Catholic Trivia Answers
1. The third Gospel in the New Testament is:
d. the Gospel according to Luke. Luke is the author of the Acts of the Apostles as well. He is traditionally identified with the "beloved physician" of Paul's Letter to the Colossians (4:14).
2. Saint Teresa, who reformed the Carmelite Order, was from:
c. Avila, Spain. Besides being a mystic, St. Teresa (1515-1582) was witty, delightful, energetic, and charming. In 1997, Pope John Paul II declared her a Doctor of the Church. Her feast day is October 15.
3. The biblical word meaning "to desire strongly" is:
b. covet. "Covet" means being so greedy for something you might even sin to get it. Coveting is forbidden by the Ninth and Tenth Commandments.
4. The first word of each of the Beatitudes is:
a. Blessed or Happy. Our word "beatitude" comes from the Latin word for "blessed" or "happy," which is why we call these sayings of Jesus the "Beatitudes." They can be found in Matthew 5:1-12.
5. In a communal celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, there usually are:
a. Scripture readings and a Homily
b. group recitations of the Act of Contrition
c. individual confessions to a priest
d. all of these. Communal penance services are often held during Advent and Lent. Additional priests are usually present to accomodate the large number of people going to confession.
6. The Doctor of the Church most responsible for shaping the doctrine of Original Sin is:
a. St. Augustine of Hippo. St Augustine (354-430), Bishop of Hippo in North Africa, composed his theological and pastoral works just before Rome fell and the Middle Ages were ushered in. His feast day is August 28.
7. The "Devil's Advocate:"
a. brought out negative information about candidates for sainthood
b. is no longer part of the canonization process
c. became a common term for anyone giving a contrary argument on an issue
d. all of these. The term "Devil's Advocate" originally referred to a role in the formal process of canonization.
8. The month associated with the Rosary is:
c. October. October is the month of the Rosary. The feast of Our Lady of the Rosary is October 7.
9. A visit with the Pope is called:
b. a papal audience. The Pope holds general audiences in a great hall that accomodates about 6,000 people. He also holds private audiences.
10. Our term "a red letter day" comes from:
c. feast days on Church calendars. Feast days on Church calendars are often still printed in red.
11. The Person of the Trinity who "will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead" is:
b. the Second Person of the Trinity. We recite these words in the Nicene Creed. The Church teaches about the Second Coming of Christ but that "we know not the day nor the hour" (Matthew 25:13).
12. The Old Testament monarch who traveled a great distance to observe the wisdom of Solomon was:
a. the Queen of Sheba. Sheba was a kingdom located in modern-day Yemen, at the southwest corner of the Arabian peninsula. The story is told in 1 Kings 10.
13. The Latin words formerly used when confessing one's faith are mea:
c. culpa. The words mea culpa from the Latin form of the Confiteor at Mass have passed into popular culture, meaning "my fault," or "I'm sorry."
14. Members of the religious congregation founded in 1859 by St. John Bosco are called:
d. Salesians. The society was named after St. John Bosco's favorite saint, St. Francis de Sales. It was founded to see to the education of poor boys and young men, but now has a branch of sisters. The order quickly grew into an international one and now is the third largest in the Church.
15. Water is poured over the Baptismal candidate's head:
c. three times. The water is poured three times (or the candidate is immersed three times) to signify entering into the life of the Holy Trinity, as well as memorializing Jesus' three days in the tomb.
16. The father of John the Baptist was named:
a. Zechariah. After the angel announced at John's birth, Zechariah disbelieved and was struck mute for nine months (see Luke 1:5-20).
17. In order for something to be a sin:
c. it must be intentional. Even if you don't get caught, intentional actions against the Commandments are sins. Something that happens by accident is not a sin.
18. The traditional beginning of the Act of Contrition is:
c. O my God, I am heartily sorry. Sorrow for our sins and a firm purpose of amendment are parts of the Act of Contrition.