Books by James Cardinal Gibbons

Cardinal James Gibbons' famous and eloquent defense of Catholicism stands as one of the finest religious documents of his era, employing the Bible and devotional wisdom much more than arcane or complex theology.Writing in the 19th century, Cardinal Gibbons was moved to author this book after working for years in the priesthood. Seeking to remind readers of the vitality and merits of Catholicism, Gibbons attempts to both clarify the principles of the faith and spurn unjust criticisms. Religious concepts such as The Holy Trinity, and the important relationship the Bible has to the life of the church is investigated. The festivals and ritual sacraments that Catholics undertake, such as the taking of bread and wine to symbolize the flesh and the blood of Christ, are described in detail for their founding principles. Other traits of Catholicism, such as celibacy among the priesthood and the customs of matrimony, are explained.

Cardinal James Gibbons' famous and eloquent defense of Catholicism stands as one of the finest religious documents of his era, employing the Bible and devotional wisdom much more than arcane or complex theology.Writing in the 19th century, Cardinal Gibbons was moved to author this book after working for years in the priesthood. Seeking to remind readers of the vitality and merits of Catholicism, Gibbons attempts to both clarify the principles of the faith and spurn unjust criticisms. Religious concepts such as The Holy Trinity, and the important relationship the Bible has to the life of the church is investigated. The festivals and ritual sacraments that Catholics undertake, such as the taking of bread and wine to symbolize the flesh and the blood of Christ, are described in detail for their founding principles. Other traits of Catholicism, such as celibacy among the priesthood and the customs of matrimony, are explained.

CONTENTSThe Blessed Trinity, the Incarnation, etc.; Unity of the Church; Holiness of the Church; Catholicity; Apostolicity; Perpetuity of the Church; Infallible Authority of the Church; The Church and the Bible; The Primacy of Peter; The Supremacy of the Popes; Infallibility of the Popes; Temporal Power of the Popes - How They Acquired Temporal Power - Validity and Justice of Their Title - What the Popes Have Done for Rome; Invocation of Saints; Is it Lawful to Honor the Blessed Virgin Mary as a Saint, to Invoke her as an Intercessor, and to Imitate Her as a Model?; Sacred Images; Purgatory, and the Prayers for the Dead; Civil and Religious Liberty; Charges of Religious Persecution; Grace - The Sacraments - Original Sin - Baptism - Its Necessity - Its Effects - Manner of Baptizing; The Sacrament of Confirmation; The Holy Eucharist; Communion under One Kind; The Sacrifice of the Mass; The Use of Religious Ceremonies Dictated by Right Reason - Approved by Almighty God in the Old Law - Sanctioned by Jesus Christ in the New; Ceremonies of the Mass - The Missal - Latin Language - Lights - Flowers - Incense - Vestments; The Sacrament of Penance; Indulgences; Extreme Unction; The Priesthood; Celibacy of the Clergy; Matrimony