Common Questions asked of Catholics

Are you saved?

This question usually brings a strange response from Catholics who have not heard it before. Usually, they respond by asking, "What do you mean?" The person asking this question will say, "Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior?" Put this way, the answer is, of course, "YES!"

Be assured that having said this, you will not put an end to the conversation. Catholics, to many Protestant evangelists, are not saved. Their view is that the Catholic Church "adds requirements from salvation." The additions they refer to include the sacraments and the Church’s teaching on purgatory. These are elements of Church doctrine that are often misunderstood by Protestants – by accident and on purpose.

Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior?

Yes! Catholics believe that in dying, Jesus restored life. Jesus died for our sins, allowing us to achieve eternal life in heaven. However, accepting Jesus Christ means that you accept his teachings. Jesus was often questioned on how man might achieve eternal life. Over and over, Jesus said to keep the commandments (Matthew 19:16-19, Mark 10:17-19, etc.) Jesus in these passages and others also called for charity saying, "Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor" (Mark 10:21). A verbal acceptance of Jesus is not good enough. We are called to accept him in our actions as well.

Furthermore, it is written: "The way we may be sure to know him is to keep his commandments. Whoever says, "I know him," but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him" (1 John 2:3-5).

When were you saved?

This question usually follows the "Are you saved?" question. The answer is at Baptism, Communion, and Confirmation – the three sacraments of initiation practiced by the Catholic Church.

At Baptism, the individual joins the Church and expresses belief in Jesus and his saving power (infant baptism, which is practiced by the Church is discussed in the fourth paragraph). The two important elements of Baptism are water and the sign of the cross. Individuals must be baptized with water "In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Water represents healing and rebirth. It is at Baptism that the stain of original sin is washed away.

In receiving Communion, Catholics physically receive the body of Jesus Christ in the form of a host. The Catholic Church teaches that during consecration, the bread and wine are changed into the body and blood of Jesus Christ, though they may retain the physical accidents of bread and wine. (Transubstantiation is a difficult mystery to accept for many Catholics and non-Catholics.) When we accept the Eucharist, we are physically accepting Jesus Christ into our bodies and our lives.

Confirmation is the final sacrament of initiation. Since the Church believes in infant Baptism, it is important to confirm a belief in Jesus Christ and his Church later on. When an infant is baptized, the infant’s parents and godparents affirm that they will raise the child in the Church. They express a belief in Christ for the child. The child then reaffirms his/her belief later in the sacrament of Confirmation.