouldn't have been able to pay the price of our sins. We owed a debt we couldn't pay so He paid a debt He didn't owe. By saying yes to God in faith, we are acknowledging the great sacrifice of Jesus and uniting ourselves to Him. We are saved through faith in Jesus Christ.
Q: What is the point of having a Pope?
A: In every family there is a head, just like in every organization there is a leader. This is necessary for things to work out properly. If everyone wanted to be the top guy in a company, there would be chaos and no decisions would be made and no work would be done. A hierarchy is necessary to move things along in an orderly way. The same is true for the Church. We need to have order to be able to do the work of God. Pope is the head of the Church and he's the ultimate authority in making decisions. And Jesus promised the gift of infallible teaching (teaching without error) to Peter who was the first pope. The same gift is given to all the popes to guide the Church.
Q: Why do you have to do the sign of the cross?
A: In making the Sign of the Cross, we proclaim the abundance of the mysteries it signifies: the Trinity of Persons whom we name as the one God, that the Son who came to earth in the Incarnation suffered for us even to the point of sacrificing himself on a cross, the sure of hope redemption from sin that flows from the cross, and our original baptismal promises.
The Sign of the Cross is not a magical symbol or talisman. Unless the action and the words correspond to a devout heart and mind in the believer, they are a useless observance. That does not mean that the mind must necessarily and always be completely attentive to the details of this prayer. A right intention in its use is enough.
The Sign of the Cross is not a magical symbol or talisman. Unless the action and the words correspond to a devout heart and mind in the believer, they are a useless observance. That does not mean that the mind must necessarily and always be completely attentive to the details of this prayer. A right intention in its use is enough.