Ernest A. Ross

+Isaac L. Kramer

What Is Catholicism?

May 1, 2013

What Is Catholicism Vocabulary Assignment

1. Catholic – means “universal” or “one” and refers to the fact that the Catholic Church is found all over the world and all of its members follow a set of common beliefs. The word Catholic comes from the Greek word Kataholos and it means universal or concerning everyone. The Catholic faith is therefore available to everyone, it is for all people, it’s not for any one class, nation, or race.

2. Tradition – refers to both the process of handing down the faith to others and the material that has been handed down. Tradition refers to the scriptures, church doctrines, the writings of the church teachers, and the liturgical life of the church down through the centuries; additionally, tradition refers to the everyday customs and practices of the church. Tradition Divine is the revealed teachings of God handed down from Jesus Christ to the Apostles, but not written down. Many of these truths were later written about by the Fathers of the Church.

3. Liturgical – is the word the Catholic Church uses to describe church practices such as hymns, prayers and services. Concerning the forms of public worship arranged by the Church. The Offering of Mass, the singing of the Divine office, and the administration of the sacraments are the main forms of public worship. Processions, public prayers, and the ceremonies used in the official public worship of the Church belong to the liturgy.

4. Parochial Schools – are private schools run by the parish church. Parochial means relating to the parish. Therefore parochial schools are schools that provide religious education in addition to conventional education. A parochial school is a Christian grammar school or high school which is part of, and run by, a parish.

5. Missions – are operated by the Catholic Church worldwide for the purpose of serving the poor and spreading the gospel message. Missions can be foreign, at-home or popular. Foreign and at-home missions are to the unsaved masses in foreign countries or in our local areas for the purpose of conversion to the faith of Jesus Christ, many times accomplished through Christian service. Popular missions are a series of religious services conducted by missionary priests visiting a parish. A mission usually lasts a number of days and consists of sermons, instructions, and religious exercises. The time of the mission is often divided into a number of days for men and a number for women, and a special mission for children. The purpose of the popular mission as with all other missions is to instruct the faithful, to revive religious fervor, and to convert sinners. The popular mission usually ends with the renewal of baptismal vows.

6. Ecclesiastical – is a term used to describe church stuff, like “civil” describes things that relate to government, ecclesiastical describes things that belong to an established institutional church. Anything relating to the Catholic Christian Church or its clergy.

7. Purgatory – had traditionally been thought of as a place, like hell, where people spend time to suffer for their sins and are later released to heaven. More recently, the Pope has clarified that purgatory is the condition of the soul of a person who at the time of death has not completely repented for wrongdoing. The word Purgatory comes from the Latin word Purgare, meaning to cleanse. It is a place and state of punishment in which the soul suffers for a time to be cleansed before going to heaven. In

Purgatory venial sins and mortal sins, which have been confessed but for which full satisfaction has not been made, must be removed by purification before the soul is ready for heaven.

8. All Saints Day – is also known as the feast of All Hallows. The night before became known as All Hallows Eve, or Halloween. So when the “spooks” come to your door, they are honoring an old tradition as well as having a good night of fun. It is one of the important feast days of the Church and a holy day of obligation. This feast, on November 1st, is in honor of all God’s saints, even those who have not been officially declared saints by the Church.

9. Vespers – This word means “evening star” and Catholics use this term to describe prayers traditionally said at sundown. Vespers are the sixth of seven prayers said throughout the day and night in the Catholic Church. These are the evening hours of the Divine Office. Usually evening services in the Church are called vespers.

10. Jesuit – is the common name for a religious order of priests and brothers in the Catholic Church. The official name is the Society of Jesus, and hence the initials after a member’s name are “S.J.” A religious order for men founded by St. Ignatius of Loyola in 1534. The first aim of this society is to be at the call of the Pope for whatever work he might want its members to do. The Jesuits are engaged chiefly in education and in foreign missions.

11. Mystic – comes from the Greek word meaning mystery. The term describes a person whose prayer life includes meditation from which he or she gains spiritual understanding and insight. Persons whose lives are exclusively directed to an interior union with God. The word Mystic comes from the Greek and actually means one who has been initiated into religious mysteries. Christian mystics, such as St. Bernard of Clair Vaux, St. Teresa of Avilla, and St. Therese of Lisieux, followed and taught ways of spiritual perfection leading to a greater and more intimate union with God.

12. Faith – In the Catholic religion, faith has many aspects. One meaning of the word “faith” describes the way in which a person responds to Christ in their daily life. Faith is the presence of God within (grace) and the interior presence of the Holy Spirit moving the heart and turning it to God. Faith is one of the three virtues most closely related to God. This virtue of belief in and reliance upon God in every aspect of the Christian’s daily life ultimately helps man to attain his supernatural end, which is happiness with God in heaven.

13. Vicar of Christ – is a title given to the Pope and all bishops with reference to the claim that they stand as representatives of Jesus Christ and act with His authority in the church. The visible head of the Church who represents to the people of God the invisible head of the Church Jesus Christ.

14. Infallibility – is a gift of the Holy Spirit to protect the church’s teachings from error. Papal infallibility is the church belief that when the pope defines a doctrine of faith and morals that must be held by the whole church, the Holy Spirit grants him infallibility. It simply means that when the Church or the Pope is speaking and or teaching under the power and authority of the Holy Spirit, they cannot lie or make a mistake.

15. Magisterium – is from the Latin word for “teacher” and refers to the teaching function of the church. The divine authority of the Church to teach given by Christ Himself when He said to the Apostles after His resurrection, “Go, therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing the in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and behold I am with you always even unto the end of the world” (Matthew 28:19-20).

16. College of Cardinals – is a collection of cardinals that offers counsel to the pope, elects new popes, and governs the church between popes. There are approximately 130 members of the college. An association of all the Cardinals with a dean at its head. When a Pope dies, they take over his duties

until such time as they have chosen a new Pope. They come together and meet in a solemn conclave (in private) to elect the new pope.

17. Canon – the term Canon comes from the Greek word kanon, which means a “measuring stick of life.” It is used to describe the rules governing the church, or church law. It actually means a rule, i.e. a changeless rule of uniformity. In the Catholic Church the word Canon has many meanings. 1.) The Canon of the Mass is the most solemn part of the Mass and begins after the Sanctus and continues to the Pater Noster. This part of the Mass contains the real sacrifice of the Mass, the consecration of the bread and of the wine. 2.) The Canon of Holy Scripture is a list put together by the Church of the inspired books of the Old and New Testaments which make up our Holy Bibles. 3.) Ecclesiastical Canons which are simply the laws governing the Church. 4.) The Canon of Saints which is a list of saints officially recognized by the Catholic Church. 5.) Canon is also a title given to certain persons of the Church. In Europe and in French Canada, members of a cathedral chapter or a collegiate are called chapter canons. Members of certain religious orders are also called canons, for example, Augustinian canons. 6.) Canon of the Hours is eight hours making up the Divine Office: Matins, Lauds, Prime, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers, and Compline.

18. Council – an assembly of representatives from the whole church called together by the pope to make decisions. The preceding council, Vatican 1, was held from 1869 to 1870. Ecclesiastical meetings for deciding matters of doctrine discipline or other Church related issues.

19. Parish Council – is an elected group of church members whose job it is to plan and secure resources for the mission of the parish. A meeting of Parish members for deciding matters pertaining to the everyday operation of a parish and its missions.

20. Bible Vigil – is a post Vatican 2 liturgical ceremony in which the Bible is prominently displayed on the church altar and the service consists of reading and reflection on Biblical texts. Bible Vigils were a form of devotion popular in the days just before Vatican II as a quasi-liturgical service. The purpose they were to serve can now be properly fulfilled by active participation in the actual liturgical prayers of the Mass and or our Divine Office.