Salvation

Every Christian is called to repent, but few could say exactly what repentance is. Drawing on St Thomas Aquinas and St John Vianney, here is what contrition and repentance really mean, the qualities true repentance must have, and how to know whether you have it.

'Faith alone' (sola fide) was the rallying cry of the Reformation, and it remains one of the main points of disagreement between Catholics and many Protestants. Here is what the Bible actually says, what the Catholic Church teaches, and how much common ground there really is.

Many evangelical Christians believe that once a person is truly saved, they can never lose their salvation. The Catholic Church teaches that a Christian can fall away through serious sin, and be restored through repentance. Here is the biblical case, and what it means for Christian hope and assurance.

Purgatory is one of the Catholic teachings Protestants most often reject: it is not in the Bible, it denies the sufficiency of Christ's sacrifice, and it was invented to make money. Here are the main objections and how Catholics answer them from Scripture and early Christian history.

Jesus was asked directly whether only a few would be saved. Here is what He answered, the long list of Fathers, saints and Doctors of the Church who held that most people are lost, and why this teaching is a call to repentance, not to despair.