Yes, there are bible study classes available in many parishes. The only difference with non-Catholic groups is that scripture study in Catholic settings are guided in conformity to Tradition, and the Magisterium, not everyone interpreting according to their whims and fancy.

"But there are also many other things which Jesus did; which, if they were written every one, the world itself, I think, would not be able to contain the books that should be written." - John 21:25

"Wherefore, dearly beloved, waiting for these things, be diligent that you may be found before him unspotted and blameless in peace. And account the longsuffering of our Lord, salvation; as also our most dear brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, hath written to you: As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are certain things hard to be understood, which the unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, to their own destruction. You therefore, brethren, knowing these things before, take heed, lest being led aside by the error of the unwise, you fall from your own steadfastness. But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and unto the day of eternity. Amen." - 2 Peter 3:14-18

Catholic Tradition:
Life in the Spirit

Catholic Tradition often seems odd to those outside the Catholic Church.

People assume it's something that we just... "made up."

Sacred Tradition comes from Christ. It's the full, living gift of Christ to the Apostles, faithfully handed down through each generation. It is through Tradition that the Holy Spirit makes the Risen Lord present among us, offering us the very same saving Word and Sacraments that he gave to the Apostles!

Understanding Catholic Tradition is essential to understanding the Catholic Church and the Catholic Christian faith.

Tradition is "handed down"

The word "tradition" actually means handing down something to another person.

Scripture testifies to this meaning of Catholic Tradition as the normal mode of transmitting the Faith:

"So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by letter." (2 Thess 2:15)
"For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you...." (1 Cor 11:23)

"For I handed on to you as of first importance what I also received...." (1 Cor 15:3)

"...I know whom I have believed [i.e., Jesus], and I am sure that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me. Follow the pattern of the sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus; guard the truth that has been entrusted to you by the Holy Spirit who dwells within us." (2 Tim 1:11-14)

"You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me before many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also." (2 Tim 2:1-2)

"...I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints." (Jude 1:3)

This is the most basic meaning of Catholic Tradition: it is the true Faith itself, given to the Apostles by Christ and faithfully transmitted to each new generation. (Catechism, 77-78)

We often write Tradition, with a capital 'T', to mean Sacred Tradition. This Catholic Tradition is different from those traditions (small 't') that are merely customs, and which are not part of Divine Revelation.

The Apostolic source of Catholic Tradition

The Second Vatican Council ("Vatican II") wrote an important document called "On Divine Revelation" (Dei Verbum in Latin). It's quite readable, and contains definitive teaching on the full meaning of Catholic Tradition.

The Council notes the importance of seeing that Catholic Tradition is firmly rooted in the Apostles: it is Christ's whole gift to them, and to us. The Council writes:

In His gracious goodness, God has seen to it that what He had revealed for the salvation of all nations would abide perpetually in its full integrity and be handed on to all generations. Therefore Christ the Lord in whom the full revelation of the supreme God is brought to completion..., commissioned the Apostles to preach to all men that Gospel which is the source of all saving truth and moral teaching, and to impart to them heavenly gifts.
(Dei Verbum, 7)
It is specifically this "commissioning of the Apostles" that is fulfilled in the handing on of Catholic Tradition.

The Apostles dedicated themselves to this mission, and they appointed other faithful men to succeed them and carry on their work. That same passage of Dei Verbum continues:

This commission was faithfully fulfilled by the Apostles who, by their oral preaching, by example, and by observances handed on what they had received from the lips of Christ, from living with Him, and from what He did, or what they had learned through the prompting of the Holy Spirit. The commission was fulfilled, too, by those Apostles and apostolic men who under the inspiration of the same Holy Spirit committed the message of salvation to writing.
(Dei Verbum, 7)
Catholic Tradition and Scripture

Many Protestants believe that Catholics look to Tradition instead of Scripture.

Not at all!

Catholic Tradition stands with Scripture in forming the one single deposit of the Faith. For Catholics, Sacred Tradition is not in opposition to Scripture: they compliment and confirm one another.

Vatican II's Dei Verbum speaks of "a close connection and communication between sacred tradition and Sacred Scripture": "both of them... [flow] from the same divine wellspring."

It says that "Sacred Scripture is the word of God inasmuch as it is consigned to writing under the inspiration of the divine Spirit, while sacred tradition takes the word of God entrusted by Christ the Lord and the Holy Spirit to the Apostles, and hands it on to their successors in its full purity." The Church, "led by the light of the Spirit of truth, ...may in proclaiming it preserve this word of God faithfully, explain it, and make it more widely known." (Dei Verbum, 9)

This statement reveals another key aspect of Catholic Tradition: it is linked to the active work of the Holy Spirit.

The living experience of Christ
Through the Spirit

Pope Benedict XVI gave a beautiful catechesis on Catholic Tradition in late April, 2006. He says that we miss the profound meaning of Catholic Tradition if we see it only as the handing on of a static Revelation.

More than that, it is the active, continuous work of the Holy Spirit in our particular time: it makes real and tangible "the active presence of the Lord Jesus in his people, realized by the Holy Spirit".

Seeing Catholic Tradition as the active presence of Christ through the work of the Spirit is precisely what accomplishes the "transmission of the goods of salvation" to us:

Thanks to Tradition, guaranteed by the ministry of the apostles and their successors, the water of life that flowed from the side of Christ and his saving blood comes to the women and men of all times. In this way, Tradition is the permanent presence of the Savior who comes to meet, redeem and sanctify us in the Spirit through the ministry of his Church for the glory of the Father.
This reality of the divine action of the Holy Spirit within the Church is essential to understanding Catholic Tradition. It is what makes Sacred Tradition something far different than mere human traditions.

Through that same action of the Spirit, Catholic Tradition incorporates us into the Communion of the Saints. It ensures the connection "between the experience of the apostolic faith, lived in the original community of the disciples, and the present experience of Christ in his Church."

The Pope concludes:

Tradition is the living river that unites us to the origins, the living river in which the origins are always present, the great river that leads us to the port of eternity. In this living river, the word of the Lord...: "And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age", is fulfilled again (Matthew 28:20).
Through Catholic Tradition, the Holy Spirit works to bring the grace and truth of Christ into our own lives.

It's real. And it's living right now in the Catholic Church!

Catholic Tradition stands with Scripture in forming the one single deposit of the Faith. For Catholics, Sacred Tradition is not in opposition to Scripture: they compliment and confirm one another.

Vatican II's Dei Verbum speaks of "a close connection and communication between sacred tradition and Sacred Scripture": "both of them... [flow] from the same divine wellspring."

It says that "Sacred Scripture is the word of God inasmuch as it is consigned to writing under the inspiration of the divine Spirit, while sacred tradition takes the word of God entrusted by Christ the Lord and the Holy Spirit to the Apostles, and hands it on to their successors in its full purity." The Church, "led by the light of the Spirit of truth, ...may in proclaiming it preserve this word of God faithfully, explain it, and make it more widely known." (Dei Verbum, 9)

Question, where is it mentioned that the Apostles were poor? And, point of fact, not all of them were fishermen ... e.g. St. Matthew was a tax collector, Judas (the traitor was a scholar), St. Paul was a tent maker for the Roman army (and inherited his Roman citizenship from his father)

Personally, I have not found any Traditions that have come in conflict with scripture. From what I noticed and read, Tradition, that was established by the Church came before the Bible, as it is found in today's form, the 73 books that were compiled and redacted by the Church.

As far as wealth and splendor of the Church is concerned, is there anything wrong with that? The wealth of the Church has been slowly built up over the last 2000 years since its establishment by Christ Himself. However, Catholics need to keep reminding themselves that any riches given to us are blessings by God. Such blessings not solely for our benefit alone, but for doing work in His Holy Name to bring others into the faith ...
And for the record, were not Abraham, Jacob and Job of the OT, themselves quite rich? Successful men who tended large flocks and and ran business enterprises (or whatever passed as those during their time)

According to the Catechism, 'together with us (Catholics) they (Muslims) adore the one, merciful God.' Pope John Paul II repeats this statement even more clearly. Addressing Muslim youths, the Pope said: 'We believe in the same God, the one and only God, the living God, the God who creates worlds and brings creatures to their perfection' (What Dialogue Means for Catholics and Muslims, US Conference of Catholic Bishops, http://www.usccb.org/seia/brunett.htm).

What makes you think the wealth of the Catholic Church is not used to help the poor? The Church runs a great many charitable organizations around the world ( https://www.facebook.com/notes/michael-sanc...99364450111086/ ) In order to run these charities it takes lots of money, how much I do not know, but with these many organizations, it must cost a pretty packet.

As far as Vatican is concerned, they store a great many items of value, art pieces, sculptures, texts ... all accumulated through the ages for posterity. These accumulated treasure are more often than not put up for display for all to see and enjoy. If the Church were to sell off all these treasures, there is no guarantee that the people who buy it would allow them to be available for all to view and experience. Moreover, the money gained from the sale of these artifacts will not last forever. What will happen once funds from the sales finish? Money of the Church, is kept in banks. In most cases, at a local parish level, all collected from parishioners during Mass or well meaning donors. And the monies collected is disbursed to all the various organizations run by the Church to feed the hungry, clothe the poor, give succor to the afflicted, heal the sick, etc etc.

No tithing is necessary as St Paul says,
For the Pope and bishops attire, again, is there anything in the Bible that prohibits them from wearing what they wear? The money collected by the church is always sufficient to feed and clothe and aid the poor, the Lord provides, we do not doubt Him, and no second guessing His blessings either. In addition, what is the basis of your statement about the Church 'hoarding' wealth? Are you privy to Church financial documents?

I used Abraham, Jacob and Joseph as examples because of that very fact they are of the OT, as Christ ALWAYS referenced the OT, being the promise, and His presence in the NT being the fulfillment of the promise, i.e. the salvation of mankind. This is where Church Tradition stems from. The OT is still very much relevant, and it binds to the NT seamlessly. No conflict or disparity. For the record, Abraham and Jacob being the respective heads of their households would put them on par as high priests of the family. Abraham himself was blessed by Melchizedek, the high priest. This being a time before priests were an actual formal vocation and title, so the heads of the households, the patriarchs, would often assume that role and carry out the rituals and lead the community and family in prayer.

A short answer to your last question, yes. Pope John Paul II is not proclaiming anything new or contrary to Christian belief. JP2 is merely echoing the paragraph in the Catechism of the Catholic Church (or CCC for short);
The rest of the contents of CCC please refer here ... http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/arch...sm/p123a9p3.htm

After all, Christ's commandment to us is;
JP2's statement definitely brings to mind this verse does it not?

Oh, a little nugget for any and all following this line of inquiry the following is Acts 3: 1 - 10
God bless!

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that about 795 million people of the 7.3 billion people in the world, or one in nine, were suffering from chronic undernourishment in 2014-2016. Almost all the hungry people, 780 million, live in developing countries, representing 12.9 percent, or one in eight, of the population of developing counties. There are 11 million people undernourished in developed countries (FAO 2014; for individual country estimates, see Annex 1. For other valuable sources, especially if interested in particular countries or regions, see IFPRI 2015 and Rosen 2014).

John 13:34-35New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Amen!

Regarding images, please refer to the earlier posts in this thread.

This year is also the 100th anniversary of the Fatima apparitions. In the face of the ongoing struggles of the world against Christ and His Church, Our Lady and the saints will help us! We need only ask them in prayer! Oremus!

Please re-read the earlier posts in this thread on statues and images. Plus the doctrine of the communion of saints and asking for their prayers and intercession.

Catholic has a different 10 commandments than Protestants.  Catholic removed idols worshiping to cater for Mary worship.  A quick search would come up with the following comparison link:

http://www.teachingtheword.org/apps/articl...444/default.asp

Wrong. They are alive in Christ. "The wisdom of men is foolishness to God". 

Catholic has a different 10 commandments than Protestants.  Catholic removed idols worshiping to cater for Mary worship.  A quick search would come up with the following comparison link:

http://www.teachingtheword.org/apps/articl...444/default.asp

The historic Christian practice of asking our departed brothers and sisters in Christ—the saints—for their intercession has come under attack in the last few hundred years. Though the practice dates to the earliest days of Christianity and is shared by Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, the other Eastern Christians, and even some Anglicans—meaning that all-told it is shared by more than three quarters of the Christians on earth—it still comes under heavy attack from many within the Protestant movement that started in the sixteenth century.

Can They Hear Us?

One charge made against it is that the saints in heaven cannot even hear our prayers, making it useless to ask for their intercession. However, this is not true. As Scripture indicates, those in heaven are aware of the prayers of those on earth. This can be seen, for example, in Revelation 5:8, where John depicts the saints in heaven offering our prayers to God under the form of "golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints." But if the saints in heaven are offering our prayers to God, then they must be aware of our prayers. They are aware of our petitions and present them to God by interceding for us.

And no, it is not necromancy.

nec·ro·man·cy
ˈnekrəˌmansē/Submit
noun
the supposed practice of communicating with the dead, especially in order to predict the future.
witchcraft, sorcery, or black magic in general.

Is google that difficult to use?

https://www.catholic.com/magazine/online-ed...en-commandments

When both Col. 1 and Rev. 5 refer to “the saints,” it seems clear they are referring to Christians who are presently "walking[ing] through the valley of the shadow of death" as the Psalmist says. At least, in some sense. But I find many among the non-Catholics I converse with regularly to be surprised when I tell them the Catholic Church acknolwedges that all of the baptized can be referred to as “saints.” CCC 1475 says:

In the communion of saints, "a perennial link of charity exists between the faithful who have already reached their heavenly home, those who are expiating their sins in purgatory and those who are still pilgrims on earth. Between them there is, too, an abundant exchange of all good things."

In this wonderful exchange, the holiness of one profits others, well beyond the harm that the sin of one could cause others. Thus recourse to the communion of saints lets the contrite sinner be more promptly and efficaciously purified of the punishments for sin.

CCC 946-948 makes it even more clear that all of God's faithful can be referred to as "saints."

After confessing "the holy catholic Church," the Apostles' Creed adds "the communion of saints." In a certain sense this article is a further explanation of the preceding: "What is the Church if not the assembly of all the saints?" The communion of saints is the Church...

(948) The term "communion of saints" therefore has two closely linked meanings: communion in holy things (sancta)" and "among holy persons (sancti)."

"Sancti," by the way, means "saints," or "holy ones."

The Catechism then continues:

Sancta sanctis! ("God's holy gifts for God's holy people") is proclaimed by the celebrant in most Eastern liturgies during the elevation of the holy Gifts before the distribution of communion. The faithful (sancti) are fed by Christ's holy body and blood (sancta) to grow in communion of the Holy Spirit (koinonia) and to communicate it to the world.

So now the question becomes: "Then why do Catholics refer to canonized 'saints' as 'saints,' but not one another this side of the veil? This seems to be a contradiction."

I find St. Paul himself to be the best place to go for the answer to this question. In Col. 1:1-2, as I said above, St. Paul definitively refers to all of the faithful at Colossae as “saints.” And I should note here that the Greek word for “saints” (hagioi) is comparable to "sancti" in Latin. It simply means, “sanctified, set apart, or holy.” It means "saints."

From a Catholic perspective, we would say of course St. Paul would refer to these Christians, and by allusion, all Christians, in this way because "being set apart and made holy" is precisely what baptism accomplishes in the life of every Christian. We “have been baptized into Christ Jesus” (Romans 6:3) who is the source of all holiness.

But here's the rub.

The Catholic Church also acknowledges what Col. 1:12 says,:

Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.

The Greek word for “share”  in this text is merida, which means “to partake in part or a portion.” According to St. Paul, "the saints” on earth partake in part in what "the saints” in heaven possess in fullness. Thus, it is fitting that the Catholic Church reserves the title of "saint" to those she has declared to be in heaven. They alone ("the saints" in heaven) possess sainthood, if you will, in its fullness.

Catholics use statues, paintings, and other artistic devices to recall the person or thing depicted. Just as it helps to remember one’s mother by looking at her photograph, so it helps to recall the example of the saints by looking at pictures of them. Catholics also use statues as teaching tools. In the early Church they were especially useful for the instruction of the illiterate. In current times, it helps to lift one's mind to think about heavenly things. Many Protestants have pictures of Jesus and other Bible pictures in Sunday school for teaching children. Catholics also use statues to commemorate certain people and events, much as Protestant churches have three-dimensional nativity scenes at Christmas.

If one measured Protestants by the same rule, then by using these "graven" images, they would be practicing the "idolatry" of which they accuse Catholics. But there’s no idolatry going on in these situations. God forbids the worship of images as gods, but he doesn’t ban the making of images.

There are many things extrabiblical, even by Protestants. Like...what made you accept the books of the Bible in the first place? The word Bible is extrabiblical and you have no problem accepting that now, would you? Christmas, Easter are also celebrated by Protestants even though the words are not found in the Bible, so what gives?

Ah, so you're not a Protestant then? This gets interesting. Another new mushroom in the minefield of doctrinal disagreement?

The Incarnation is a game-changer. Christ made visible the invisible God, and thus it is allowed that images of Him be depicted, unless you're a Muslim, or Jew before the coming of Christ. Sacred images depict real people. The second commandment protects us from creating fantastical creatures that replace the true God. Sacred images depict real people and events that draw us to the true God.
Worship and veneration are not the same. Worshiping an idol is the equivalent of replacing God with a created thing (or ideology or passion). Venerating an image is an act of respect and love that glorifies the Creator (sort of like saluting to a soldier is an act of respect and honour that shows your loyalty to your country).
God instructed Moses to create images. Just in case anyone thought God’s commandment to Moses excluded all visual images of anything as idols, check out Exodus 36:35-37:9 where, per the instructions of God, Moses has images of cherubim embroidered into the curtains of the tabernacle and statues of the same cast for the Ark of the Covenant. Obviously, then, it is not images that are an issue, but our relationship to images.