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What's Your Catholic IQ?

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by Joe Paprocki, D.Min.

Here is a quick way to see how much you know about your Catholic faith. Circle the letter next to the word or phrase that correctly completes each statement. Then check your answers with the answer key that follows.

1. In his First Letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul describes “love” as all of the following except
(a) kind; (b) heavenly; (c) never failing; (d) patient

2. The parable of the Good Samaritan is found only in the Gospel of
(a) John; (b) Matthew; (c) Mark; (d) Luke

3. The ending of the Eucharistic Prayer (including the Great Amen) is known as the
(a) Doxology; (b) Pax Romana; (c) Desiderata; (d) Agnus Dei

4. Roman persecutions of the Christians began in 64 A.D. under Emperor
(a) Constantine; (b) Henry VIII; (c) Nero; (d) Nemo

5. Which of the following is not a religious community?
(a) Cistercians; (b) Franciscans; (c) Oblates of the Immaculate Heart of Mary; (d) Manichaeans

6. The Nicene Creed was begun at the First Council of Nicaea (325 A.D.) and was completed at the First Council of
(a) Constantinople; (b) Ephesus; (c) Madrid; (d) Trent

7. The central administration of the Roman Catholic Church is referred to as the
(a) Cabinet; (b) Supreme Court; (c) Curia; (d) maniple

8. Which of the following is considered one of the seven deadly sins?
(a) envy; (b) procrastination; (c) smoking; (d) lethargy

9. An ancient form of prayer that involves sacred reading of Scripture is known as
(a) signum crucis; (b) lex orandi; (c) lectionary; (d) lectio divina

10. The Marian prayer that begins, “Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary” is the
(a) Salve Regina; (b) Exsultet; (c) Memorare; (d) Magnificat

11. Which of the following is not celebrated during the month of March?
(a) Sts. Peter and Paul; (b) St. Patrick; (c) St. Joseph; (d) St. Casimir

12. The hymn “Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow” is sung to the melody of another hymn called
(a) Veni Sancte Spiritus; (b) “Old Hundredth”; (c) “Old Rugged Cross”; (d) “Old Yeller”

13. The first encyclical issued by Pope Benedict XVI was titled
(a) Spe Salvi; (b) Urbi et Orbi; (c) Evangelii Nuntiandi; (d) Deus Caritas Est

14. When Communion is carried to those who are sick, the consecrated hosts are carried in a
(a) cruet; (b) pixel; (c) pyx; (d) pyrex

15. Día de los Muertos is celebrated by Hispanic Catholics on the solemnity of
(a) All Souls; (b) All Saints; (c) Pentecost; (d) Our Lady of Guadalupe

16. In case of an emergency, anyone may administer the following sacrament:
(a) confirmation; (b) baptism; (c) matrimony; (d) First Communion

17. Which of the following parts of the Mass does not include a procession?
(a) Gospel Acclamation; (b) Communion; (c) Presentation of the Gifts; (d) Responsorial Psalm

18. What was Pope John Paul II’s original name?
(a) Joseph Ratzinger; (b) Karol Wojtyła; (c) Lech Walesa; (d) Carl Yastrzemski

19. In the Stations of the Cross, how many times does Jesus fall?
(a) three; (b) none; (c) two; (d) nine

20. Which of the following sacraments does not include an anointing?
(a) matrimony; (b) baptism; (c) confirmation; (d) holy orders

Now check your answers with the key below.

Joe Paprocki, D.Min. is Managing Editor of Parish Life Resources at Loyola Press in Chicago. He is the author of many books including A Well-Built Faith, The Catechist’s Toolbox, God’s Library, Living the Mass (Loyola Press) and Bringing Catechesis and Liturgy Together (Twenty-Third Publications). Joe writes from Evergreen Park, Illinois, where he lives with his wife and two children and serves as an eighth-grade catechist.

ANSWERS to WHAT’S YOUR CATHOLIC IQ?

1. (b) Paul tells us that “love is patient, love is kind” (1 Corinthians 13:4) and that “love never fails” (1 Corinthians 13:8).
2. (d) Luke’s Gospel tells the story of the Good Samaritan in 10:29-37.
3. (a) A doxology is a short hymn of praise. The Eucharistic Prayer ends with a doxology: “Through him, with him, in him…”
4. (c) Emperor Nero began the first documented case of imperial persecutions of Christians, blaming them for the burning of Rome in 64 A.D.
5. (d) The Manichaeans were part of the Gnostic movement that emphasized religious dualism: soul (the good) vs. body (the bad). Saint Augustine of Hippo experimented with Manichaeism before rejecting it.
6. (a) The First Council of Constantinople (381 A.D.) resulted in the completion of the Nicene Creed.
7. (c) In medieval times, the word “curia” referred to a royal court. The Roman Curia can be thought of as the papal court, assisting the pope in his duties and comparable to a cabinet in a government.
8. (a) The seven deadly (or capital) sins are pride, avarice, envy, wrath, lust, gluttony, and sloth (see the Catechism of the Catholic Church, n. 1866).
9. (d) Lectio divina, which means “divine reading,” is a traditional Christian method of prayer that involves a “holy reading” of Scripture, vocal prayer, meditation, and contemplation.
10. (c) The Memorare is a much-loved traditional prayer that asks for Mary’s intercession.
11. (a) the solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, Apostles, is celebrated on June 29. The feast of St. Casimir is celebrated on March 4 and the feast of St. Patrick is March on 17. The solemnity St. Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is celebrated on March 19.
12. (b) “Old Hundredth” is a sixteenth-century hymn, originally associated with Psalm 134 but later with Psalm 100. “Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow” was written in 1674 and set to the tune of “Old Hundredth.”
13. (d) Deus Caritas Est (“God Is Love”) was promulgated by Pope Benedict XVI in 2005.
14. (c) A pyx is a small round vessel, about the size of a pocket watch, in which the Holy Eucharist is carried to the sick.
15. (a) Día de los Muertos—the Day of the Dead—is celebrated mainly in Mexico and coincides with All Souls Day, November 2.
16. (b) The Catechism of the Catholic Church (n. 1284) tells us that “in case of necessity, any person can baptize” as long as the person has the intention of the Church, pours water, and uses the formula “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”
17. (d) In total, there may be five processions at Mass: opening procession, Gospel procession, procession of the gifts, Communion procession, and closing procession.
18. (b) Karol Wojtyła became Pope John Paul II on October 16, 1978.
19. (a) The Third, Seventh, and Ninth Stations describe Jesus falling under the weight of the cross.
20. (a) Anointing with oil or chrism takes place in baptism, confirmation, anointing of the sick, and holy orders.

Source: CATECHIST Magazine, October 2008

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