With Answers from the Catechism of the Catholic Church
This set of ten questions
serves as an introductory tour to the Catechism of the Catholic Church
and highlights the teaching that “the Eucharist is the sum and summary of our
faith” (Catechism
of the Catholic Church, n. 1327).
Each paragraph of the Catechism is numbered for easy reference. The paragraphs
listed in parentheses after each question provide the location of the answer to
that question. The answers, drawn from the Catechism, follow each question. To
explore the Catechism further, use the search, table of contents, and index
tools available from St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church (Picayune,
Mississippi) at
www.scborromeo.org/ccc.htm.
This set of questions was printed on the
Corpus Christi Catechism Fund bookmark for the Year of the Eucharist. The
Corpus Christi Catechism Fund distributes copies of the Catechism of the
Catholic Church free of charge to newly confirmed youth in the Archdiocese
of St. Paul and Minneapolis. For more information on the apostolate of the
Corpus Christi Catechism Fund, visit
www.catechisms.org.
1. What sacrament is
the source and summit of the Church’s life? (1324-1327)
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. For in the blessed Eucharist is contained
the whole spiritual good of the Church, namely Christ Himself, our Pasch.” (1324)
“The Eucharist is the heart and
the summit of the Church’s life, for in it Christ associates His Church and all
her members with His sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving offered once for all
on the cross to His Father; by this sacrifice He pours out the graces of
salvation on His Body which is the Church.” (1407)
2. What is the Real Presence? (1374,
1378-80)
The Real Presence is the real,
true, and substantial presence of Jesus Christ—body, blood, soul, and
divinity—in the Holy Eucharist under the species or appearances of bread and
wine (see
1374). This unique presence of Christ “begins at the moment of the
consecration and endures as long as the Eucharistic species subsist” (1377).
The faithful deepen and express
their faith in the real presence of Christ through adoration and receiving Holy
Communion at the Eucharistic liturgy, and through adoration outside its
celebration (see
1378-79)
“In His Eucharistic presence,
[Christ] remains mysteriously in our midst as the One who loved us and gave
Himself up for us, and He remains under signs that express and communicate this
love” (1380).
3. Name some other ways Christ is present to His
Church. (1373)
Our Lord Jesus Christ is also
present to His Church “in His Word, in His Church’s prayer, ‘where two or three
are gathered in My name’ (Matthew
18:20), in the poor, the sick, and the imprisoned, (cf.
Matthew 25:31-46) in the sacraments of which He is the author, in the
sacrifice of the Mass, and in the person of the minister” (1373).
4. What do we offer to God the Father along with
the Body of the Lord at Mass? (901,
1368)
Along with the Body of the
Lord, we offer to God the Father the spiritual sacrifices of our own daily life
(see 901), as members of His Body, the Church (see
1368).
“In the Eucharist the sacrifice
of Christ becomes also the sacrifice of the members of His Body. The lives of
the faithful, their praise, sufferings, prayer, and work, are united with those
of Christ and with His total offering, and so acquire a new value. Christ’s
sacrifice present on the altar makes it possible for all generations of
Christians to be united with His offering.” (1368)
5. Why do we need an ordained priest or bishop in
order to celebrate Mass? (611,
1369,
1546-53)
At the Last Supper, the Lord
instituted the Apostles as priests of the New Covenant (see
611 and
1337). Their successors, the bishops, continue to be responsible for the
Eucharist, both when they celebrate it personally and when they entrust the
celebration to priests, their co-workers (see
1369 and
1411).
“Through the ordained ministry,
especially that of bishops and priests, the presence of Christ as Head of the
Church is made visible in the midst of the community of believers” (1549).
Bishops and priests act in the person of Christ and in the name of the Church
(see 1548 and
1552) Through their ministry, Christ the Head offers His redemptive
sacrifice to God the Father (see
1410), and the faithful, as members of the Body of Christ, are enabled to
offer Christ’s sacrifice, joining to it their own sacrifices (see
1369 and
1552-53).
6. Can Catholics receive Holy Communion at a non-Catholic
church and vice versa? (1399-1401,
1336,
1213)
We can consider three groups of
non-Catholics: Eastern Orthodox Christians, Protestant Christians, and
non-Christians.
Eastern Orthodox Christians
Although they are not in full
communion with the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Churches possess true
sacraments, above all, by apostolic succession, the priesthood and the
Eucharist. While Orthodox and Catholic priests cannot concelebrate the Holy
Eucharist together, the Catholic faithful are encouraged to participate in
Orthodox liturgies, including the Divine Liturgy (Mass), even though it is
generally not possible for Catholics to receive Holy Communion in an Orthodox
church. Catholic Church law allows Catholics to receive the sacrament of the
Eucharist from an Orthodox priest in certain restrictive circumstances, but the
Orthodox Churches are usually more restrictive, allowing only members of their
own Churches to receive Holy Communion, excluding all others. Likewise, our law
allows an Orthodox Christian to ask for and receive Holy Communion from a
Catholic minister, but generally the Orthodox Churches would not permit their
members to do so. (See
1399 and
838)
Protestant Christians
Protestant Christian
communities celebrate the Lord’s Supper, but they “have not preserved the proper
reality of the Eucharistic mystery in its fullness, especially because of the
absence of the sacrament of Holy Orders” (1400).
Catholics may not receive Holy Communion in such communities. It is normally not
possible for Protestants to receive Holy Communion at a Catholic Mass, but in
certain rare and grave situations, such as danger of death, and when certain
prescribed conditions are fully met, a Protestant Christian can ask for and
receive the Holy Eucharist from a Catholic priest (see
1401) One of these conditions is that the Christian must “give evidence of
holding the Catholic faith regarding” the Holy Eucharist (1401).
However, Protestants typically reject, in whole or in part, the following
Catholic Eucharistic doctrines (see
838): the centrality of the Holy Eucharist in the life of the Church (see
1407,
1324-1327), the necessity of a validly ordained priest (see
1411), the true sacrificial nature of the Eucharistic offering (see
1362-72), and Christ’s real, true, and substantial presence in the Blessed
Sacrament (see
1373-81).
Non-Christians
It is never possible for non-Christians, such as Jews (see
839-840), Muslims (see
841), adherents of other non-Christian religions (842-845),
atheists (2123-26),
or agnostics (2127-28),
to receive Holy Communion, because they are not yet baptized. Baptism is “the
door which gives access to the other sacraments” (1213).
(See also United States Conference of Bishops,
Guidelines for the Reception of Communion (1996).)
7. How does the Holy Eucharist commit us to the
poor? (1397,
1373,
2449,
1379)
In the Eucharist, Christ gives
Himself up for us; we must have that same attitude of mercy toward the poorest,
His brothers and sisters. (See
1397)
The sacred liturgy provides a
model of such care for the poor. Since the earliest days, the Church has cared
for her sick and absent members by reserving the Blessed Sacrament after the
Eucharistic liturgy in order to bring It to them. (See
1379)
8. If we are aware of having committed a mortal sin, what
must we do before receiving Holy Communion? (1415,
1457)
“Anyone who is aware of having committed a
mortal sin must not receive Holy Communion, even if he experiences deep
contrition, without having first received sacramental absolution, unless he has
a grave reason for receiving Communion and there is no possibility of going to
Confession” (1457;
see 1415).
“In this case, the person is to
be mindful of the obligation to make an act of perfect contrition, that is, an
act of sorrow for sins that ‘arises from a love by which God is loved above all
else’ (Catechism, no.
1452). The act of perfect contrition must be accompanied by the firm
intention of making a sacramental confession as soon as possible.” (United
States Conference of Bishops,
The Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Sacrament of the Eucharist: Basic
Questions and Answers (2001), n. 11)
“By the same charity that it
enkindles in us, the Eucharist preserves us from future mortal sins. The
more we share the life of Christ and progress in His friendship, the more
difficult it is to break away from Him by mortal sin. The Eucharist is not
ordered to the forgiveness of mortal sins—that is proper to the sacrament of
Reconciliation. The Eucharist is properly the sacrament of those who are in full
communion with the Church.” (1395)
9. What virtue is necessary for a true gift of
self in friendship? (2346-2347)
“Chastity is a moral virtue. It
is also a gift from God, a grace, a fruit of spiritual effort” (2345).
“Chastity appears as a school of the gift of the person” (2346).
“The virtue of chastity
blossoms in friendship. It shows the disciple how to follow and imitate Him who
has chosen us as His friends (John
15:15), who has given Himself totally to us and allows us to participate in
His divine estate. Chastity is a promise of immortality.
“Chastity is expressed notably
in friendship with one’s neighbor. Whether it develops between persons of the
same or opposite sex, friendship represents a great good for all. It leads to
spiritual communion.” (See
2347)
10. How did St. Teresa of Avila describe
contemplative prayer? (2709)
“Contemplative prayer in my
opinion is nothing else than a close sharing between friends; it means taking
time frequently to be alone with Him who we know loves us.” (2709)
