Catholicism

Whether you are a devout Catholic or just starting to explore your faith, these study guides, prayers, history, and personal accounts can help illuminate your journey.

Cross, dove, triquetra, lion and lamb
  • Whole wheat Greek flatbread lagana
    What Is Clean Monday?
  • Priest in Confession Booth with Cross
    How to Make an Examination of Conscience
  • Detail of an illustration of a scene from Dante's Purgatory
    Does the Catholic Church Still Believe in Purgatory?
  • Council of Trent, fresco by brothers Taddeo and Federico Zuccari, in Hall of Farnesina Magnificience of Palazzo Farnese, Caprarola, Italy, 1560-1566
    What Was the Counter-Reformation?
  • Italy, Lazio, Rome, View of St. Peter's Basilica
    Who Can Be Elected Pope?
  • Henry IV Doing Penance at Canossa, 1882
    Excommunication in the Catholic Church
  • Ten Commandments Sculpture Lawsuit
    Understanding the Catholic Version of the Ten Commandments
  • Confessionals in the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, Spain
    The Sacrament of Confession
  • Last Rites
    Learn About Last Rites and How They're Performed
  • The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit
    The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit
  • 4 Cardinal virtues
    What Are the 4 Cardinal Virtues?
  • Holy Communion
    The Seven Sacraments of the Catholic Church
  • Pope Benedict XVI gives Polish President Holy Communion.
    The Sacrament of Holy Communion
  • Service of the Sacrament of Holy Unction (Anointing of the Sick), during the Feast of the Dormition of Theotokos. The Holy Oil (Chrism) is blessed by the Holy Spirit, and is used for anointing the faithful for the healing of infirmities of the soul and body. Annunciation of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Cathedral, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
    The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick
  • Immaculate Conception
    What Is the Immaculate Conception?
  • A Catholic priest holds a Bible and rosary in prayer. (Photo © Tom Le Goff/Getty Images)
    Can a Woman Be a Priest in the Catholic Church?
  • Hispanic bride and groom in wedding ceremony
    The Sacrament of Marriage
  • Pope Benedict baptizes a child. (L'Osservatore Romano Vatican Pool/Getty Images)
    The Sacrament of Baptism in the Catholic Church
  • Young businessman in dry lake holding open book
    Wisdom: The First and Highest Gift of the Holy Spirit
  • Baptism of Christ, by Giovanni Bellini
    Faith, Hope, and Charity: the Three Theological Virtues
  • Abbey of the Dormition Crypt
    Did Virgin Mary Die Before Assumption?
  • Children enjoying treats on steps
    Should Catholics Celebrate Halloween?
  • White Dove of Peace With Olive Branch
    What Are the 12 Fruits of the Holy Spirit?
  • Early 1900's vintage photo of three boys at their Confirmation.
    The Sacrament of Confirmation
  • Pope Benedict XVI ordains a bishop
    The Sacrament of Holy Orders in the Catholic Church
  • Holy confession
    Which Sins Should I Confess?
  • Man with tattoos reading the Bible
    Learn What the Bible Says About Tattoos
  • Caucasian parents having baby baptized in church
    What Is Sanctifying Grace?
  • A Russian icon of the Baptism of the Lord. (Photo © Slava Gallery, LLC; used with permission.)
    How Long Did Jesus Live on Earth?
  • Pentecost Mosiac, Monreale Basilica in Sicily
    When Did the Holy Spirit Come Down on the Apostles?
  • Bride and groom in Catholic wedding.
    What Makes a Catholic Marriage Valid?
  • Wedding ceremony at church
    The Difference Between Matrimony and Marriage
  • The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo, Sistine Chapel
    Why Did God Make Me?
  • Early 1900s vintage photo of 3 boys at their confirmation
    The Christian Catholic Sacraments of Initiation
  • Pope Francis venerates the book of the Gospels at Easter Vigil Mass at St. Peter's Basilica, March 30, 2013. (Photo by Franco Origlia/Getty Images)
    Pope Francis: 'The Word of God Precedes the Bible and Surpasses It'
  • Businessman secretly crossing fingers
    Is Lying Ever Justified?
  • Pope Benedict baptizes a child. (L'Osservatore Romano Vatican Pool/Getty Images)
    What Is Sacramental Grace?
  • The Madonna and Sleeping Child with Saint John the Baptist ('Il Silenzio')
    Who Was Born Without Original Sin?
  • Pope Peter - Peter Paul Rubens
    Popes of the Catholic Church
  • Rosaries and scapulars
    What Is a Sacramental?
  • Statue of allegory of Prudence by Gaetano Fusali on the church of Santa Maria del Rosario (Venice)
    The Cardinal Virtue of Prudence (And What It Means)
  • USA - Pope Benedict XVI Visit - Mass at Nationals Park
    What Is a Reconciliation Service?
  • Holy Spirit Stained Glass Window
    Knowledge: the Fifth Gift of the Holy Spirit
  • A man in a cemetery.
    Plenary Indulgence: Visit a Cemetery and Pray for the Dead
  • Cross and Stained Glass
    Why Does the Catholic Church Have So Many Man-Made Rules?
  • Fortitude
    Fortitude: A Cardinal Virtue and a Gift of the Holy Spirit
  • Containers of chrism
    Why Are Catholics Anointed With Chrism at Confirmation?
  • Pope Francis Attends a Meeting With Catholic Schools
    The Papacy of the Catholic Church
  • Theological Virtues: Faith by Raphael
    Faith: A Theological Virtue
  • Are Catholics Christians?
    Are Catholics Christians?
  • Charity by Raphael
    Charity: the Greatest of the Theological Virtues
  • A crusader is shot by a Muslim warrior during the Crusades
    The Just War Theory of the Catholic Church
  • Confessions Plaza Sign at Papal Mass in DC
    Mortal Sin, Venial Sin, Confession, and Communion
  • King Henry VIII by Hans Holbein the Younger, Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool
    The Major Differences Between Anglicanism and Catholicism
  • Scientist holding a multiwell tray containing stem-cell samples.
    The Catholic Church's Stance on Various Forms of Stem-Cell Research
  • Priest and Family at Father's Grave
    Will We Know Our Loved Ones in Heaven?
  • Gossip
    What Is the Sin of Detraction?
  • Gossip
    Detraction, Calumny, and Fr. John Corapi
  • The Seven Deadly Sins
    What Are the Seven Deadly Sins?
  • Illuminated page from a manuscript of Dante's Purgatory (The Divine Comedy)
    What Is the Biblical Basis for Purgatory?
  • Scales of Justice
    Justice: The Second Cardinal Virtue
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