Basic Catholic Q and A's

The numbers in parenthese that follow the questions refer to related paragraphs in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Some Special Duties of Catholic Christians

1. Does the Catholic Church have the right to make laws?
2. Who exercises the Church's right to make laws?
3. When else may laws be made which affect the universal Church?
4. What are the precepts of the Church?
5. What is the purpose of these precepts?
6. Which are these special duties of Catholics, called the precepts of the Church?
7. What are the holy days of obligation in the United States?
8. What does Church law say about penance?
9. What is a fast day?
10. Why has the Church instituted fast days?
11. Who are obliged to fast?
12. What does the law of abstinence mean?
13. In the United States which are the days for abstinence from meat?
14. Are fasting and abstinence the only penances required of Catholics?

1. Does the Catholic Church have the right to make laws?
The Catholic Church has the right to make laws from its founder, Jesus Christ, who said to the apostles, his first leaders and bishops:

I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will have been loosed in heaven (Mt 16:19).

2. Who exercises the Church's right to make laws?
The Pope and bishops united with him exercise the Church's right to make laws. The Pope has complete, supreme, ordinary and immediate jurisdiction over the universal Church. (880, 882, 883, 886)

(See also the entire section on the Church, pages 51-66.)

3. When else may laws be made which affect the universal Church?
Laws which affect the universal Church may be made by a general council of bishops united with the Pope, as at the Second Vatican Council. (884)

4. What are the precepts of the Church?
The precepts of the Church are special duties which Catholics are expected to obey and fulfill. These precepts prescribe certain acts of religion and penance, in order to apply the commandments of God and the teachings of the Gospel to the lives of the faithful. (2041)

5. What is the purpose of these precepts?
These precepts, which are laws made by the Church, guarantee that Catholics practice the minimum amount of prayer and penance to grow in love of God and our neighbor. (2041)

6.  Which are these special duties of Catholics, called the precepts of the Church?
Some duties expected of Catholics today include the following:
To worship God by participating in Mass every Sunday and holy day of obligation in order to keep holy the day of the Lord's resurrection, and to rest from servile labor on these days. (2042)  To receive the sacrament of Reconciliation at least once a year; this continues the work of conversion in preparation for reception of the Eucharist. (2042) To receive Holy Communion during the Easter Season (in the United States, this duty may be fulfilled between the first Sunday of Lent to Trinity Sunday); this guarantees reception of the Body and Blood of the Lord at the Paschal time, which is the heart of the Church's liturgy. (2042) To observe the days of fasting and abstinence established by the Church. These penitential acts prepare us for the feasts of the liturgical year, as well as strengthen us spiritually. (2043) To help to provide for the needs of the Church. This means that the faithful are to assist with the material needs of the Church, according to their ability. (2043)

7. What are the holy days of obligation in the United States?

•  All Sundays of the year
•  January 1, The Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
•  Ascension of Our Lord (forty days after Easter, or in some dioceses, the  following Sunday)
•  August 15, The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
•  November 1, All Saints' Day
•  December 8, The Immaculate Conception
•  December 25, Christmas Day

Note: Christmas is always a holy day of obligation on whatever day it falls. When the feasts of the Assumption, All Saints or the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (Jan. 1) are celebrated on a Saturday or Monday, there is no obligation to participate in Mass. The Immaculate Conception remains a holy day of obligation except when December 8 falls on Sunday. Then the feast is transferred to Monday, in which case it is not considered a holy day. However, the faithful are still encouraged to participate at Mass on these days.

The universal Church also celebrates these other holy days: Epiphany, Corpus Christi (The Body and Blood of the Lord), the feasts of St. Joseph and the Apostles Peter and Paul. (2177) (See also the section on Sunday Mass under the third commandment.)

8. What does Church law say about penance?
All Catholics are bound to do some penance in virtue of divine law. So that all may be joined in a common observance of penance, penitential days are prescribed in which the faithful pray, perform good works, deny themselves by fulfilling their responsibilities more faithfully and observe fast and abstinence. (1434-1435, 1438, 2043)

But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and then, on that day, they will fast (Mk 2:20).

9. What is a fast day?
A fast day is a day in which only one full meal is taken; the other two meals together should not equal a full meal. In the United States the only fast days are Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Eating between meals is not permitted, but liquids, including milk and fruit juices, are allowed. (1438)

10. Why has the Church instituted fast days?
The Church has instituted fast days so that we Christians may learn to set our sights on God and the goal of our human life by self-denial. This is to follow the example of Jesus. (540, 2043)

Then Jesus was led into the desert by the Spirit to be tempted by the Devil. After fasting for forty days and forty nights he at last became hungry (Mt 4:1-2).

11. Who are obliged to fast?
Catholics are obliged to fast who have reached the age of eighteen but are not yet fifty-nine.

12. What does the law of abstinence mean?
The law of abstinence means refraining from eating meat on certain "days of abstinence" stipulated by the Church, such as Ash Wednesday.

13. In the United States which are the days for abstinence from meat?
In the United States the days for abstinence from meat are Ash Wednesday, the Fridays of Lent, and Good Friday. Catholics fourteen years of age and over are obliged to keep this law.

14. Are fasting and abstinence the only penances required of Catholics?
Fasting and abstinence are not the only penances required by Catholics. We are to do more penances of our own choosing especially on Fridays throughout the year, since Jesus gave his life for us on a Friday, and during Lent, when we recall what the Lord suffered for us.

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