There are more than 50 million Roman Catholics in the United States…over one billion in the entire world. Most see their Roman Catholic traditions and the Christian faith as one and the same. Yet the sad fact is that there are vast differences between Catholicism and Christianity. Christianity was founded not as an institution, but as a witness to Jesus Christ. It is Christ, not Christianity, that has the power to change lives. Catholicism arose from the ruins of the Roman Empire. It brought itself to power through the glory of Rome by deception and force. And by force and bloodshed it has maintained that power throughout the years. Millions of people around the world are following an institution, without the slightest understanding of the Saving Grace of Jesus Christ. This powerful book examines each of the basic tenets of Catholicism and compares them against the standards and precepts of the Word of God. It is an enlightening look behind the scenes into the history of the Catholic church and the establishment of its power throughout the ages. It is also a book of hope and promise as it lays bare the institution and proclaims the Person of Jesus Christ. It is a book that every Catholic must read and every Christian should read.

For the first time in 400 years the Catholic Church has authorized an official universal catechism which instantly became an international best-seller, the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Using this official Catechism, the highly-regarded author and professor Peter Kreeft presents a complete compendium of all the major beliefs of Catholicism written in his readable and concise style. Since the Catechism of the Catholic Church was written for the express purpose of grounding and fostering catechisms based on it for local needs and ordinary readers, Kreeft does just that, offering a thorough summary of Catholic doctrine, morality, and worship in a popular format with less technical language. He presents a systematic, organic synthesis of the essential and fundamental Catholic teachings in the light of the Second Vatican Council and the whole of the Church's Tradition. This book is the most thorough, complete and popular catechetical summary of Catholic belief in print that is based on the universal Catechism.

This book is an attempt by Fr. Romero to share some of the scriptural and historical "evidence" that the contemporary Roman Catholic Church and the Apostolic Church founded by Jesus Christ circa 30 A. D. are one and the same. Using some of the commonly-heard misconceptions about the Catholic Faith as points of departure, Fr. Romero examines various key passages from Scripture, looks at historical documentation found in secular sources and, at the end of each chapter, presents quotes from the writings of the first generations of Christians to show that modern-day Catholic beliefs and practices have solid precedence in the beliefs and practices of the early Church.

Catholics are not Christians. They worship Mary. They do whatever the pope says. They cannot divorce. They eat fish on Fridays. These flawed but common statements reflect a combined ignorance of and fascination with Catholicism and the Catholic Church. Catholicism Today: An Introduction to the Contemporary Catholic Church aims to familiarize its readers with contemporary Catholicism. The book is designed to address common misconceptions and frequently-asked questions regarding the Church, its teachings, and the lived experience of Catholics in modern societies worldwide. Opening with a concise historical overview of Christianity in general and Catholicism in particular, the text explores the core beliefs and rituals that define Catholicism in practice, the organization of the Church and the Catholic calendar, as well as the broad question of what it means to be Catholic in a variety of cultural contexts. The book ends with a discussion of the challenges facing the Church both now and in the coming decades. Also included are two short appendices on Eastern Catholicism and Catholicism in the United States.

Pastoral Care, or The Book of the Pastoral Rule, is a treatise on the responsibilities of the clergy written by Pope Gregory I in which he contrasted the role of bishops as pastors of their flock with their position as nobles of the church: the definitive statement of the nature of the episcopal office. Gregory enjoined parish priests to possess strict personal, intellectual and moral standards which were considered, in certain quarters, to be unrealistic and beyond ordinary capacities. The influence of the book, however, was vast and became one of the most influential works on the topic ever written. It was translated and distributed to every bishop within the Byzantine Empire.

The popular blogger and publisher of Envoy magazine offers 10 key reasons why he loves being Catholic (and you should too). Drawing heavily on poignant anecdotes from his own experience as a life-long Catholic born in 1960s, Madrid offers readers a way of looking at the Church--its members, teachings, customs, and history--from perspectives many may have never considered. Growing up Catholic during a time of great social and theological upheaval and transition, a time in which countless Catholics abandoned their religion in search of something else, Patrick Madrid learned a great deal about why people leave Catholicism and why others stay. This experience helped him gain many insights into what it is about the Catholic Church that some people reject, as well as those things that others treasure. Drawing upon Madrid's personal experiences, Why Be Catholic? offers a deeply personal, fact-based, rationale for why everyone should be Catholic or at least consider the Catholic Church in a new light.