We are the HOLY ROMAN CATHOLIC AND APOSTOLIC CHURCH.

This Church is Holy not because its members are perfect, the Church is Holy because we believe
that this Church is united in Christ and sanctified by Him (CCC 824)
Though the members are imperfect, the members are called to a life of sanctity by means of
charity. For charity is the soul of holiness (CCC 826)
This is why the Church allows canonization- or declaration of an individual as a “saint” so that
they will be the models of faithful in their journey towards holiness. They are not worshipped but
given respect and honor.
The Church is called Roman not because we are Romans, but because its central government is
based in Rome, where we believe Sts. Peter and Paul were martyred and are now buried. The
word Roman is used to differentiate us from the Eastern Church, also known as Orthodox, and
formerly used Latin as the official Language of our rite. Before we have our prayers and Masses
in Latin.
We are called Catholic because of the ff. reasons
a. It means universal, we believe, wherever Christ is, there is the Catholic Church (CCC
830)
b. The word Catholic also describes that the Church is sent on a mission for the whole
human race. (CCC 831)
c. The Word Catholic talks about the unity of all the Churches with Rome. (CCC 834)
d. She speaks to all peoples and encompasses time (CCC 868)
The Church is called Apostolic because
a. She was built on the foundation of the Apostles who are chosen and sent by Christ
Himself.
b. She is taught, sanctified, and guided by the Apostles until now through their successors,
the Pope who is the successor of Peter, and the Bishops who are successors of the
Apostles and assisted by priests in union with the Pope. (CCC 857)

MUTUAL RESPECT
The Church holds all that is good in esteem, even understanding those elements of other religious
traditions to be reflections of rays of Truth. Based on this and the recognition of the unity of
God’s creation, Catholics are encouraged to dialogue and collaborate with members of other
religions. (Nostra Aetate #2)
PROFESSION OF FAITH
Catholics believe in God, the Holy Trinity, one God in Three Persons, Father, Son and Holy
Spirit. The Father is the Creator, the Son Jesus is the Redeemer and the Holy Spirit is Sanctifier.
Now this is the Catholic faith: We worship one God in the Trinity and the Trinity in unity, without either
confusing the persons or dividing the substance; for the person of the Father is one, the Son's is another,
the Holy Spirit's another; but the Godhead of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is one, their glory equal,
their majesty coeternal" (Athanasian Creed: DS 75; ND 16). (CCC 266)

POSTERITY OF ABRAHAM
As Christians, we share roots with Islam, and Jews since we see Abraham as the model of faith.
"Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness."8 Because he was "strong in his
faith", Abraham became the "father of all who believe". (CCC 146)

PROPHETS

Through the prophets, God forms his people in the hope of salvation, in the expectation of a new
and everlasting Covenant intended for all, to be written on their hearts. The prophets proclaim a
radical redemption of the People of God, purification from all their infidelities, a salvation that
will include all the nations. (CCC 64)

WORD OF GOD
As Catholics, we believe that the Word of God consists of the Sacred Scriptures (OT and NT)
and Sacred Tradition.
Sacred Scripture is the speech of God as it is put down in writing under the breath of the Holy
Spirit."42
"And [Holy] Tradition transmits in its entirety the Word of God which has been entrusted to the
apostles by Christ the Lord and the Holy Spirit. It transmits it to the successors of the apostles so
that, enlightened by the Spirit of truth, they may faithfully preserve, expound and spread it
abroad by their preaching.
Believing that this transmission of the Word is uninterrupted from the time of the Apostles and
the Church of today, we recognize that the authority of the authentic interpretation of the Word
of God belongs to the Teaching Office of the Church or the Magisterium, which is composed by
the Pope and the Bishops. (CCC 81-85)
PRAYER AND WORSHIP
St. John Damascene gave a classic definition of prayer: "Prayer is the raising of one's mind and
heart to God or the requesting of good things from God" (CCC, no. 2559, citing St. John
Damascene, De Fide Orth. 3, 24).
The Catechism clearly defines prayer as a "vital and personal relationship with the living and
true God" (CCC, no. 2558). Prayer is Christian "insofar as it is communion with Christ" (CCC,
no. 2565), and a "covenant relationship between God and man in Christ" (CCC, no. 2564).
Every Catholic has a duty to pray unceasingly as St. Paul says.
In practice, the Catholics have the Liturgy of the Hours as the Official Prayer of the Church.
The Liturgy of the Hours, also known as the Divine Office or the Work of God (Opus Dei), is the
daily prayer of the Church, marking the hours of each day and sanctifying the day with prayer.
The Hours are a meditative dialogue on the mystery of Christ, using scripture and prayer.
The Highest form of Prayer in the Catholic Church is the Eucharist or Holy Mass.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (1324-1327), states that "The Eucharist is "the source and
summit" of the Christian life. The other sacraments, and indeed all ecclesiastical ministries and
works of the apostolate, are bound up with the Eucharist and are oriented toward it.

HELPING THOSE IN NEED

Most people think of charity simply as a benevolent act of giving. The most general definition of
charity, however, means so much more than that. Charity in its purest sense means love and
encompasses our love for God and our love for our fellow people. Thomas Aquinas said, “The
habit of charity extends not only to the love of god but also the love of our neighbor.” These two
kinds of love are closely tied to one another.
In every way I have shown you that by hard work of that sort, we must help the weak, and keep
in mind the words of the Lord Jesus whom himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to
receive.’” Acts 20:35
As members of the Catholic Faith, we are encouraged to practice charity in different ways. Since
the apostolic age, Christians were taught to not just give but to give from the heart to everyone in
need regardless of their race or religion because “Christ is all and in all1
In practice, The Catholic Church is the largest non-governmental provider of education and
medical services in the world.

1
https://www.catholicfaithstore.com/daily-bread/the-importance-of-charity-work-for-catholics/
FASTING AND ABSTINENCE
Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are obligatory days of fasting and abstinence for Catholics. In
addition, Fridays during Lent are obligatory days of abstinence.
For members of the Latin Catholic Church, the norms on fasting are obligatory from age 18 until
age 59. When fasting, a person is permitted to eat one full meal, as well as two smaller meals that
together are not equal to a full meal. The norms concerning abstinence from meat are binding
upon members of the Latin Catholic Church from age 14 onwards.2
CHASTITY
All the baptized are called to chastity. The Christian has "put on Christ,"135 the model for all
chastity. All Christ's faithful are called to lead a chaste life in keeping with their particular states
of life. At the moment of his Baptism, the Christian is pledged to lead his affective life in
chastity.
"People should cultivate [chastity] in the way that is suited to their state of life. Some profess
virginity or consecrated celibacy which enables them to give themselves to God alone with an
undivided heart in a remarkable manner. Others live in the way prescribed for all by the moral
law, whether they are married or single."Married people are called to live conjugal chastity;
others practice chastity in continence. (CCC 2348-2349)
FAMILY
The nature of the family
2201 The conjugal community is established upon the consent of the spouses. Marriage and the
family are ordered to the good of the spouses and to the procreation and education of children.
The love of the spouses and the begetting of children create among members of the same family
personal relationships and primordial responsibilities.
2202 A man and a woman united in marriage, together with their children, form a family. This
institution is prior to any recognition by public authority, which has an obligation to recognize it.
It should be considered the normal reference point by which the different forms of family
relationships are to be evaluated.
2203 In creating man and woman, God instituted the human family and endowed it with its
fundamental constitution. Its members are persons equal in dignity. For the common good of its
members and of society, the family necessarily has manifold responsibilities, rights, and duties.

2
https://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/liturgical-year-and-calendar/lent/catholic-information-on-lenten-
fast-and-abstinence#:~:text=Ash%20Wednesday%20and%20Good%20Friday,age%2018%20until%20age%2059.
LIFE AFTER DEATH
Particular Judgement
“Each man receives his eternal retribution in his immortal soul at the very moment of his death,
in a particular judgment that refers his life to Christ: either entrance into the blessedness of
Heaven– through purification or immediately, – or immediate and everlasting damnation”
(#1022).
The Last Judgment will occur after the resurrection of the dead and "our 'mortal body' will come
to life again."[16] The Catholic Church teaches that at the time of the Last Judgment Christ will
come in His glory, and all the angels with him, and in his presence the truth of each one's deeds
will be laid bare, and each person who has ever lived will be judged with perfect justice. The
believers who are judged worthy as well as those ignorant of Christ's teaching who followed the
dictates of conscience[17] will go to everlasting bliss, and those who are judged unworthy will
go to everlasting condemnation.

 I would suggest talking about the “oneness” of the Church since you already talk about
the other marks
 Our idea of the communion of saints is also important