Hindu Catholic Dialogue Commemorative Brochure 20150523

Author(s): United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
Publisher: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

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G3. What constitutes salvation? What is the reward or punishment for one's actions? Is there rebirth? Salvation consists in accepting and living in accordance with God's offer of grace through Jesus Christ; the Catholic Church is the visible institution by which the saving grace of God is made available to human beings. Christ has redeemed us by his incarnation, death, and resurrection, making an infinite abundance of divine love available to everyone who has ever lived, past, present and future. To believe in Christ's gift of love, openly confessing one's faith and striving to live a virtuous, generous, and repentant life, leads a believer to persevere to the end of life. The Catholic Church offers many sacraments and spiritual teachings to assist a person in his or her life's journey so that at the time of death he or she is ready to enter eternal life. The entire process of remaining faithful to the spiritual journey is called "sanctification” by which a person becomes a saint, guided providentially by the wisdom of the Holy Spirit from moment to moment in one's life. The Catholic Church does not teach the doctrine of reincarnation, in which a soul can move from one body to another, there is only one embodiment. After death, should a person attain salvation, it is possible to envision an endless growth in love for God that endures beyond time and which cannot be fully described in words, but which some spiritually gifted persons have experienced through mystical union during their earthly lives.
G4. What is one's relationship to one's ancestors? Catholic Christians offer prayers for their deceased relatives and friends, particularly on the anniversary of their death. There is a very strong belief in the communion of the saints" which means that the souls of those who have entered heaven can intercede with God on behalf of the living, and the living can pray on behalf of those souls that are enduring purification in Purgatory. The souls in Hell, however, cannot intercede and cannot receive the benefit of prayers. Perfect communion and love among all those who are saved and sanctified among those who have ever lived is one aspect of the resurrection of the dead and eternal life with God; heaven is a community in which love prevails.
H. GOVERNANCE
Hl. What are the functions of clergy? What is their education and training? What is the relationship between clergy and lay persons? Although there have always been lay persons involved in various aspects of Church governance, the primary governing functions of the Catholic Church are the responsibility of ordained clergy. Bishops govern a diocese, which is an administrative district with geograph
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HINDU - CATHOLIC DIALOGUE