The Catholic Church teaches that there is one true God, who creates and sustains all things. That God is perfect, infinite, and eternal. That he is a loving and merciful God who desires to have a personal relationship with each one of us.
Catholics believe in the Trinity, which is the teaching that there is one God in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
They believe that Jesus Christ is the second person of the Trinity. He is both God and man. That he was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died on the cross to save us from our sins, and rose from the dead on the third day.
Catholics believe that people need Jesus Christ in their lives, and that he is the only way to know and love “God the Father.” They believe people cannot know or love God without knowing and loving his son, Jesus Christ.
Catholics also believe in the Holy Spirit, who is the third person of the Trinity. They fully believe the Holy Spirit is God at work in our world today. And that he is the one who helps followers to know and love God, and to live according to his will.
The Catholic Church teaches that the Bible is the inspired word of God. That it is the authoritative source of Christian teachings.
The Catholic Church also believes in Tradition, which is the teachings of the apostles and of the Church Fathers that were handed down to us through the centuries.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church is a summary of what Catholics believe. It was written by the Catholic bishops of the United States and approved by Pope John Paul II in 1992.
