Q.1
The Sacrament of Marriage is a key and happy occasion in the Catholic Church. Which ONE of the following would you NOT be at all likely to experience while present at such a service?
  • Nuptial Mass, i.e. segue-ing from the marriage into a Eucharist / Communion so as to auspiciously combine two Sacraments on the same occasion
  • The singing of a Psalm, and readings from the Old and New Testaments plus a Gospel
  • The reading of texts, poems etc. from outside the Scriptures and approved Order of Service
  • The offering of flowers by the couple before a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Q.2
Holy Orders (the Priesthood: as deacon, priest or bishop) are collectively another form of Sacrament, conferring as they do the Church's authority to administer other sacraments such as marriage and confession. Which of the following is NOT a mandatory prerequisite for an aspirant Catholic priest arriving at the seminary to train?
  • He must be male
  • He must himself have been baptised
  • He must be 'professional grade' in the sense of already holding a university degree, though not necessarily in Divinity
  • He must have done penance with a bishop
Q.3
Quite apart from the 'rites' such as baptism, the Catholic Church also distinguishes Rites in the sense of different liturgical traditions, often which have developed along geographical lines. Which of these is NOT such a Rite?
  • Western
  • Eastern
  • Armenian
  • American
Q.4
After Baptism, Catholic belief and practice identify six further Sacraments (totalling seven: a deeply holy and symbolic tally, like the seven days in the week or the Seven Joys and Sorrows of Mary). Probably the most obvious and regular one for most observant Catholics is the Holy Eucharist (the taking of communion in the context of the Mass); but nobody may approach that without first engaging with another of the seven. Which is this?
  • Confirmation
  • Penance
  • Holy Orders
  • Anointing
Q.5
Catholics accept Baptism 'in good faith' from other traditions, provided water was used and the name/s of the Trinity invoked. This means that you would not need to be re-baptised from scratch if you were converting to Rome from many other mainstream Christian denominations. However, baptism into ONE church or group in this list is NOT acceptable as a genuine sacrament to Catholics: which one?
  • Anglican, Presbyterian and Lutheran
  • Quakers (the Society of Friends)
  • Methodist and Baptist
  • Seventh Day Adventist
Q.6
A valid Catholic marriage requires three sincere intentions on the part of those committing to it. Which is the 'non-essential' among this list of four?
  • It must be intended to be permanent, i.e. until 'first death' among the couple
  • It must be faithful, i.e. avoiding intention or committal of adultery
  • It must be fruitful, i.e. open to the begetting of children should that be God's will ~ and certainly not exercising any form of human 'family-planning'
  • It can only be contracted between two baptised Catholics of complementary sexes
Q.7
Most of the Sacraments can be administered by priests, but for Confirmation (as is also true in many Protestant churches) the authority has to be higher: how high?
  • A bishop
  • An archbishop
  • The Pope
  • A cardinal
Q.8
Which of the following would NOT normally form a part of the Last Rites?
  • The giving of Communion, provided the recipient is still capable to swallow
  • Anointing on the head and palms, as practical in the circumstances
  • Confession
  • Lighting of symbolic candles, unless in a hyper-oxygenated medical context
Q.9
Among non-Catholics there is a fair (or maybe unfair?) amount of misunderstanding regarding the Sacrament of Penance at the confessional. All but ONE of the following are at least broadly true: which is NOT?
  • When someone has confessed their sin/s, the priest will pronounce a formal prayer of Absolution and set a Penance (recommendation of good deeds to be done to confirm an improved attitude; or at least, several further prayers to be repeated)
  • Confession is permissible in three ways: privately (probably weekly, soon before Mass); occasionally at Parish Penance Services, such as during the penitential seasons of Advent and Lent; and rarely, through General Confession and Absolution in circumstances where individual penance is impracticable (e.g. during a major public emergency)
  • Confession of mortal sin is essential, and of venial (somewhat less serious) sins is encouraged; 'imperfect contrition' is when the sinner confesses out of fear of God's punishment, rather than from shame. It entails total secrecy: the priest who hears the confession, even of mortal sin, is bound never to divulge what he has heard, even to (for instance) the police who may be following up a serious crime
  • (Choose this Answer if you believe all the other three are true)
Q.10
The Sacrament of Anointing is administered to people in what sort of needy circumstance?
  • They have confessed their sins
  • They are at a significant marital point, such as approaching marriage or giving thanks for the safe birth of a child
  • They are ill
  • They are dying
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