The Important Aspects Of The Catholic Church

Catholicism: A Very Short Introduction written by Gerald O’Collins is a short read that gives an insight to the Catholic church without getting confusing to the reader. It touches on the basics of Catholicism such as the history, practices, and core beliefs. Through each chapter Gerald O’Collins a research professor in the field of Theology at St. Mary’s University College and Twickenham, as well as formally Dean in Gregorian University for the faculty of Theology, shares his knowledge on the Catholic religion one question at a time.

The fact that God created all everything on earth and that Jesus is his son. Catholics follow the Trinity that has the meaning of unity. The Trinity is the father, the son, and the holy spirit and means God all in one person. Virgin Mary had Jesus from immaculate conception. God gave Mary a baby by staying pure and being the mother of his child. This is seen to be a miracle that God created. God comes through his son to inform others about Catholicism. This process to Philosophy would be looked at as much further back in time and, what could be evolution throughout history. There are other members in the history of the church that are the main followers of Jesus and are high in the religion. The twelve disciples were the ones who went to others and helped spread the word of the Lord. Where today we follow the New Testament at each mass. The New Testament has four gospels in it Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Every four years the Catholic Church starts over with the first gospel. Another, person that Catholicism talks about and plays a big role is Moses. Moses was an important person in the Old Testament and lead the Israelites out of slavery. He also parts the Red Sea creating a pathway. Another story always talked about is Jesus rising from the dead in a cave. Where Mary left in the cave and covered the opening with a large bolder. Once Paul moved the bolder days later the body was gone.

“Christianity has developed into a highly ritual-filled tradition and many of its significant practices are acts of public worship associated with the sacraments.” – Living Religion, 4th edition pg. 266.

While it is true that both Protestantism and the Eastern Orthodox worship the same God, Roman Catholics differ by their own beliefs over certain matters. A person who follows Catholicism is called a “Roman Catholic” or simply a “Catholic”.

The point of entry into the world of Catholic ritual is the Mass, the main worship ceremony of the Church. Rituals such as Mass generally include singing, prayer and sermon. The seven sacraments are very important in the Catholic Church. They are ceremonies that point to what is sacred, significant and important for Catholics. They consist of three different categories, which are: the sacraments of initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist), the sacraments of healing (Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick), and the sacraments of vocation (Marriage, Holy

The Catholics and Protestants were once together, therefore they are very similar but they do have a few differences. The Protestants believed that church services and the bible should be taught in a way that is legible to their people. Unlike the Protestants, the Catholics believe that it should be taught in its original form, even if they cannot understand the language. Church services with the Catholics remained in Latin, as it has in the last 1000 years (Alchin 2). The Catholics believed that their priest were special people. They believed that without their priest they could not connect with God. In a Catholic church the priest holds all of the power, not only was it impossible to

Rituals and Holy Places. Most Catholic sacraments are performed by priests in churches. Baptism rite is the sacramental entry into the life of Christianity (Advameg,

There were seven sacraments: the Lord’s Supper, baptism, marriage, penance, extreme unction, holy orders, and confirmation. The sacraments were viewed as symbols of grace. They were considered necessary for a Christian’s salvation. In addition, other church practices were important to the people during the Middle Ages, such as: the importance of saints, the use of relics, and the pilgrimage. The desire for more personal and deeper religious experience characterized the spiritual resurrection during the High Middle Ages. However, this led many individuals into the directions of hostility to the church.

Eucharist is when we receive the body and blood of Christ through the symbols of bread and wine. It further extends the initiation that took place at baptism “to enter fully into the heart of Christian faith through participation in the Eucharist” (catholic.org,2017). Confirmation is the final step of initiation. It is receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit that unites us more firmly with Christ and strengthens our bond with the Church. The remaining four Sacraments guide us through the rest of our life. The Sacrament of Penance is received regularly to confess our sins and seek forgiveness so that we may remain in God’s grace. The Sacrament of Marriage takes place when two people commit to spend the rest of their life together, anointing of the sick is when a priest anoints a sick person with oil and offers prayers, and Holy Orders is the sacrament that takes place with the ordination of a bishop, priest, or deacon into ministry (Molloy, M., 2010).

Receiving the Eucharist is one of the most important things we can do as a catholic. Holy Communion is the most important of all the sacraments. It completes the Sacraments of Initiation. The bread and wine we receive at communion is the body and blood of Jesus. It becomes the bread and body of Jesus through Transubstantiation. Transubstantiation is the conversion of the substance of the Eucharistic elements into the body and blood of Christ at consecration, only the appearances of bread and wine still remain. We participate in the sacrament of communion to commemorate all that Jesus did for us and getting nailed to a cross so we can be free from sin and have eternal life in heaven.

Many Catholics attend mass on Saturday night instead of Sunday morning because of the work schedule. This was not always the case but has been accepted by Christians since around 1980. They also have rituals of respect during the service which includes kneeling, singing, bowing and responding to the priest or deacon.

The Communion Christians have always regarded the Holy Communion as being one very important element towards achieving discipleship since the very beginning. However, the question in every Christian’s mind is “what are we doing?” it is, therefore, important to discuss what the holy communion means about theology. The Holy Communion has several names given to it. Among them are: the Eucharist, the Lord’s Supper, Divine Liturgy, and the Mass. Inside the New Testament, there are also varying details given there concerning what entails the Holy Communion on accounts given by Christ himself.[1] The Holy Communion does not compare to Baptism which is another sacrament that is non-repeatable. It is repeatable to some certain degrees as it can be done on a daily basis such as those performed by the Catholic Church. In other instances, it can be conducted on a much infrequent celebration such as the ones that happen in Reformed Churches. Referring to Baptism, there are differences in the practice and its significance, and sometimes the understanding of what it means to be baptized. This has gone ahead to become e a hindrance to churches having a common celebration, but at the same time, there is some spiritual benefit that accrues to the people that partake in it. In the same way, the Eucharist possess the same characteristics. Nature of the Union of Christ and Church The Holy Communion is not just a matter of people ingathering in unity. The purpose of having the communion is so

Roman Catholics celebrate Holy Communion or Mass regularly. Roman Catholics believe that the Mass is a sacrifice. Each time it is celebrated Christ renews the sacrifice that he made for the sins of the world when he was crucified. This is why they frequently celebrate it. In some Churches, only people who have been confirmed are allowed to participate in the celebration of Holy Communion, whereas in the Roman Catholic Church there is no such restriction.

The meaning of the word Catholic is universal. The church is catholic in two senses. The first is that Christ is present in her so she possesses the fullness of Christ and has received from him the fullness of the means of salvation. The second is Christ sent her on a mission to gather all people into the people of God. The church feels connected to all people because all are made in the image and likeness of God. Despite this, the perfect union with God and all people will not take place till the end of time. Churches are completely and fully Catholic when they are in communion with the Church of Rome, meaning they recognize the Pope’s authority as the visible foundation for the unity of all members of the church and church leaders. The Seven Sacraments are also a huge part of what makes the church Catholic as they touch the totality of a persons life and Catholic journey from Baptism in the beginning as a sacrament of initiation to Annointing of the Sick at the

The Catholic Church, Catholic meaning universal is a church with unique practices, beliefs, and traditions compared to the Christian church. (5) The Catholic Church is the closest related to the Christian Church but is extremely different when it comes to rules and specific beliefs. The Christian church is more focused around the belief of followers of Jesus.(1) The Church is centered on the belief that their religion should be focused on the life and walks of Jesus the Son of God. The Protestant Church is a branch of Christianity and shares the belief of