Characteristics of the Catholic Identity

Characteristics of the Catholic Identity
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Characteristics of the Catholic Identity
Identity makes an object stand out, making it unique from others. Catholicism has its own unique identity, which makes it stand out from other Christianity branches. Among the major branches of Christianity, that is Catholicism, Protestantism, and Orthodoxy; Catholicism is the largest, having more than 1.2 billion believers globally (History.com Editors, 2021). Despite Christianity having been subdivided into three major branches, all these branches have shared beliefs, practices, and characteristics. Before considering what unique characteristics the Catholic identity possesses, it is vital to view some of the shared features with the other branches.
Common Characteristics of Christianity Branches
Christianity has some focal characteristics shared across all the different branches despite division into branches (History.com Editors, 2021). These characteristics differentiate us from other religions. These characteristics include
1 Monotheism. All Christians believe and worship one God, who created the heavens and earth.
2 Belief in the Holy Trinity. Christians believe in the existence of God in three forms: The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit.
3 Belief in the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ. This is the focal point of Christianity. Christians are convinced that the Lord sent His son Jesus Christ to save them. His death and resurrection were so that Christians could be pardoned for their sins.
4 Christians believe in the Bible as the Holy Scripture and refer to it for teachings, both morally and objectively, of life.
5 Belief in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
6 The belief that eternal life can be inherited by having a solid faith in Jesus Christ.
7 Christians believe in the salvation of the faithful, even after death. 
Discussed above are the general characteristics of Christians. However, each branch of Christianity has its distinct features. The Catholic Church has its identity, too, seen in various practices and beliefs. These practices and beliefs are what enable a Catholic to be identified uniquely or differentiated from another Christian. This study, therefore, intends to discuss some of the characteristics useful in distinguishing the Catholic identity.
Catholic Identity and its Characteristics
           If anybody can enquire from any person who a Catholic is or what Catholic means, the majority, if not all, will say that it is a member of the Catholic Church (Merton, n.d). These features can be used when explaining why an individual is considered or labeled as Catholic. These characteristics include:
1 Devotion to Mary,
2 A sense of Sacramentality,
3 A commitment to community,
4 Reverence for the Scripture and Traditions, and
5 Respect for human life and Commitment to Justice.
Devotion to Mary
Catholics devote and pray to Mary to intercede for them (Merton, n.d.). This practice has been misunderstood and questioned by other Christians. This has led to a mistaken conception that Catholics treat Mary as ...