Question 65. What exactly are the actual DOCTRINES of the Catholic faith? Is Purgatory one? How about the saints? And while I am at it, what exactly is the purpose of saints in our faith?

Answer: The chief truths, which Christians must hold, are those, which the holy Apostles, the leaders and teachers of the faith, inspired by the Holy Spirit, have divided into the twelve Articles of the Apostles Creed. There are actually four Creeds, which sum up Catholic belief. See: Elements of Basic Catholicism. Certainly, the Doctrine of Purgatory, and belief in the Communion of Saints are also "Articles of Faith", in other words, dogmas that must be held by Catholics. I would recommend that you purchase, Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma by Dr. Ludwig Ott. It is the definitive one-volume encyclopedia of the doctrines of the Catholic Church, showing their sources in Scripture and Tradition and their definitions by Popes and Councils. Dr. Ott defines theology, moves on to dogma, then moves on to the development of dogma, Catholic truths, theological grades of certainty, and theological opinions. From that point he goes on to systematically and exhaustively review all of the Catholic dogmas. This is a book no serious student of the Catholic faith should be without! It can be ordered from Catholic Answers, 888-291-8000, for $27.95 plus shipping and handling.