Fathers of the Church
Why consider what the Fathers of the Church believed?
The Fathers of the Church, or Church Fathers, are generally considered to be respected Christian men who lived and died during the period of time from the apostles to about the middle of the seventh century and whose teachings and beliefs were recorded through their writings. The Catholic Catechism cites the Fathers of the Church among the principle sources for the Catholic Catechism:
“This catechism aims at presenting an organic synthesis of the essential and fundamental contents of Catholic doctrine, as regards both faith and morals, in the light of the Second Vatican Council and the whole of the Church’s Tradition. Its principal sources are the Sacred Scriptures, the Fathers of the Church, the liturgy, and the Church’s Magisterium” (para. 11).
It is important to know that the Fathers of the Church were not one homogenous group whose beliefs were always in agreement with one another. Although they held many of the same beliefs as those of the Catholic Church, there was great diversity among the beliefs of the Fathers of the Church, and not all of their beliefs are in agreement with the Catholic Church. Therefore, many of the Fathers of the Church are quoted in the Catholic Catechism where their beliefs coincide with the teachings of the Catholic Church but are not quoted where their beliefs differ. Following are three examples illustrating this point.
- Did all the Church Fathers believe in transubstantiation?
- Did all the Church Fathers believe in penance and confession to a priest?
- Did all the Church Fathers believe Mary never sinned?
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