The Catechism of the Catholic Church in Question and Answer Form

Questions and Answers

191. What is Faith? (CCC 176) Faith is a personal adherence of the whole man to God, involving an assent of the intellect and will.

192. What twofold reference does believing have? (CCC 177) Believing has a twofold reference:
1. to the witnessing person
2. to the witnessed truth.

193. In whom must we believe? (CCC 178) We must believe in God: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

194. Why does man need the interior helps of the Holy Spirit in order to believe? (CCC 179) Man needs the interior helps of the Holy Spirit in order to believe, because Faith is a supernatural gift from God.

195. In what way is “to believe” a human act? (CCC 180) “To believe” is a human act as much as it is conscious and free.

196. Why is our personal faith intimately tied to the Church? (CCC 181) Our personal faith is intimately tied to the Church, because:
1. we have received it from the Church
2. we are kept in it by the Church
3. we should hand it on to future members of the Church.

197. What do we believe? (CCC 182) We believe all that is written or handed down in the word of God and that the Church proposes for belief.

198. Where does Christ show that Faith is necessary for salvation? (CCC 183) Christ shows that Faith is necessary for salvation when He says: “He who believes and is baptised will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mk 16:16).

199. How is Faith connected to the life to come? (CCC 184) Faith is connected to the life to come, because it is a foretaste of it.