Answers for Non-Catholics

Start Here: Common Questions, Clear Answers

Non‑Catholic listeners to Catholic Answers Live bring some of the most honest, challenging, and thought‑provoking questions we encounter. We’ve gathered the recurring ones from our recent “Questions from Non‑Catholics” and “Open Forum for Non‑Catholics” shows into a single page, complete with direct links to each on‑air answer, so you can explore them at your own pace. Whether you’re discerning the Catholic faith, returning after time away, or simply curious, the list below offers a clear starting point for deeper study.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. If the Holy Spirit guides believers, why don’t all Christians arrive at the same conclusions?
2. If God is unchanging, how can the second Person of the Trinity become man?
3. How were infants’ original sin forgiven before Christ’s covenant?
4. Where does the Bible support the doctrine of purgatory?
5. What happens to a bishop after he is removed from office?
6. Is John’s baptism different from Catholic baptism?
7. Can someone become Catholic on their deathbed?
8. What happens to a Protestant marriage when one spouse becomes Catholic—must they divorce?
9. If God is all‑knowing and good, why did He create Satan and people who might choose hell?
10. How can I explain Catholic beliefs reasonably to anti‑Catholic family members?
11. How do I clarify the relationship between faith and works for Protestants?
12. Are presbyters and bishops really distinct, or did that develop later?
13. Why do we have to learn God’s “love language” if He doesn’t learn ours?
14. How should a prospective convert respond to liturgical abuses in the Church?
15. If I die in mortal sin before getting to confession, am I lost—and can I confess directly to God?
16. Is it appropriate for a Protestant to pray the Rosary?
17. Why are stipends offered for special Masses?
18. What is in the Vatican Secret Archives?
19. How should Catholics view ministries like Jimmy Swaggart’s criticisms?
20. What is a Black Mass, and do Catholics believe Jesus is the son of Lucifer?
21. How do we know the New Testament is the Word of God?
22. Are the prayers of the Rosary biblical?
23. If I was baptized Lutheran and want to become Catholic, will I receive all sacraments at Easter, or can it be done another time?
24. Which of the Ten Plagues was most effective?
25. Do animals go to heaven?
26. Why do Catholics focus so much on the Virgin Mary?
27. How should I read Romans 3–4 in light of justification? And why is the Eucharist denied to non‑Catholic Christians?
28. How can Catholics reconcile their history during the Middle Ages?
29. Is Eve symbolic or real, and how does that relate to Mary as the New Eve?
30. Am I condemned for receiving the Eucharist as a non‑Catholic?
31. How can Catholics believe in justification by faith and works?
32. How does John 17:3 fit with belief in the Trinity?
33. Why confess sins to a priest instead of directly to God?
34. If the papacy isn’t the Antichrist, what is it?
35. Did Mary experience pain in childbirth, and what does that say about original sin?
36. Is the Catholic Church the “harlot of Revelation”?
37. Where does the Bible mandate confession before receiving the Eucharist?
38. Do Catholics worship Mary?
39. Why claim Catholicism is the true Church when Scripture doesn’t mention denominations?
40. What happens if I die before confirmation while in RCIA?
41. How do Catholics explain the Inquisition?
42. How can a good God allow evil and suffering?
43. What is distinct about Catholic belief compared to Protestantism?
44. Is a marriage between a Catholic and a Greek Orthodox valid?
45. How does the Church know infallibly that a saint is in heaven?
46. How do plenary indulgences work?
47. How can I bring a fallen‑away Catholic back to the faith?
48. How do I talk to someone who says the Holy Spirit guides them and they need no Church?
49. How do I defend the Eucharist to a Baptist using Scripture?
50. Are the four Gospels meant only for Jews while Paul’s letters are for Gentiles?