Q. 551.  What is meant by the Hierarchy of the Church?  A. By the Hierarchy of the Church is meant the sacred body of clerical rules who govern the Church.

Q. 552.  How is it evident that the Church is one in worship?  A. It is evident that the Church is one in worship because all its members make use of the same sacrifice and receive the same Sacraments.

Q. 553.  How is it evident that the Church is one in faith?  A. It is evident the Church is one in faith because all Catholics throughout the world believe each and every article of faith proposed by the Church.

Q. 554.  Could a person who denies only one article of our faith be a Catholic?  A. A person who denies even one article of our faith could not be a Catholic; for truth is one and we must accept it whole and entire or not at all.

Q. 555.  Are there any pious beliefs and practices in the Church that are not articles of faith?  A. There are many pious beliefs and practices in the Church that are not articles of faith; that is, we are not bound under pain of sin to believe in them; yet we will often find them useful aids to holiness, and hence they are recommended by our pastors.

Q. 556.  Of what sin are persons guilty who put firm belief in religious or other practices that are either forbidden or useless?  A. Persons who put a firm belief in religious or other practices that are forbidden or useless are guilty of the sin of superstition.

Q. 557.  Where does the Church find the revealed truths it is bound to teach?  A. The Church finds the revealed truths it is bound to teach in the Holy Scripture and revealed traditions.

Q. 558.  What is the Holy Scripture or Bible?  A. The Holy Scripture or Bible is the collection of sacred, inspired writings through which God has made known to us many revealed truths.  Some call them letters from Heaven to earth, that is, from God to man.

Q. 559.  What is meant by the Canon of the Sacred Scriptures?  A. The Canon of Sacred Scriptures means the list the Church has prepared to teach us what sacred writings are Holy Scripture and contain the inspired word of God.

Q. 560.  Where does the Church find the revealed traditions?  A. The Church finds the revealed traditions in the decrees of its councils; in its books of worship; in its paintings and inscriptions on tombs and monuments; in the lives of its Saints; the writings of its Fathers, and in its own history.

Q. 561.  Must we ourselves seek in the Scriptures and traditions for what we are to believe?  A. We ourselves need not seek in the Scriptures and traditions for what we are to believe.  God has appointed the Church to be our guide to salvation and we must accept its teaching us our infallible rule of faith.