MCC CCC Doctrinal Content Mastery 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: According to the CCC, what does the term 'Theotokos' mean and why is it doctrinally significant?
- God's servant, affirming Mary's humility
- God-bearer, affirming Christ's full divinity from conception (Correct answer)
- Mother of the Church, affirming Mary's intercessory role
- Mother of grace, affirming Mary's Immaculate Conception
Correct answer: God-bearer, affirming Christ's full divinity from conception
Theotokos means 'God-bearer' and was defined at Ephesus (431 AD) to affirm that Mary truly bore the Son of God made flesh, defending Christ's unity of person.
Question 2: The CCC teaches that the Eucharist is the 'source and summit' of Christian life. Which council first used this exact phrase?
- Council of Trent
- First Vatican Council
- Second Vatican Council (Correct answer)
- Council of Nicaea
Correct answer: Second Vatican Council
Vatican II's Lumen Gentium (§11) coined 'source and summit,' later incorporated into CCC §1324 to express the Eucharist's central place in Church life.
Question 3: Which CCC article explains that original sin is transmitted by propagation, not imitation?
- CCC 385-390
- CCC 402-406 (Correct answer)
- CCC 1730-1732
- CCC 1996-2000
Correct answer: CCC 402-406
CCC 402-406 treats the transmission of original sin, clarifying that it passes through human nature (propagation), not merely by bad example as Pelagius taught.
Question 4: The CCC distinguishes 'mortal' from 'venial' sin. Which three conditions must ALL be present for a sin to be mortal?
- Grave matter, full knowledge, deliberate consent (Correct answer)
- Serious intent, public action, Church disapproval
- Premeditation, repeated behavior, lack of repentance
- Grave matter, emotional desire, external act
Correct answer: Grave matter, full knowledge, deliberate consent
CCC 1857 specifies that mortal sin requires grave matter, full knowledge of its gravity, and deliberate consent of the will.
Question 5: According to the CCC, what is the primary effect of Confirmation on the baptized Christian?
- Forgiveness of post-baptismal sins
- A special outpouring of the Holy Spirit that perfects baptismal grace (Correct answer)
- Full membership in the local parish community
- Reception of the Eucharist for the first time
Correct answer: A special outpouring of the Holy Spirit that perfects baptismal grace
CCC 1316 teaches that Confirmation perfects baptismal grace through a special strength of the Holy Spirit to spread and defend the faith.
Question 6: The CCC's treatment of the Lord's Prayer (Part Four) identifies how many petitions in the Our Father?
- Five
- Six
- Seven (Correct answer)
- Nine
Correct answer: Seven
CCC 2803-2854 analyzes seven petitions in the Our Father, following the traditional division used by the Fathers of the Church.
Question 7: The CCC teaches that the natural moral law is discoverable by human reason. This teaching is rooted in which biblical passage?
- Romans 1:20 — God's invisible attributes known through creation
- Romans 2:14-15 — Gentiles who do by nature what the law requires (Correct answer)
- Matthew 5:17 — Christ came not to abolish but to fulfill the law
- John 1:1 — the eternal Word as source of all truth
Correct answer: Romans 2:14-15 — Gentiles who do by nature what the law requires
CCC 1954-1960 grounds the natural law in Romans 2:14-15, where Paul notes that the moral law is written on human hearts accessible to all people.
MCC CCC Doctrinal Content Mastery 2
According to the CCC, what does the term 'Theotokos' mean and why is it doctrinally significant?