THE FAITH OF OUR FATHERS

This is a book written by James Cardinal Gibbons.  It was first published in 1876.

The Faith of Our Fathers explains the basic doctrines of the Catholic Faith and the reason they are held.  This books examines the historical background of the beliefs Catholics hold and the reasons people have difficulty accepting them, such as priestly celibacy, sacred images, the Church and the Bible, the primacy of Peter, Communion under one kind, the invocation of the Saints.

The Faith of Our Fathers has always been one of the most popular and successful books to explain the basic tenets of the Catholic Faith.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

James Cardinal Gibbons was born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1834.  He grew up in Ireland.  He moved back to the United States with his mother in 1853 after the death of his father.  He was ordained to the priesthood in Baltimore in 1861.  In 1868, he became the first Apostolic Vicar of North Carolina at the age of 34.  He participated in the First Vatican Council, voting for the definition of Papal Infallibility.  During his lifetime, he was a prominent figure in the United States, preaching even to Protestants and advising presidents.

He was made an Archbishop and Cardinal of the Church.  He was the Archbishop of Baltimore in 1877 and held this office until his death in 1921.