Four Pillars of the Catholic Church

[coopnann]

I have been attending a class for parents of children in Faith Formation.

The facilitator in the class has written on a chart and has said (three different classes now) that the Four Pillars of the Catholic Church are:

1. The Mass
2. The Rosary
3. The Scapular
4. Stations of the Cross

This doesn’t sound right to me. I thought the Rosary, the Scapular, and the Stations of the Cross were wonderful devotions, but not required.

What are the Four Pillars exactly?

 

[Crusaderbear]

I believe they are:

The Apostles Creed
The Seven Sacraments
The Ten Commandments
The Lord’s Prayer

Our pastor included them in a confirmation/baptism homily over the summer.

 

[Ron_in_minden]

From what i understand the 4 pillars of the Church are this-One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic. As in the Church is one, the Church is holy, the Church is Catholic, and the Church is Apostolic. We say it in our creed.

 

[RRR737]

From what i understand the 4 pillars of the Church are this-One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic. As in the Church is one, the Church is holy, the Church is Catholic, and the Church is Apostolic. We say it in our creed.

That is what I remember reading – don’t remember the source but those four stuck with me – God Bless

 

[PaulfromIowa]

I believe they are:

The Apostles Creed
The Seven Sacraments
The Ten Commandments
The Lord’s Prayer

Our pastor included them in a confirmation/baptism homily over the summer.

Correct.

vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/prologue.htm

IV. STRUCTURE OF THIS CATECHISM

13 The plan of this catechism is inspired by the great tradition of catechisms which build catechesis on four pillars: the baptismal profession of faith (the Creed), the sacraments of faith, the life of faith (the Commandments), and the prayer of the believer (the Lord’s Prayer).

Part One: The Profession of Faith

14 Those who belong to Christ through faith and Baptism must confess their baptismal faith before men.16 First therefore the Catechism expounds revelation, by which God addresses and gives himself to man, and the faith by which man responds to God (Section One). The profession of faith summarizes the gifts that God gives man: as the Author of all that is good; as Redeemer; and as Sanctifier. It develops these in the three chapters on our baptismal faith in the one God: the almighty Father, the Creator; his Son Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior; and the Holy Spirit, the Sanctifier, in the Holy Church (Section Two).

Part Two: The Sacraments of Faith

15 The second part of the Catechism explains how God’s salvation, accomplished once for all through Christ Jesus and the Holy Spirit, is made present in the sacred actions of the Church’s liturgy (Section One), especially in the seven sacraments (Section Two).

Part Three: The Life of Faith

16 The third part of the Catechism deals with the final end of man created in the image of God: beatitude, and the ways of reaching it - through right conduct freely chosen, with the help of God’s law and grace (Section One), and through conduct that fulfills the twofold commandment of charity, specified in God’s Ten Commandments (Section Two).

Part Four: Prayer in the Life of Faith

17 The last part of the Catechism deals with the meaning and importance of prayer in the life of believers (Section One). It concludes with a brief commentary on the seven petitions of the Lord’s Prayer (Section Two), for indeed we find in these the sum of all the good things which we must hope for, and which our heavenly Father wants to grant us.

 

[PaulfromIowa]

From what i understand the 4 pillars of the Church are this-One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic. As in the Church is one, the Church is holy, the Church is Catholic, and the Church is Apostolic. We say it in our creed.

The Four Marks of the Church: One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic.

 

[Blessedwithfive]

We teach there are three pillars of Lent: Prayer, Fasting Almsgiving.

 

[PaulfromIowa]

For people who like lists:

fisheaters.com/lists.html
“Lists Every Catholic Should be Familiar With”

 

[MaryT777]

Paul,

Thanks for the “spot on” answers in this thread and the link.

God Bless,

Mary from Iowa…

 

[Ron_in_minden]

The Four Marks of the Church: One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic.

 

[po18guy]

From what i understand the 4 pillars of the Church are this-One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic. As in the Church is one, the Church is holy, the Church is Catholic, and the Church is Apostolic. We say it in our creed.

Exactly right. It gets confusing when people start making things up.

 

[7_Sorrows]

I believe they are:

The Apostles Creed
The Seven Sacraments
The Ten Commandments
The Lord’s Prayer

Our pastor included them in a confirmation/baptism homily over the summer.

I believe this is the correct answer according to Fisheaters.

 

[Richard_White]

The four marks of the Church are one, holy, Catholic, and apostolic in terms of descriptors.

The four pillars of the Church I am not familiar with, but from the quote in the Catechism above, they seem to be the Profession of Faith, the Sacraments, the Commandments, and the Lord’s Prayer.

May God bless you all!

 

[Joe_5859]

I’ve heard of the four pillars of the Catechism of the Catholic Church: creed, sacraments, moral life, prayer

And I’ve heard of the four marks of the Church: one, holy, catholic, apostolic

But I’ve not heard of the “four pillars of the Catholic Church.” It’s not a phrase I’ve come across in church documents.

But, yes, you are correct that the rosary, scapular, a stations of the Cross are devotionals. Whoever told you that was probably aiming to highlight some great spiritual practices that Catholics can use, but their choice of terminology is confusing and probably not the best way to go about it.

 

[coopnann]

Thank you for the information!
The fish eaters list was great, and very helpful to have those other lists on there as well.
Interesting how there are 4 **pillars ** and 4 marks.
The three devotionals he spoke of are no doubt very special to him, I just wonder how he came up that they were four foundational things in the Catholic faith.
He was really stressing the scapular.
Thanks again.

 

[fhansen]

I’ve heard of the four pillars of the Catechism of the Catholic Church: creed, sacraments, moral life, prayer

And I’ve heard of the four marks of the Church: one, holy, catholic, apostolic

But I’ve not heard of the “four pillars of the Catholic Church.” It’s not a phrase I’ve come across in church documents.

But, yes, you are correct that the rosary, scapular, a stations of the Cross are devotionals. Whoever told you that was probably aiming to highlight some great spiritual practices that Catholics can use, but their choice of terminology is confusing and probably not the best way to go about it.

Yes, this is correct, “Pillars” is used in the “Four Pillars of the Catechism”. The Catechism has traditionally been divided into four sections: Creed, Sacraments (also called Sacred Liturgy, the work of the Church), Ten Commandments or Morality (also called Life in Christ or Christian way of life), and prayer. These are also sometimes called the “Four Pillars of the Faith”.

The Four Marks of the Church are: one, holy, catholic, and apostolic.