Ignispedia
The ultimate encyclopedia of the Catholic faith
Explore the faith, Church history, the lives of the saints and Catholic spirituality. Everything is free: five articles to read right away, and all the others with a free account.
"My people perish for lack of knowledge"
It is time to remedy that.
Our best articles
Ignispedia’s major in-depth articles, arranged in four themes.
Finding the truth about God
Five steps, from reason to miracles.
Start hereCan the Truth About God and Religion Be Found?
Step 2 : Proving Christianity
19 articles
Read this firstWhy Christianity Is True- The Prophecies Announcing Jesus in the Old Testament
- Can We Trust What the Gospels Tell Us?
- Did Jesus Really Exist?
- The Divinity of Jesus
- The Resurrection of Jesus (c. 30-33)
- Responses to objections
- Hell : answers to the main objections
See the 12 other articles
- The Love of God That Leaves Us Free Explains Both Evil and Hell
- Could God Have Become Incarnate and Died on a Cross?
- Responses to non-Christian religions
- Buddhism
- Hinduism
- Shinto
- The New Age
- Esotericism
- Islam
- Judaism
- The 5,000 Religions and the Flying Spaghetti Monster God
- I Just Believe in a Higher Being or Energy, but I Have No Religion
- “All religions basically say the same thing” : a response to the philosophia perennis
Step 3 : Proving Catholicism
29 articles
Read this firstWhy Catholicism Is the True Religion- Answers to Protestantism
- The Five Solae : Historical and Theological Synthesis
- Sola Scriptura : Scripture Alone
- Sola Fide : Justification by Faith Alone
- Sola Gratia : Grace Alone
- Solus Christus : Christ Alone as Mediator
See the 22 other articles
- Soli Deo Gloria : To God Alone the Glory
- The Four Marian Dogmas (431-1950)
- Mary, Mother of God (431)
- The Perpetual Virginity of Mary
- The Dogma of the Immaculate Conception (1854)
- Responses to other Protestant objections
- The Eucharistic Real Presence
- Indulgences
- The Communion of Saints and Intercession
- Papal Infallibility (1870)
- Infant Baptism: A Practice Without Foundation?
- Calvinist Predestination (TULIP) and the Catholic Response
- History Argues in Favour of Catholicism
- Responses to other Christian traditions
- Answers to Orthodox Objections
- Anglicanism
- Jehovah's Witnesses
- The Mormons
- Answers to Those Who Say They Are "Just" Christian
- Those Who Call Themselves Catholic but Reject the Church's Present Authority
- The Priestly Fraternity of Saint Pius X (SSPX, founded in 1970)
- Sedevacantism and Catholic Responses
- Benevacantism (Benedict XVI as the Last Pope)
- Outside the Church No Salvation?
Step 4 : Answering objections to Catholicism
18 articles
Read this firstThe Crusades (1095-1291)- Heretics and the Black Legend of the Inquisition
- The Spanish Inquisition (1478-1834): The Bloody Legend Tested Against the Archives
- The 'Decadence' of the Borgia Popes (1455–1503): Debunking the Myth and the Catholic Response
- The Wars of Religion
- The St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre
See the 12 other articles
- The Evangelization of the American Indians (16th Century)
- Black Slavery and the Catholic Church
- The Anti-Judaism of Christians and the Silence of Pius XII (1939-1958)
- The Crisis in the Church and Dechristianization (18th–21st Centuries)
- The Abuse Crisis in the Catholic Church
- CIASE : The Sauvé Report on Sexual Abuse in the Church in France (2021)
- Is the Church Misogynistic?
- Is the Church Against Sexuality?
- Is the Church Homophobic?
- Is the Church Too Rich?
- Is the Church Against Science?
- Catholic Church Charity: Really the Largest Charitable Organisation in the World?
Step 5 : The miracles that confirm the Catholic faith
13 articles
Read this firstThe Santa Fe Staircase (1878)- Our Lady of Guadalupe (1531)
- The Case of Mayline Tran (2012)
- The Blood-Type Improbability of the Passion Relics
- The Eucharistic Miracle of Bolsena (1263)
- The Stigmata of Thérèse Neumann (1926-1962)
See the 7 other articles
- The Eucharistic Miracle of Bordeaux (3 February 1822)
- Was Jesus nailed through the palms or through the wrists?
- The Eucharistic Miracle of Buenos Aires (1996)
- The alleged Eucharistic miracle of Lourdes (7 November 1999) : a controversial file
- The Eucharistic Miracle of Tixtla (Mexico, 21 October 2006)
- The Eucharistic Miracle of Sokółka (Poland, 2008)
- The Eucharistic Miracle of Legnica (Poland, 2013)
Catechism and theology
Angels, the last things, morality: what the Church teaches, and why.
The Church’s Moral Teaching
15 articles
Read this firstWhat Should We Think About Euthanasia?- What Should We Think About Abortion?
- Should a Catholic Be on the Right or on the Left?
- What to Think of Ecology?
- What Does the Church Say About Homosexuality?
- What Does the Church Teach About Contraception?
See the 9 other articles
- What Does the Church Say About In Vitro Fertilization?
- What Does the Church Say About Surrogacy?
- What Does the Church Say About the Death Penalty?
- What Does the Church Say About Pornography?
- Can a Divorced and Remarried Catholic Receive Communion?
- What is the difference between mortal sin and venial sin?
- What is Natural Law?
- What does the Church say about immigration?
- Artificial Intelligence and Catholic Doctrine
The spiritual life
The purpose of life, the path, humility, trust and prayer.
What Is the True and Only Purpose of Life?
8 articles
Read this firstWhat Is the True and Only Purpose of Life?- 5 Reasons to Live Only for Heaven
- The Life of Heaven Surpasses Everything
- Our Life on Earth Decides Our Whole Eternity
- Our Life on Earth Is Brief and Will Pass
- The Death of Those Who Live for Heaven Is No Longer Death
- He Who Lives for Heaven Is Far Happier Already Here Below
- Don't Procrastinate : This Is the Most Important Thing in Your Life!
The Path: The Spiritual Life on Earth
5 articles
Read this firstThe Spiritual Life in Its Essence and Its Synonyms
The Roots: Humility and Trust
9 articles
Read this firstThe Double Abyss: Humility and Trust- Knowledge of Man's Nothingness, Which Produces Humility
- The Necessity of Humility and the Danger of Pride
- God's Infinite Love in Creation
- God's Infinite Love in the Redemption
- God's Infinite Love in the Eucharist
- Knowledge of God's Love, Which Produces Trust
- Humility and Confidence: Changing How We Look at Our Sins
- Using Our Sins to Grow in Humility and Confidence
The Heart of the Spiritual Life: Prayer
11 articles
Read this firstWhy Pray?- How to Pray? The Method for Getting Started
- The way of mental prayer: going deep to meet the Triune God
- Cultivating Intimacy with Jesus, Hearing His Voice, and Living Perpetual Prayer
- Making Reparation to Jesus and Consoling Him
- The Father: Being His Child
- The Holy Spirit, Charisms and Spiritual Gifts
- The Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph in the Life of Prayer
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Frequently asked questions
Your questions about Ignispedia
What is Ignispedia?
Ignispedia is the Catholic encyclopedia of IGNIS. It offers articles on the saints, miracles, Scripture and the great questions of the faith, with sources so you can go deeper. You can start from a specific question or browse the topics on offer.
Do I need an account to read Ignispedia?
You can read five articles without an account. To keep reading, create your free IGNIS account or sign in. That same account also opens the formation and the community to you.
How do I find a saint or an answer to my question?
Type a name or a few words into the Ignispedia search. You can also browse the categories and follow the links within the articles. These links take you to the people and topics that shed light on what you are reading.
Where does the information in the articles come from?
The articles give their references so you can go back to the texts, documents and testimonies they cite. You can look at the notes and sources to check a passage or take your research further. The goal is to understand what each explanation is based on.
Does Ignispedia also cover miracles and mystics?
Yes, these subjects are part of the life of the Church and have their place in the encyclopedia. The articles explain the facts, the testimonies and the Church’s decisions, with their sources. Words received by a mystic are attributed to their source, without being presented as official teaching of the Church.
Do I need to have studied theology to understand the articles?
No, you can start with a subject that interests you, even if you are new to the faith. The categories and the links between articles help you move forward step by step. The references let you go further whenever you wish.
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