The Catholic Church & The Gospel: Keeping it Simple but True

 The Catholic Church proclaims the true Gospel, one that is simple and easily understood by all: we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, who atoned for our sins through His death and offers us eternal life through His resurrection (Ephesians 2:8-9). Yet, while the Gospel is simple, it has been misunderstood over time. The Church teaches that while we are saved by grace through faith, this faith must be alive and active; as St. James writes, “faith without works is dead” (James 2:26). Faith must be demonstrated in our actions, and we are called to turn away from sin to remain in God’s grace.

The Catholic view emphasizes that, because we have free will—unlike the Calvinist doctrine of predestination—salvation requires our cooperation with grace, meaning we can, by rejecting God’s grace, lose the gift of salvation (CCC 1033). As Pope John Paul II explained, “Man is capable of rejecting God… and if he dies in such a state, he has rejected heaven” (Crossing the Threshold of Hope). The Gospel, then, includes a call to nurture and preserve this grace actively.

To aid us in this journey, God provided the Catholic Church as the “ark of salvation” (CCC 845), a means to guide and sustain us. Through the Church, we receive grace in the sacraments—especially Confession and the Eucharist—and the Church’s teaching authority, or Magisterium, which helps us deepen our faith and stay on the path of salvation. The Council of Trent clarified that sacraments are not additions to the Gospel but visible signs instituted by Christ, imparting grace to sanctify believers. Through repentance and regular participation in these sacraments, we receive the assistance needed to persevere in faith and ultimately attain salvation.

In this way, the Gospel remains simple yet profound. The Church has not “added” works to faith to complicate salvation but faithfully preserves the fullness of the Gospel message. Catholic doctrine reflects what the Apostolic Fathers, like St. Ignatius of Antioch and St. Clement of Rome, taught about living a faith that bears fruit in actions, always sustained by grace. As theologian John Henry Newman pointed out, authentic doctrine develops but does not change the core truths of the Gospel. The Catholic Church, then, teaches the Gospel as Christ intended: the simple, true message of salvation that calls for a living faith and a life of sanctification.