Catholic Explainers
Clear, charitable answers to the most-asked questions about the Catholic faith — why Catholics do what they do, what the Church teaches, and how Catholicism compares to other Christian traditions. Every answer is grounded in the Catechism of the Catholic Church and Sacred Scripture.
Why Do Catholics…?
- Do Catholics worship Mary?
- Why do Catholics baptize babies?
- Why do Catholics believe in purgatory?
- Why do Catholics believe Mary was without sin?
- Why do Catholics call priests "Father"?
- Why do Catholics confess their sins to a priest?
- Why do Catholics eat fish on Fridays?
- Why do Catholics have statues and images?
- Why do Catholics honor relics?
- Why do Catholics pray the rosary?
- Why do Catholics pray to Mary?
- Why do Catholics pray to the saints?
What Catholics Believe
- What are the precepts (commandments) of the Church?
- What are the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church?
- What do Catholics believe about salvation?
- What do Catholics believe about the Bible and the Catholic Bible?
- What do Catholics believe about the Eucharist?
- What is an indulgence?
- What is original sin?
- What is purgatory?
- What is the Assumption of Mary?
- What is the difference between mortal and venial sin?
- What is the Immaculate Conception?
- What is the Real Presence in the Eucharist?
- What is transubstantiation?
Can Catholics…? & Moral Questions
- Can Catholics be cremated?
- Can Catholics divorce and remarry?
- Can Catholics donate organs?
- Can Catholics drink alcohol?
- Can Catholics eat meat on Fridays?
- Can Catholics get tattoos?
- Can Catholics marry non-Catholics?
- Is missing Sunday Mass a mortal sin?
- What does the Catholic Church teach about contraception?
- What does the Catholic Church teach about evolution?
- What does the Catholic Church teach about IVF?
- What does the Catholic Church teach about the death penalty?