What do I need to believe to become a Catholic?

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lanman87

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Another thread made me think of asking this question.

If was to decide to become Catholic what exactly would I need to believe?

Would I have to affirm that I believe everything in the Catechism of the Catholic Church?
 
One is asked to assent to the Creed, and all it entails. Its shorter form is known as the Apostles’ Creed; the longer, the Nicene Creed. One of the articles in both creeds is belief in the Church. This means believing that the Church was founded by God Incarnate and therefore teaches the truth. One must be prepared to assent to whatever he learns the Church teaches, and not merely because one arrives at that conclusion. The Catechism expands on what the different articles in the Creed mean, along with the Our Father and the Seven Sacraments.
 
Believe our Lord, Jesus Christ died on the cross to
  1. Defeat satan
  2. Take the burden of all our sins on Himself
  3. Give us Eternal Life
  4. Restore our relationship with God
Jesus Was resurrected from the dead in three days.

Jesus Will come again to judge everyone and restore us to eternal life.

Believe that satan exists and is the prince of lies

Believe in the Virgin Birth.

Repent
 
lanman87 said:
Another thread made me think of asking this question.

If was to decide to become Catholic what exactly would I need to believe?

Would I have to affirm that I believe everything in the Catechism of the Catholic Church?
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Hi Lanman87 :bible1:,

Well, you would have to affirm everything as truth that the Catholic Church reveals as truth—in particular, anything defined as infallible and dogma. In my opinion, this article should provide a more in-depth answer.

Source Link: catholic.com/tract/pillar-of-fire-pillar-of-truth

Fellow posters, please correct me if I am wrong here.
 
The earlier poster is correct that the simple answer is the Nicene Creed.
I believe in one God,
the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.
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I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the Only Begotten Son of God,
born of the Father before all ages.
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary,
and became man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate,
he suffered death and was buried,
and rose again on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead
and his kingdom will have no end.
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I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
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I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.
I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins
and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
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Would I have to affirm that I believe everything in the Catechism of the Catholic Church?
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No, that is not the practice. As you have perhaps noticed, the Catechism of the Catholic Church contains commentary and opinion not absolutely essential to the Faith. Is there something in particular in the Catechism that you cannot accept?
 
PaulfromIowa said:
No, that is not the practice. As you have perhaps noticed, the Catechism of the Catholic Church contains commentary and opinion not absolutely essential to the Faith. Is there something in particular in the Catechism that you cannot accept?
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Per Fr. John Trigilio, PhD, ThD, co-author of Catholicism for Dummies, whatever is taught by the ‘normal magisterium’ of the Church (i.e. the catechism) is an infallible teaching. The catechism is not suggestions or hints, but a catalog of revealed truth and the underlying reasons for those beliefs.

Speaking of which, for the OP, Catholicism for Dummies is an excellent reference for both Catholics as well as those interested in the faith.

Although the faith has a profound intellectual foundation and history, one must possess a great love of Jesus Christ and a strong desire to commune with Him like never before, or there is little reason to consider the faith.
 
In addition to what others have posted; to be a Catholic one must believe in the true presence of Our Lord in the Eucharist. One must believe that the bread & wine are changed into the Body, Blood, Soul & Divinity of Our Lord in the act of Transubstantiation during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
 
tawny said:
In addition to what others have posted; to be a Catholic one must believe in the true presence of Our Lord in the Eucharist. One must believe that the bread & wine are changed into the Body, Blood, Soul & Divinity of Our Lord in the act of Transubstantiation during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
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Excellent point!
 
tawny said:
In addition to what others have posted; to be a Catholic one must believe in the true presence of Our Lord in the Eucharist. One must believe that the bread & wine are changed into the Body, Blood, Soul & Divinity of Our Lord in the act of Transubstantiation during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
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👍
 
Excellent summary of the key ingredients in a good catholic! I hope your journey is rewarding and pleasant!
 
From the Catechism

May your Creed be for you as a mirror. Look at yourself in it, to see if you believe everything you say you believe. And rejoice in your faith each day.

Amen
 
I will just say, be sure. To find out later on that there is much you just don’t believe is soul rending and faith destroying.
 
Tsuzuki said:
Belief is a red herring.

Humility and a willingness to be corrected are good things, but the most important thing for being Catholic is love, specifically Agape.
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Yep and Jesus said …if you love me you will obey my commandments.
 
lanman87 said:
Another thread made me think of asking this question.

If was to decide to become Catholic what exactly would I need to believe?

Would I have to affirm that I believe everything in the Catechism of the Catholic Church?
Click to expand...
Are you struggling with any beliefs in particular?
 
lanman87 said:
Another thread made me think of asking this question.

If was to decide to become Catholic what exactly would I need to believe?

Would I have to affirm that I believe everything in the Catechism of the Catholic Church?
Click to expand...
I am a recent convert, 2015 and was brought to the truth via traditional Catholic sites. Disclosure: I was introduced to Jesus by an Evangelical missionary, but I knew deep down something was wrong with what he told me. I even asked early on, “which denomination has it right?”…he assured me it did not matter and since he knew the Bible well, I followed. I say this only to show that I was questioning Protestantism from the beginning. Once I learned of the Real Presence and the authority the Church claims, I was a goner.

I would advise going to fisheaters.com. Check out the “For Protestant” tab and start with The Eucharist link under Sacraments. It explains why we believe in the Real Presence using both OT and NT. It is a great intro to the Eucharist.

God bless and know we will be praying for you Ianman.
 
As I’ve learned, beliefs and doctrines do not define what a Catholic is, but it is the Roman See who defines what a Catholic is.

As someone who wanted to become Catholic once myself, I only wish I could spare you the trouble, but each man must walk his own path. And Allah guides whom He wills, and misguides whom He wills.
 
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