Returning Catholics FAQs: Faith vs. Works

On Mondays, I answer questions frequently asked by those considering a return to the Catholic Church. How do I know this stuff? I was away for more than 30 years myself, and am the co-author of When They Come Home: Ways to Welcome Returning Catholics , a book for pastors and parish leaders interested in this ministry.

Why do Catholics have to do good works to get to heaven while Protestants seem to know they’re going to heaven just based on faith?

This one’s mainly a matter of semantics—but shine...